CAIRO: The upcoming Shoura Council (Upper House of Parliament) elections have triggered conflict over the Christians stance. On one hand, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported that close sources to Pope Shenouda is giving orders to its bishops and priests to urge Christians not to vote for candidates who did not show support or present services to the Christian community. This statement was allegedly supported by priest Morqos Aziz, patron of the Hanging Church of Old Cairo, who pointed a finger at the National Democratic Party (NDP) as being the main reason why Christians have been unable to appear. According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Youth Bishop Moussa also confirmed that Copts will not support candidates affiliated with the NDP because of the Christians feelings of humiliation after the last sectarian clashes in areas represented by NDP members. On the other hand, Bishop Abraham, from the secretariat of the Holy Synod, told The Daily Star Egypt that he is not aware of those statements and according to him, the Church does not sway Coptic votes for or against certain candidates or political parties. Everyone should freely elect whomever they desire, Abraham said. Mohamed Khalil Kwaitah, NDP MP, told The Daily Star Egypt that NDP members played the biggest role in settling the last sectarian clash [Al Ayyat sectarian clash where 11 Christians were injured] . Al Ayyat is considered the worst in Egypt since the bloody events in the Upper Egyptian village of El Kosheh seven years ago when 20 Copts were murdered in a riot that erupted following an argument between a Muslim woman and a Coptic shopkeeper. The final scene in Al Ayyat sectarian clashes ended Tuesday, May 18, with a joint reconciliation session attended by some 50 Azhar Sheikhs and Coptic priests. Kwaitah doubted the creditability of the statements published by Al-Masry Al-Youm and added to The Daily Star Egypt that if priest Aziz has in fact uttered those words, he should not have stated them in public as he would be violating the concept of freedom of expression and this is something totally rejected by the Egyptian constitution. This statement totally contradicts with Pope Shenouda s opinion on this subject. Pope Shenouda usually stresses the concept of citizenship and equality between citizens, Kwaitah said. Opinions of the Christian community regarding the upcoming elections and Bishop Moussa s comments differed. Ashraf Nabil, a fourth year engineering student, told The Daily Star Egypt that he would vote for NDP regardless of the recent Ayyat incident. I don t believe that the Ayyat incident should be a deciding factor when a Copt votes in the next elections, he said. But Nabil hinted though that his decision to vote for the NDP doesn t necessarily stem from his support for the ruling party. Honestly, I just don t want the Muslim Brotherhood to win the elections, he said. Any party would be better for us [Copts] than the Brotherhood, and that includes the NDP. On the other hand, Magdy Fayek, an accountant, told The Daily Star Egypt that he wouldn t vote for the NDP despite the fact that his church, St. Mark of Cleopatra, is supporting a Coptic NDP candidate. The NDP has never done anything of benefit to me as an Egyptian and as a Copt, he said. Look at what happened in Bamha [in Ayyat] and the several other assaults before it. What have they done exactly to prevent them? What have they done to solve the problem of Copts and improve their status? And what have they done to improve the conditions of the average Egyptian? Fayek also said that the fact that his church is backing a Coptic nominee doesn t change his position. The man s an NDP member at the end of the day, he said. Christian or no Christian, he won t do anything at all. The St. Mark Church patrons refused to comment on this issue. Albert Mashraky, however, is voting for the NDP and even considered joining it. I like the NDP because they re the only party that has an actual political program, he said. I read their program and liked what they call for. I won t vote for the Muslim Brotherhood because I feel threatened as a Copt, but because they simply haven t released any concrete program that would sway me to vote for them. Regarding Bishop Moussa s remarks, Mashraky said, I don t care about his comments.I m an Egyptian and the NDP is working for the entire Egyptian population not just Christians or Muslims. Christians will be distancing themselves if they re only concerned about themselves. One should vote for a party that cares about every citizen and not just Copts or Muslims, he added. Father Mena Ezzat, the patron of Abu Sefien church of Hadayek El Qubba, isn t supporting the NDP as he believes that none of the previous party candidates have fulfilled any of their past promises. Copts feel dejected and believe that their current sorry status will not change whether they vote or not, he told The Daily Star Egypt. Father Ezzat refused to meet the NDP member Ahmed El Amawy, who turned to the church s patrons for assistance, and didn t address this issue to the church members despite the fact that Amawy succeeded in convincing church officials to put up his posters and slogans on the church s gate. As for Al-Masry Al-Youm s comments regarding the Pope, Father Ezzat doesn t believe they re true. We don t believe any source unless it comes directly from the pope, he said. The Pope expressed his concern with the repercussions of the Ayyat incident and refused to give any official announcement regarding the NDP or the government. The Pope is spiritual person who hardly talks politics, he added. The Pope s last political remarks date back to the last presidential elections when he publicly endorsed President Mubarak. His comments were widely condemned by Copts and he has refrained from making any official political statement since then.
