WATANI International
15 May 2011
The lawyers union association for legal studies and democracy filed a request with two demands to the Military Council.
The first demand was that Essam Sharaf should resign his post as Prime Minister, since he has done nothing to remedy or contain all the “sorry events” Egypt has undergone while he was in office.
The second was that Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawi should be brought to trial for his direct responsibility for the state of security chaos and incidents of sectarian violence against Copts in Egypt, the most recent of which occurred in Imbaba last week.
No reconciliation
MARED (Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination) issued two statements. The earlier was signed by 43 political and rights organisations and was delivered to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Thursday 7 April. It warned of the escalation in sectarian violence, and that resorting to urfi (traditional) reconciliation sessions in lieu of implementing the law against offenders, only served to encourage them to repeat their offence, since they know that they were immune to punishment.
These warnings were officially disregarded, the second statement said; sectarian violence and open incitement against Christians augmented rapidly, the most recent of which was the attack against the Copts of Imbaba where hundreds were injured or lost their lives.
“Enough is enough,” the statement again warned. “The military ought to shoulder the responsibility of preserving the unity of this country, and protecting the lives of its sons and daughters.
MARED demanded fair trials and penalties for the offenders, according to the law. It also demanded that a fact-finding committee be formed to investigate the causes behind the growing chasm between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, and especially the escalation of Salafi incitement against Christians, Those found guilty of incitement, the statement said, should be dealt with very strictly.
The remnants of the erstwhile ruling National Democratic Party should be banned of any political activity for ten years, in order to deprive them of the opportunity to sow sedition. The MARED statement called upon all democratic forces which support a modern civil State, to work together to confront the counter-revolution.
In Minya
Maghagha and Adawa Bishopric, in Minya, Upper Egypt, headed by Anba Aghathon, issued a statement in which it condemned the Imbaba attack against places of worship, and the physical, psychological and moral offences committed against Copts.
The Bishopric demanded prompt action against the criminals, in order to attain security and stability in Egypt, and to realise equality and social justice. The statement concluded with the Biblical words, “The Lord look upon it, and require it,” 2 Chronicles 24: 22
In Minya, Upper Egypt, hundreds of the Copts demonstrated before the governorate building, holding wooden crosses and denouncing the Imbaba sectarian violence, asking whose turn would be next. Expecting the worst, young Coptic men took it in shifts to guard the churches there.
They could not have been more prophetic. By mid-week churches all over Egypt found ‘warnings’ posted to their walls threatening against shirk billah, literally having another god besides Allah [It must be noted that belief in the Christian Trinity is considered shirk], and against what was termed as “witchcraft against Muslims”. The warning was that Allah’s punishment would be surely coming very shortly.
