By Sameh Fawzy No citizenship without tolerance: this is a lesson learned in every corner of the world. People cannot respect others' rights without allowing them space in the public sphere -- the meaning of tolerance. These concepts are interconnected and interrelated. This week in Esna, a village that belongs to the governorate of Qena, an unremarkable quarrel between a Christian merchant and a veiled woman turned into sectarian strife in which shops owned by Christians were looted and destroyed and the gate of a local church smashed. To my surprise, most of the victims have no blood relation with the Coptic merchant who was a part to the problem. In Egypt, one can notice a rise in fanaticism in relations between Muslims and Christians, on the one hand, and on the other between different religious groups within the same religion. This lack of tolerance hinders achieving full-fledged citizenship for all Egyptians. Contrary to other countries, this problem is not addressed positively in law. Generally speaking, one can establish the connection between long apathetic policies adopted by the government towards sectarian problems and the rise of religious intolerance. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that there are other factors that complicate the problem and add more heat to it. The problem of intolerance is comprehensive and so our approach to it must be holistic. First and foremost, Muslims must give up the idea that Copts are a monolithic religious group. Reality tells us that Copts are differentiated according to numerous social and political classifications. If Muslims start to look at Copts as just individuals, sectarian strife will go away. Then personal responsibility for actions will be acknowledged, without religious excuses. This week's Soapbox speaker is an Egyptian political commentator.
