Egypt Christians look to new law to end discrimination

MINYA, Egypt: On a recent Sunday in southern Egypt, dozens of Coptic Christians gathered for mass next to the charred remains of a wooden structure they once used as a chapel.

A priest and five white- clad deacons began chanting around a simple wooden altar as the sun beat down on the remains of the makeshift chapel, which was torched two months ago.

A blackened wood cross lay amid the rubble, a testament to a string of clashes in southern villages this month that has highlighted sectarian tensions in Egypt.

Further down the road in the village of Ismailiya, a building the congregation wanted to use for their church is closed for lack of a permit.

Egypt’s Copts, the Middle East’s largest Christian minority, have long struggled to obtain official permission to build churches.

They are now hoping a new law on building houses of worship — both mosques and churches — will curb discrimination against them.

But here in the rural southern province of Minya, even the rumour of Christians building a church can spark mob violence.

Copts have faced growing violence in recent years. Dozens have been killed in sectarian attacks across the country.

“My simplest right as an Egyptian should be to pray in a church, not the street,” said Nashat Saed, 31, who attended the service with his wife and three children.

“I feel oppression every time I come here to pray,” he said as sweat trickled down his face.

“I dream that we open a church where we can bring the women and children to pray, instead of the street.”

Egypt’s authorities often refuse to give Christians building permits for churches on the grounds that doing so would disturb the peace with their Muslim neighbours.

Coptic Pope Tawadros II has said he hopes the new law will streamline church construction and cut through the red tape.

Ishak Ibrahim, a researcher with the rights group Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said current laws are biased against Christians.

“There is discrimination in handling Muslim and Christian right s in bui lding houses of worship. The condit ions for bui lding churches are a hindrance,” he said.

Egypt had 2,869 churches in 2011.

Nadia Henry, a member of parliament for the liberal Free Egyptians Party, said a new law could dampen sectarian tensions. — AFP