The president on Nag Hammadi

WATANI International

24 January 2010

Last Thursday President Mubarak declared that the criminal act committed against the Copts of Nag Hammadi has pained the hearts of all Egyptians, Muslims and Copts alike. He said that it was up to all wise Egyptians—clergy, intellectuals, and media persons—to shoulder the responsibility of overcoming the sedition, ignorance, and blind fanaticism which threaten the unity of our society and which tarnish the image of Egypt. Yet President Mubarak made no mention of politicians and leaders—himself a major figure included—among wise Egyptians.

In the wake of the Christmas Eve Nag Hammadi crime, the State-affiliated National Council of Human Rights (NCHR) issued a strong-worded declaration condemning the crime. It analysed the causes of the ominously escalating violence against Copts, and recommended measures to be taken on the legislative, rights, educational, cultural, and media fronts to deal with the issue. The NCHR promised it would refer its declaration to the president.

I thus herewith confirm that, even though the wise people in this nation have received the president’s declaration with comfort, they still look up to him in anticipation of practical, tangible steps on all official fronts to make the recommendations of the NCHR materialise.