CAIRO - On February 11, the Egyptians succeeded in putting an end to Mubarak's 30-year regime. The toppling of the 82-year-old President unified all Egyptians. The voices of the demonstrators in Al Tahrir Square were heard all over the world, while sectarian voices fell silent. However, only 11 days later, on February 22, a Coptic priest was killed in his home in Assiut, Upper Egypt. It was reported that whoever killed Father Dawood Morcos burgled his home, but the Copts there believe that Muslim extremists were behind his death. Since Saturday 6, hundreds of Copts have been gathering outside the official television building in Cairo to protest against the burning of a church in the town of Sol, 90km south of Cairo. “Even if sectarian events have returned, the attackers should be classified as criminals not Muslims,” says Somaia Adel. “Our experience together has helped us rediscover each other, so why are we insisting on returning to how things were before January 25?” asks the 55-year-old programmer. Before January 25 tensions between Muslims and Copts peaked, but since then, the strained situation has started to calm down. Many Egyptians believe that the 18 days spent in Al Tahrir Square helped develop the Muslim-Coptic relationship in this predominantly Muslim country. In this square in central Cairo, crowds of Muslims and Christians sang national songs, waved their country's flag and held up banners demanding political reform. “As we protested for our country, we forgot our differences for several days,” says Ahmed Ali, a 26-year-old engineer. “This could be the start of better relations between us all.” Some Egyptians interviewed by The Egyptian Gazette believe that sectarianism is part of the nation's ideology that only hid itself during the recent revolution. They argue that Egyptians need a long-term solution, as this ideology cannot be replaced overnight. “Eighteen days are not long enough to change everything,” says 37-year-old Hani Farouq. “We have to change our thinking and learn how to accept the other unconditionally.” Coptic intellectuals, meanwhile, say that the anti-Mubarak revolution has paved the way to end the problem entirely, with new legislation criminalising sectarianism being the first step that should be taken. They say that an independent committee responsible for amending the Constitution must add new articles that ensure equality and freedom of belief. “We have to make use of the revolution to establish a society that isn't fanatical,” says Naguib Gabriel, a Christian lawyer concerned with Copts' problems. “Rules that prohibit discrimination and defamation of religion are vital at this crucial time in Egypt's history.” Copts make up around 10 per cent of Egypt's 80 million population and have complaints against alleged discrimination in holding senior posts.
