The government and the ruling NDP have mobilised to address Coptic grievances and contain repercussions from the terrorist attack on an Alexandrian church, Gamal Essam El-Din reports In the aftermath of the bomb attack that hit the Two Saints Church in Alexandria on New Year's Eve the government, ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and both houses of parliament have adopted a two-pronged strategy, moving to address longstanding Coptic grievances and simultaneously rebutting foreign criticism of the conditions facing Christians in Egypt. Minister of Waqf Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq said this week that the government is in the process of drafting two laws, one regulating the construction of churches, the second the personal status of Christians. Informed NDP sources say the party's influential Policies Committee, led by President Hosni Mubarak's younger son Gamal, is currently drafting the long-awaited unified law regulating the construction of places of worship. "The committee began drafting the law five months ago and has already canvassed the opinions of many political and religious Coptic figures," one source told Al-Ahram Weekly. "The committee has also taken the advice of many NDP legal consultants and engineers." "Once the basic guidelines of the new legislation are agreed the draft law will be subject to public discussion before being referred to the People's Assembly for a final debate." Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros Ghali told the French magazine Le Figaro this week that the new unified law will apply to the construction of all places of worship, not just churches. Ghali, who is close to Gamal Mubarak, also said that many NDP members were in favour of instituting a quota of parliamentary seats for Copts. Following a meeting with Pope Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, on 7 January, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif told reporters that the cabinet, in its most recent meeting on 3 January, had discussed the issue of facilitating the construction of churches. "We place conditions on the construction of mosques and churches, but at the same time we should make sure that there are enough places of worship to meet the needs of Muslims and Christians," said Nazif. Parliamentary speaker Fathi Sorour said the People's Assembly would welcome a debate on legislation regulating the construction of both mosques and churches. Sorour met with Pope Shenouda on 6 January after which he said: "The constitution defends religious freedom and in the People's Assembly we would welcome a debate on legislation granting new freedoms in the construction of places of worship." The second part of the strategy found its most dramatic expression yet on Tuesday when the Foreign Ministry decided to withdraw Egypt's ambassador to the Vatican "for consultation". Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said "the decision was taken after the Vatican issued a new statement claiming that Christians in Egypt face persecution and repression". "When the Vatican issued its first statement calling for an end to the oppression of Christians in Egypt we tried to explain that Christians in Egypt do not face repression. When the Vatican insisted on adopting the same line in a new statement we decided to take action." Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit sharply criticised the European Union (EU) for issuing statements that, he alleged, "give a growing impressions that the European Union has mutated from a political institution into a Christian Club". The ruling NDP and the sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb, joined the chorus of criticism of the Vatican and the EU. In the People's Assembly on Monday MPs from both the NDP and opposition attacked Benedict XVI and the European Parliament which, said Sorour, has sought to give the impression that "Coptic Christians face a systematic policy of repression in Egypt". The Shura Council -- the consultative upper house -- opted for a more moderate line. Safwat El-Sherif, chairman of the council and NDP secretary- general, asked the council's newly-formed Human Rights Committee, led by Egypt's former ambassador to Israel Mohamed Bassiouni, to respond to foreign insinuations. El-Sherif argued that responses to the Alexandria bomb attack showed that many outside Egypt are "either unaware of the reality of life in Egypt or else are aware of the facts but remain determined to falsify them". A minority of politicians, including Rifaat El-Said, chairman of the leftist Tagammu Party, have characterised the statements of government officials about places of worship as one more example of empty rhetoric. "The problem with NDP officials is that they are very good in stressing national unity but when it comes to taking concrete steps towards tackling Coptic grievances they procrastinate until they receive strict orders from President Mubarak himself," said El-Said.
