A calm week in Muharram Bek does not necessarily mean the tension between Alexandria's Muslims and Copts is over. Mustafa El-Menshawy reports The events in Alexandria's Muharram Bek neighbourhood over the past few weeks have made abundantly clear how difficult it is to separate religion from politics. The tension that erupted between Muslims and Coptic Christians over a church play that defamed Islam rapidly took on a life of its own. Last week's events were calm compared to the violent turns the affair had already taken, although they also belied a problem that looked set to stay. Coptic leaders used the violent incidents that took place in front of the Saint George Church to further push their demands for more political and social participation for Copts. Meanwhile, one of only two Coptic parliamentary candidates fielded by the ruling party threatened to withdraw from the race in protest. And the Muslim Brotherhood denied involvement after security officials said Islamist extremists might be to blame for distributing CD performances of the offensive play. Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, the US Copts Association exploited the unrest to ask Congress to place additional pressure on the Egyptian government, and press its allegations of "Coptic-targeted hate crimes" in the predominantly Muslim country. "On behalf of the Coptic-American community, I write to request your immediate action [in] helping [to] quell recent escalations in mob violence and terrorism against Coptic Christians of Alexandria," Michael Munir, the president of the association, said in a written statement released in the lead-up to a major conference on Coptic issues to be held at the US Congress in Washington in mid-November. President Hosni Mubarak also stepped in, addressing the nation in a speech celebrating Laylat Al-Qadr on Saturday. "Teach young people that heaven's law prohibits spilling the blood of the innocent or terrorising them. Remind them that religion is between them and God, and that our nation is for everyone," Mubarak said. The president's comments followed violent protests that took place in front of the Saint George Church that ended in three dead and 143 injured. Angry about a play that had been performed at the church two years ago, protesters set fire to cars and hurled stones at shops, pharmacies and a hospital in the Muharram Bek neighbourhood. Coptic leaders had initially chosen not to apologise for the church performance. However, last Friday Alexandria's Coptic Orthodox Church issued a statement vowing to punish those implicated in producing the play. The church also appealed for the release of those who had been arrested during the violent riots, who had nothing to do with the destructive actions of the mob. Of the 121 who were arrested, by Tuesday 104 had been released. Although the church's statement may have helped to prevent another demonstration in front of Saint George Church last Friday, some in the neighbourhood were not satisfied, calling the statement an attempt to contain Muslim anger rather than a real apology. "The statement is provocative and insufficient," said Ismail Ramadan, whose house is not far from the Saint George Coptic Church. "People here are still very angry." Ramadan wondered why no legal action was being taken against the church for producing the play, and why the results of investigations into the incident had not yet been announced. Christian residents also seemed angry about the church's reaction. Many reminisced about how close their ties were with Muslim neighbours before the play affair erupted. They hailed Alexandria as a cosmopolitan city that had a long history of co-existence between Muslims, Christians and Jews. "I never felt discriminated against here. There was no hint of this kind of sectarian violence in Alexandria," said Girguis Kamel, a Coptic pharmacist. Today, Kamel said, my wife and daughter are afraid to leave the house. "Why, then, won't the church apologise in a clear and direct manner, and hold those responsible to account?" Again, the answer appears to be politics. According to Coptic analyst Gamal Assad, many Copts feel vindicated by Pope Shenouda's refusal to apologise or even investigate the incident. "Copts are impressed by the pope, and feel empowered based on his arrogant behaviour," Assad said. As a result of this dynamic, said Amr El-Chobaky, an analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, "there is a general impression among Muslims that the church is now stronger than the state, and that its leaders can freely impose their demands." Other observers made similar comments about Muslims (who make up more than 90 per cent of the population) beginning to feel like the government and the Copts (who only make up between 5-10 per cent of the population) are discriminating against them. Some, like sociologist Saadeddin Ibrahim, argued that the way religious leaders and politicians react to such incidents must change. "From 1972 until today, after more than 120 reported incidents of sectarian violence," Ibrahim said, officials and leaders of both religions were always rather quick to issue denials claiming that "everything is fine", or blaming "foreign hands" for seeking to spark sectarian strife. There are indications that the issue may be handled head-on this time. Elements of this new treatment include the fact-finding mission sent by two NGOs -- the Andalus Centre for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies and the Democracy Development Association -- to Muharram Bek last week. The mission later issued a report calling for Coptic grievances, including restrictions on building and remodelling churches, to be properly addressed. It asked Muslims and Copts to avoid using mosques or churches for political ends. A third recommendation suggested that a national unity committee, including both Muslim and Coptic intellectuals and activists, be formed to discuss effective solutions to end the tension. A fourth involved adapting the educational curricula to ensure that pupils are provided with a more tolerant atmosphere, so they can be more aware, and respectful, of the differences between Christianity and Islam. Mubarak's call for "a religious discourse that eliminates the intrigue and backbiting among Muslims and Christians" also added weight to these suggestions. The fact-finding report was quickly acted upon by the government-affiliated National Council for Human Rights, which said a national committee was being formed to discuss the problem from every angle, in an attempt to go beyond a narrow focus on the recent tension in Alexandria. The committee will include prominent public figures like Mustafa El-Feki, a Muslim political expert, and Munir Fakhri Abdel-Nour, a Coptic MP.
