Egypt's Coptic Christians ended their 13-day strike yesterday. They have held a sit-in outside Maspiro, the Egyptian television headquarters, since May 8 in reaction to the deadly sectarian clashes that took place in the poverty-stricken Cairo neighborhood of Imbaba on May 7. The demonstrators announced the suspension of their strike until June 13 to open the door for officials to respond to their demands. Priest Matthias Nasr, the leader of the strike, called for an end to the strike after meeting with the Egyptian Cabinet and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Nasr presented the Copt's demands. Nasr's call to end the strike was initially rejected by some protesters, who expressed their lack of confidence in the officials' promises and insisted on continuing the strike until 11pm. However, the leaders of the strike and prominent Coptic figures managed to convince the protesters to dissolve the strike, and it was dispersed peacefully. Groups of Copts began to clean the area, moving banners, removing garbage and barbed-wire barricades to allow traffic to pass. The road in front of Maspiro is part of the Corniche, a major two-way road which runs along the Nile. For the first time since May 8 traffic was able to pass undisturbed in front of Maspiro. Today, the priority was to discuss the strike and to refuse attempts to fuel sectarian strife between Egyptian citizens. Nasr said the decision to dissolve the strike came after officials promised to respond to all of the Coptic community's demands within 30 days. The demands include issuing a unified law on building places of worship, criminalizing religious discrimination, opening churches which were closed under the Mubarak regime, reviewing the files of Coptic Christian girls who have disappeared, and arresting those who instigate sectarian strife. Nasr said the release of eight Coptic youth also figured into the decision to dissolve the strike. The youth were arrested in connection with sectarian clashes in Ain Shams yesterday during attempts to reopen a church there. The Ministry of Interior has ordered the church to be reopened, but the decision has not been implemented because some residents protested against reopening the church. Nasr demanded the youth be released after the strike was dissolved, saying they had not committed any violations against the law. Activist Ehab Ramzy praised the progress achieved by the strike, including the release of 18 Copts detained on March 5 during the first Coptic demonstration outside Maspiro and the reopeneing of three churches in Minya and Asyut governorates. Ramzy said statements by Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf contributed to the decision to suspend the strike. Sharaf promised to support the principles of citizenship and equality, to issue a unified law regarding building places of worship, criminalizing religious discrimination, and reopening 13 churches within the week. Ramzy added that suspending the strike aims at providing the government with an opportunity to honor its commitments. Ramzy demanded that the government implement the law and restore the dignity of the state. He said the Virgin Mary and St. Abram churches in Ain Shams should be opened to confirm rule of law, adding that churches are places of worship in which God is glorified. He also demanded the release of the eight Copts arrested during the clashes in Ain Shams yesterday. Coptic Christians in Alexandria and Minya also dissolved their strikes on Friday after some churches were reopened and the government responded to their more urgent demands. A public meeting will be held today in Ain Shams to discuss ways to resolve the current crisis, which is a result of residents' refusal to reopen the church. Islamic leaders, church clergy, residents of the area, and Priest Philopateer Gamil, a coordinator of the Maspiro strike, will attend the meeting. The meeting's aim is to convince demonstrators to stand down, to confirm national unity and to counter sectarian tensions. Coptic Christians comprise around 10 percent of Egypt's population. Under the current laws, they must receive permission from Egypt's ruler before opening a new church, while the regulations on opening a new mosque are much less strict.
