Coptic concerns, the economy, education and the US president's regional tour preoccupy the pundits, write Gamal Nkrumah and Mohamed El-Sayed The Coptic Christmas celebrated on 7 January prompted commentators to debate the state of Copts in Egypt today. Writing his weekly article in the daily Al-Ahram, Pope Shenouda III congratulated the Coptic community on the beginning of a new year. The Coptic new year actually starts in September, with the onset of the Naruz, the Coptic new year festival. The Coptic pope's article concluded by tackling a number of pertinent political questions. "Don't forget to pray for our country... to save it from the problems of unemployment and skyrocketing prices that leave most commodities beyond the reach of [low] income people." Pope Shenouda was also quoted in an interview with Al-Ahram as saying he will institute new changes in the manner in which future Coptic popes are elected. "I will put the regulations of electing the pope up for debate soon," he was quoted as saying. The independent daily liberal-leaning Nahdet Masr predicted that this bombshell announcement of Pope Shenouda III would dash the dreams of Anba Beshoi, Anba Bessanti and Anba Morqos who have long aspired to sit on the papal throne. These particular Coptic Church leaders were especially keen on heading the church in the event of Pope Shenouda III's demise. There was much speculation about Coptic Church politics, and new regulations suggested by Pope Shenouda III are bound to set the cat among the pigeons. More youthful and popular Coptic Church leaders such as Anba Moussa, the bishop of youth, have a large following and are especially popular among the younger members of the Coptic community. In much the same vein, the weekly issue of the opposition Al-Dostour tried to explain Pope Shenouda III. "His relation with the government is solid, and it eliminates anybody who threatens his position," the paper noted. "He exerts great influence on immigrant Coptic communities but he gives them the freedom to manoeuvre according to the state of affairs." On a slightly different subject, the question of the fate of the Coptic language came into play. Writing in the daily independent Al-Masry Al-Yom Khaled Salah reflected on the Coptic community's nostalgia for the obsolete Coptic language. Nowadays it has become a liturgical language of the Coptic Church. "Many in the Egyptian state fear the comeback of the Coptic language which has long been restricted to churches and monasteries. [The powers that be] prevent the inclusion of the Coptic language in school history books and curricula," the paper said. He added, "the feeling of citizenship will not be complete unless Coptic history is properly respected in public life, the media and schoolbooks." Political reform also preoccupied the pundits. Writing in Al-Masry Al-Yom, prominent jurist Yehia El-Gamal warned that the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and its government are determined to eliminate all active and influential political forces from the political scene. He warned, "as long as the NDP and its government continue to shut the doors on political reform, and as long as they continue to make freedom- constraining legislation that further tightens the security grip, then what is the benefit of taking part in political life?" Other pundits concurred, lamenting the slow pace of political reform in Egypt. They argue that the government is obliged to speed up the political reform process. Writing in Al-Masry Al-Yom, Diaa Rashwan agreed with El-Gamal. He criticised the way the NDP and the government are covering a multitude of sins by hiding the draft of two important laws: anti-terrorism and local councils. "The leaders of the NDP do not believe that these laws are of public concern. It is as if the Egyptian people are not entitled to understand their implication," Rashwan wrote tongue-in-cheek. The proposed anti-terrorism laws are supposed to replace the infamous emergency laws in force since 1981. Disease, likewise, received ample attention. The dreaded bird flu came under intense scrutiny. The daily Al-Akhbar ran a feature about the comeback of Avian Flu. "Avian Flu challenges measures to combat it. The fatal disease re-emerges in 70 per cent of vaccinated poultry, and has mushroomed in 13 governorates." The daily opposition Al-Ahrar also ran a feature about the reason behind the re-emergence of the virus. "Avian Flu is a product of [failed] government policies", ran the headline. "There are heaps of Tamiflu [medicine] that have expired", ran another headline. "The re-emergence of the virus in vaccinated poultry farms exposes those who trade in corrupt vaccines". The paper was especially critical of the government's handling of the issue. Al-Ahram also hosted a roundtable discussion headed by Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid. "Increasingly, the people's income is the real challenge facing the government," the minister was quoted as saying. Espionage and national security similarly featured prominently. The opposition weekly Al-Arabi highlighted the Arab world's most celebrated writer and political analyst Mohamed Hassanein Heikal's comments about Arab national security concerns. "All [presidential] palaces and sensitive sites in Egypt are exposed by Google Earth, while Israeli sites are hazy on Google maps," he was quoted as saying. Education featured in the press and in particular the new rules and regulations encouraging the employment of foreign teachers. The daily opposition Al-Wafd ran a feature about the newly promulgated teachers law. "Allowing foreigners to teach in state schools at the expense of Egyptians", ran the headline of the article. The tone was not particularly welcoming to foreign teachers. Writing in Al-Wafd, prominent political commentator Wahid Abdel-Meguid diagnosed one of the misconceptions some government officials have on the state of the economy. "One of the problems with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and some economic decision-makers is that their [policies address] certain categories of Egyptians," Abdel-Meguid explained. He noted that much attention is devoted to wealthy Egyptians while the interests of the poor are ignored. Indeed, the economy was another concern of the commentators. The daily official Al-Gomhuriya ran a feature about steel prices. "Unreasonable steel prices will make housing prices soar", read the headline. The paper quoted experts as saying, "Prices of housing units will increase by 25 per cent." Professor of economics at Cairo University Mahmoud Abdel-Fadil was quoted in the daily liberal-leaning Nahdet Masr as saying: "The government has lost its bet on the private sector." He added, "turning commodities subsidies into cash will cause Egyptians to suffer from malnutrition." Al-Wafd quoted Khaled Youssef, one of Egypt's most celebrated film directors who directed two controversial movies that tackled chronic social and political problems, as saying: "There is no hope that [a democratic] transfer of power will happen in a fascist state like Egypt." Meanwhile, the weekly pro-government magazine Rose El-Youssef attacked the two movies directed by Youssef, Hiya Fawda and Heena Maysara. "Egyptian movies are against Egypt", ran the front-page headline of the magazine. Foreign politics, too, interested the pundits. Al-Ahram columnist Fahmi Howeidi was acerbic in his mocking of the Middle Eastern tour of the United States President George W Bush. The US president, he contended, has nothing new to offer to the people of the region. "I pity those who pin much hope on Bush's tour of the region since indications point to the fact that he will not offer them anything new," Howeidi concluded.
