Copts’ flight from Sinai’s Rafah alarms church; rights groups express solidarity

 

30/9/2012

Sherry El-Gergawi

Rights groups and Coptic Church call on state to provide security for all Egyptians following departure of Christian families from Rafah amid alleged threats.

Attacks on a Coptic-owned shop in the city of Rafah in northern Sinai and the subsequent flight of nine scared Christian families after reportedly receiving death threats from unknown sources have sparked anger among political figures and parties in addition to religious leaders.

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church released On Friday, after a meeting attended by a large number of bishops and presided over by Bishop Pachomius, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria since the death of Pope Shenouda III in March, a statement expressing solidarity with the Christian families and condemning threats against them.

Ayman Al-Sayyad, adviser to President Mohamed Morsi, said on his personal Twitter account: “I am waiting for an official statement from the government that puts the subject of forced migration of Christians from Rafah in its real context, without trivialising or dramatising it.”

Mostafa El-Naggar, a former liberal MP in the now-dissolved People’s Assembly, urged on his Twitter account: “President Mohamed Morsi should take quick action regarding what happened to the Copts in Rafah because of threats from extremists. The president should protect all citizens.”

Bishop Hedra of the Holy Metropolis of Aswan in Upper Egypt, who read the statement of the Holy Synod at a press conference at the headquarters of the Coptic Church, told reporters: “We received with deep sorrow the news of repeated incidents of displacement of Copts from their homes, sometimes forcibly and other times via threats, starting in Al-Amreya in Alexandria and Dahshour in Giza.”

“Today nine families have fled their homes in Rafah, fearing for their lives after receiving death threats, and despite the fact that the media published the news of these threats to Copts in Rafah a month ago. The authorities didn’t take the necessary precautions to avoid these events, and also didn’t provide the necessary security to these Egyptian families, who have the right to live in their homes safely,” said the statement read by Hedra.

The statement added: “With much pain, we condemn the neglect of security for Christian families, and all Egyptian families, depriving them of their most basic human rights.”

The Freedom Egypt Party, headed by liberal politician Amr Hamzawy, denounced the forced migration of Copts from Rafah, considering it an indication of disintegrating state sovereignty in North Sinai and asking for clarity of ambiguous military operations there since mid-August.

Conflicting accounts

Nonetheless, Bishop Kosman of the dioceses of North Sinai denied in an interview Saturday with Deutsche Press Agency (DPA) that there was not any forced displacement of Egyptian Coptic families from Rafah, adding that even the Coptic shopowner who was a victim of a shooting didn’t leave the city.

“I say to fearful Christians all over Egypt that the province of North Sinai is the most safe … and if any one feels insecure he can come here,” said Kosman.

Kosman told Hanaa El-Tabrany, Ahram Online correspondent in Sinai, that the nine Coptic families that left Rafah for El-Arish, also in Sinai, left as a result of panic rather than direct threat.

Kosman said the issue is not one of Christians versus Muslims, but rather the nation versus extremists, adding that if Egyptians didn’t take the necessary measures against the extremists they would threaten all residents in Rafah, Muslims and Christians alike.

“What goes around comes around,” Kosman said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hisham Qandil announced at a press conference today during his visit to Taba that, “When Copts are targeted that means all Egyptians are targeted.” He added that “all Egyptian authorities [have been instructed] to provide protection for Copts wherever they live.”

Qandil underlined that there was no forced migration of Coptic families from Rafah, saying they freely decided to move to another city (El-Arish) and that no one can prevent them from doing so.

Qandil added: “We need to recall the spirit of Tahrir Square, when we didn’t distinguish between Egyptians on the basis of religion, sex and class.”

Two rights groups, the Secular Movement (3almanioon) and the Movement for Civil Rights for Christians, called for protest Saturday at 6pm in front of the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, Cairo, demanding that the state take all necessary measures to provide safety to all Egyptians regardless of religion or belief.

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