CAIRO: Egypt's Coptic Christians plan to participate in demonstrations calling for a civil state next Friday, August 12. The civil national force organized the protest in response to last Friday's gathering of Islamic trends in Tahrir Square. The demonstrations by Egypt's Islamic trends last week breached the deal they had made with the national forces by raising religious slogans and calling for a religious state. The secular and Islamic powers had agreed to certain conditions for last Friday's demonstrations. A number of groups plan to march from Shubra to Tahrir Square, including Chainless Coptics Movement, Maspiro Youth Union, National Youth Union, Human Rights' Million Front, and Citizenship Union for Egypt. They will join other political parties, youth unions and Sufis in the square. The coordinator of the Chainless Coptics Movement, Sherif Ramzy, said that their participation is a response to some of the liberal and leftist national forces' announcement to protest on August 12 to confirm that “Egypt is for Egyptians.” He pointed at Nelson Mandela's statement that the individual will be either free or not, adding that each Egyptian has the right to enjoy a life of dignity under laws respecting social justice and the right of every Egyptian to liberty and equality. The Coptic unions and movements are coordinating with the national forces to organize a million-man protest, which will end with a collective Iftar – the breaking of the fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan – between protestors of different trends. Magdy Soliman, a member of the political office of the Maspiro Youth Union, said Egypt will live peacefully without any oppression. He said he is confident in Egypt's ruling military council to face any aim to build an Islamic state, because Egypt will always be civil state. He said that next Friday protest's aim is to support the idea of a civil state and the above constitutional principles.
