The appointment by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of five Copts among the 10 appointed members in the new parliament raised the ire of Coptic and
The appointment by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of five Copts among the 10 appointed members in the new parliament raised the ire of Coptic and political activists, who told Watani that of the five, only the political activist and prominent revolutionary Hanna Greiss is known to the public. The other four can boast no political contribution that would make them eligible for the appointment.
The five Coptic deputies are Tarek Makram Shaker, Vice President of the Egyptian House in the US; George Nagui Messiha, co-founder of Egyptians against Religious Discrimination (MARED); Suzy Adli Nashed, Professor of Economics at Alexandria University; Hanna Girgis Greiss, former member of the Cabinet’s committee for combatting sectarianism; and Marianne Kamal Malak of CTV (Coptic TV). Born in 1984 Malak is the youngest member at the newly formed Parliament. Messiha had run in the last parliamentary elections as the Social Democratic Egyptian Party candidate for Shubral-Kheima, but lost.
+Comparing to pre-revolution+
The writer and researcher Hani Labib told Watani the five Copts were selected in “the same way used by the pre-revolutionary regime”. Mr Labib was surprised at the exclusion of members of the revolutionary and Maspero youth movements.
Coptic activist Kamal Zakher, however, thinks that the Copts’ status in parliament could be witnessing some improvement when compared with the Mubarak days, in that seven Copts have reached parliament through elections—which was never the case under the old regime when only one or two Copts would make it to parliament, and another two would be appointed.
Mr Zakher stressed the Church had no say in the selection of the five Copts, which puts paid to the old Islamist chestnut—they always accused the Church of interfering in politics.
The SCAF’s aim in regard to the appointment of an immigrant Copt is probably to build bridges of communication and reconciliation with Copts outside Egypt, Mr Zakher said. But Mr Labib argued that the SCAF again overlooked Coptic immigrant activists such Michael Meunier, William Wissa and Magdi Khalil.
“Overall, the change is positive,” Mr Zakher insists, “even though the number of Copts in parliament still does not ensure a fair representation of Copts.”
+No Church role+
Rami Kamel of the Maspero Youth Union (MYU) believes that the status of Copts has not changed since the revolution. During the Mubarak era, he said, Coptic turnout in elections never exceeded 5 per cent, and they were represented by 1 per cent of parliamentary seats. After the revolution, Coptic turnout leaped to 70 per cent, but still with a 1 per cent parliamentary representation.
Mr Kamel believes that the appointment process complied with the Church’s dictates. He said the SCAF completely disregarded the revolutionary and the Maspero youth, while the Church, he claimed, would not accept anybody playing its political role, so it can retain its political hegemony. Which is why an emigrant Copt was appointed to Parliament, he said, in order to contain emigrant Copts and break the base of Coptic activists.
Rev. Andrea Zaki, deputy head of the Evangelical Church in Egypt, told Watani that he knew the Coptic Church had no say in the appointment of the five Copts. He too was surprised that Coptic activists were given no place in the new parliament. “Those who shared in the revolution are absent from the revolution’s parliament,” Rev. Zaki said.
A source from the Coptic Orthodox Church confirmed to Watani’sRobeir al-Faris+ that the Coptic Church did not interfere in any way in the nomination of the Copts.
