CAIRO: There will be no campaigning inside Egypt's Coptic Christian churches, according to a statement by Pope Shenouda III. The announcement is part of the Pope's continued effort to separate religion from politics in the new Egypt, but it has also angered some Coptic citizens who say it will hinder Coptic candidates ability to make their campaigns public. “We are frustrated by this because there are not a lot of Coptic candidates to begin with and the church is the best way for them to get noticed,” said Noha Farid, a 34-year-old housewife. She told Bikyamasr.com that while she understands the move, “it will hurt the Coptic candidates more than anything else.” Parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin on November 28. There are currently only a few dozen Coptic nominees for the upcoming vote and the likelihood of them getting elected is proving difficult. George Ishak, a leader in the National Association for Change, a coalition of political groups in the country, and a Coptic Christian, told Bikyamasr.com that all candidates must make an effort to take their message to the people. “They have to get out and learn and talk to people in the country and those who will vote for them, whether they are Christian or Muslim,” he said. “We have to go to the people more.” There are worries that Coptic Christians could boycott the upcoming election, but Ishak says this would be a mistake, considering the new Parliament is to create a constitutional committee that will write a new constitution for the country. Activists fear an Islamic take over of the People's Assembly, or lower house of Parliament, will endanger the future of Egypt and the gains of the revolution. Mark Hashem, a Coptic activist who marched against military trials for civilians on Monday, told Bikyamasr.com that “this is the most important election, which is why we need to keep pressure on the military rulers ahead of the vote.” He added that if the country “fails to go out in large numbers and demand our voice is heard, we could slide into a country that nobody really wants.” Since October 9, when the military opened fire on thousands of Coptic protesters in front of the national television and radio building, or Maspero, killing 27 people and wounding hundreds more, worries of sectarianism have grown, as have the fear of Islamic groups gaining power through the election. “They have fears and these can be tackled through the government and the military listening to the people,” said Ishak, arguing that democracy and true democracy “is the way.” With activists taking to the streets in larger and larger numbers in recent days, the Coptic vote could prove to be a pivotal portion of society to determine how many seats the Islamic groups win in the upcoming election. A boycott, said Hashem, “would be so hurtful to Egypt in the short and long-run.” BM
