Egypt joins Geneva negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty, calls for urgent agreement    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Madinet Masr in talks for three land plots in Riyadh as part of Saudi expansion    Egypt's PM tells Palestinian PM that Rafah crossing is working 24/7 for aid    Egypt, Japan discuss economic ties, preparations for TICAD conference    Real Estate Developers urge flexible land pricing, streamlined licensing, and dollar-based transactions    Egypt's Sisi pledges full state support for telecoms, tech investment    EGP inches down vs. USD at Sunday's trading close    EGX launches 1st phone app    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



The repercussions of the Abu Fana Crisis
Published in Daily News Egypt on 14 - 08 - 2008

The Abu Fana monastery crisis, albeit recently solved, has noticeably produced a number of negative repercussions on Muslim-Christian relationships in Egypt. Among them, the controversial lecture given by Coptic Orthodox bishop Thomas at Houston Center in the United States and the picture is looking more complicated. A conflict over a piece of land has turned to be an identity question, as bishop Thomas presented in his lecture, describing Egyptian identity as the only patriotic one and vigorously criticizing what he described as the Islamization of Egypt.
Settled three months after Bedouin Arabs attacked the Upper Egyptian monastery, the issue has created a hideous image of sectarianism in which Copts protest inside, and demonstrate outside Egypt, while an increasing portion of ordinary Muslims started to buy the argument propagated by political Islamist groups that Copts have been capitalizing on the alleged US-led global war on Muslims and Arabs to garner advantages they don t really deserve.
Apart from this argument, the sectarian sphere in Egypt has undoubtedly gained more ground, especially among ordinary Egyptians, who have historically coexisted peacefully.
Although the problem persists, all parties involved still want to solve it through negotiations rather than implementing the law. This is a real predicament. Since sectarian clashes began in Egypt in the early 1970s, the government and its agencies have reached a conclusion is that these clashes should be addressed through informal negotiations between conflicting Muslims and Christians instead of applying the law.
As a consequently, reaching a deal through negotiations has become more difficult because parties involved in these informal negotiations have gained experience in bargaining skills.
We can bargain over commercial deals, but can citizenship rights be negotiable in any society?
To be a good negotiator, at least theoretically, you have to effectively use the bargaining chips in hand. Because the government and the church's top clergy know in advance that any sectarian dispute would be addressed at the end through informal negotiations, they make sure that while the issues reach their climax on the outside, horse trade negotiations are made under the table. The sophisticated situation in Abu Fana can be easily understood through this prism. Expatriate Copts demonstrate in Western capitals against what they describe as Persecution of Christians in Egypt. Officials and government-owned newspapers, by contrast, have launched a campaign against "Coptic Activists in the Diaspora, accusing them of being puppets at the hands of Western powers, which direct them in a way that causes harm to national interests. The church's top clergymen are also blamed by the same people, for their lenient position vis-a-vis the activities of Copts outside Egypt. Once a settlement is reached, this discourse vanishes as was the case in similar situations in the past.
This is unfortunately the way the regime and the church address sectarian matters. Thus contradictions do not come as a surprise.
For example, while Diaspora Copts were demonstrating against the regime over the last few weeks, and the official media vehemently attacked them, there was open communication between the regime and influential Coptic activists outside the country. And while the church's top clergy expressly refused negotiations to solve the problem, insisting that only applying the rule of law will be acceptable, there were open channels between government agencies and Pope Shenouda who is currently seeking treatment in the United States.
The negotiations have not resulted in anything concrete because both sides are making tougher and uncompromising demands. In this crisis, we need to see the law fairly implemented to send a good message to the society as a whole that sectarian issues are no longer a bargaining chip because Egyptians decided to stick to the law; the only trusted and agreed upon mechanism in modern society to maintain balance between diverse groups, to sustain equity between people, and to silence sectarian voices, which only flourish in time of a crisis.
Sameh Fawzy is an Egyptian journalist, PhD researcher, and specialist on governance and citizenship.


Clic here to read the story from its source.