SINCE the January 25 revolution and the toppling of the oppressive Mubarak regime, Egyptian society has been witnessing some significant changes that might raise public concern over the future of Egypt with the growing fear of its becoming a purely theology. Instead of continuing to deny the threat and depending on the nature of the Egyptian people who are known for their moderate Islamic tendency, the intelligentsia are confronting the extremist leanings and uncovering their wrong perceptions about Islam. These intellectuals and thinkers, who are finding their way into different newspapers and talkshow programmes, are continuing to explore and criticise the malpractices and stances of the Salafists, the Muslim Brotherhood and even the Sufis. Under Mubarak's rule, these different Muslim groups were forced to keep a low profile, fearing the tight grip of the security apparatus in general and the now dissolved State Security Agency in particular. Now, they are reviewing their strategies after being subjected to fierce criticism from the literati and the revolutionaries for their wrongdoings. These include their attempts to demolish tombs of revered Muslim sheikhs, which were constructed within mosques, or take the law into their own hands and punish any one who seems to them to be violating the Islamic code. Such acts have stirred up public and State concern, especially the incident involving a Christian citizen who had his ear cut off by a Salafi group who accused him of running a house of prostitution. Criticism of these immoderate acts has even been strengthened by clerics of Al-Azhar, the Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Ali Gomaa and the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayyeb, who received the Coptic citizen in his office and promised to bear the cost of his medical treatment. Such good trends to minimise the influence and presence of militant movements and thoughts will not bear fruit without being coupled by similar measures taken by the Coptic Orthodox Church towards the extremist Christians who cannot tolerate seeing one of their co-religionists convert to Islam. Actually, the Coptic Orthodox Church has been accused of suppressing any one who dares to convert to Islam. One proof of this is the stand it has taken on the respective wives of two priests, namely Wafaa Qustanteen and Kamelia Shehata, both of whom escaped from their homes and husbands and were reportedly to have converted to Islam. At the time of each incident, the Church placed pressure on the State Security Agency to arrest the woman in question and hand her over to the Church, so that she could announce her repentance. Until now no one has been able to communicate with or to see either of them. In response to Muslims' demonstrations calling for the release of these two women who had allegedly converted to Islam, the Church insisted that they are not in custody and that they had never converted. What has been said about Qustanteen and Shehata is also true of many other women and men, who have not acquired the same notability maybe because they are not members of a priest's family. The latest of these tragedies has recently been covered by the press, but has not elicited any comment or condemnation. It concerns a young woman who was a Christian that converted to Islam and married a Muslim from whom she bore a son and a daughter. Six years after she had left her original religion, her brothers decided to punish her for such an act and raided her home where they killed her and her son, and seriously injured her husband and daughter. On the one hand, the Coptic Orthodox Church and its leader Pope Shenouda have not expressed condemnation of the crime nor has any Christian citizen. Even more annoying is the fact that the criminal act has not drawn due media coverage and has not been denounced by the authorities or the literati, who might feel some sensitivity in dealing with this contemptible act. The crime was perpetrated while Copts and Muslims were jointly celebrating the rebuilding of the church in the village of Soul near Helwan in southern Cairo, which was demolished by irresponsible young Muslims on hearing rumours about a Muslim woman having an affair with a Coptic man. For this reason, the media was apparently loath to raise again sectarian tensions, that had just been defused, because of this crime. Despite the media's good intentions to avoid stirring up tensions and dividing the nation over individual crimes, fully ignoring such a criminal act could also trigger the unwanted reaction of extremist groups. In rebuilding new Egypt, in which all citizens enjoy equal rights and responsibilities, the State authorities should ensure respect of all human rights including the right of expression and the right of beliefs. Both the Muslim and the Christian religious institutions should promote this principle and set the example of respecting the divinely granted right of all humans to enjoy freedom of belief without any bonds. It is time to admit that sheikhs and priests are not God's shadow on earth nor are they the ones to force His will onto citizens and take into their own hands the punishment of unbelievers and the blessing of the faithful. Neither the Prophet Mohamed nor Jesus (peace be upon them) forced their companions to follow their path, as they understood that their mission was to convey the message of Allah and guide people to the right path, leaving them to choose which way to take. As long as Egyptian Muslims and Christians are living together on this land, there will always be some cases of conversion, which cannot be stopped by oppression. If this were to happen, it would mean driving the country into civil war and sectarian division that no sincere Egyptian would ever want for this country. Dear readers are invited to contribute their comments, views and questions via 111-115 Ramsis St., Cairo or e-mail: ([email protected])
