- Egyptian Coptic leaders from around the world have urged the government of President Hosni Mubarak to initiate a "special legislation" designed to end what they call a "long and enduring persecution" of Christians in Egypt. The Copts expected the help of all Egypt's Muslims in this quest for freedom.
This appeal was made at the conclusion of the First International Symposium on Egyptian Copts in Zurich, Switzerland, this week. The conference resolutions concluded with a call to "strengthen relationships of love and respect between Egyptians, both Muslim and Christian," and with the declaration "what is good for the Copts is good for Egypt."
According to the Coptic Church of Egypt, there is a "long and enduring persecution of the Copts in Egypt." To end this, the symposium found, the Egyptian government needed to enact special legislation through the Egyptian legislature "to correct all inequities resulting from historical neglect and discrimination."
- We sincerely solicit the help of all Muslims to stand side by side with the Copts in their quest for freedom and equality, the declaration said. Religious leaders of Egypt's Copts and of the Muslim majority traditionally have worked well together.
The new legislation called for by the Coptic society should "establish equality" among Egypt's religious groups. As the religious minorities form a relatively large part of Egypt's society, the Copts hold that legislation should institute "a total separation of religion and state through constitutional reforms, and the removal of emphasis on religion and its role in government institutions, emphasising the secular nature of the state."
The ancient religious group - which has its roots among the first Christian societies almost 2000 years ago, also asks for more political powers. Egypt should allocate a "proportionate and just percentage" of government appointed positions to Copts, "to guarantee appropriate participation." This, they proposed, should be around 10 to 15 percent of government posts. Parliamentary seats equally should be allocated after this model.
Further, the minority religion urged that religious identification should be removed from every government issued document, form, or application. The Egyptian constitution was guaranteeing freedom and protection of religious beliefs, but this was not properly enforced, the statement said.
New legislation also should end "the practice of treating all Coptic issues, including their struggle to attain equal rights, as 'State Security Matters' and removing what is known as the 'Coptic File' from the grip of the State Security Intelligence Apparatus," the resolution said.
- We also express our conviction that a better Egypt, besides adopting this 'Special Legislation', should dedicate itself to strengthen relationships of love and respect between Egyptians, both Muslim and Christian, through encouraging cooperative projects in all areas of life, the text added. "We believe that what is good for the Copts is good for Egypt and what is good for Egypt is good for the Copts," it concluded.
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