Ramzi commented that there is nothing called “social peace” in the law and pointed out that peace would only be achieved when the real culprits are arrested. He noted that half of those who were arrested are Christians, stressed that such an approach should not be adopted in Egypt.
In a conference on “Copts and the Rule of Law”, which was organized by the Cultural Committee of the Press Syndicate in collaboration with the Association of Egyptian Muslims on Wednesday, Ramzi said that the attack on the cathedral was organized and planned because an attack of that nature cannot occur randomly.
“The political failure in the country management may urge those in charge of the country to raise sectarian strife to distract people,” Ramzi added. “Why do the police intervene after the occurrence of strife? Why don’t they prevent the occurrence of such crimes?”
In its recommendations, the conference called for dismissal of the Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Hisham Qandil, and investigating the Minister of Interior for his responsibility for the attacks on Copts in Khosos City, Qaliubiya [Greater Cairo], and the cathedral of St. Mark in Abbasiya.
The conference also rejected the so-called “customary reconciliation meetings.”
Video recordings on the attack on the cathedral were displayed during the conference. They revealed some people carrying blades and birdshot guns while they were attacking the cathedral.
Ramzi noted that the sheikh of the mosque in Khosous incited Muslims to attack the church, pointing out that this sheikh must be arrested on charges of criminal incitement.
“I know that our judiciary will deliver just rulings and the message that must reach the judges is that if offenders are not deterred, these attacks will continue. Fair investigations and trials must be carried out and Copts must not be used as a ‘political card’ to cover the regime’s failure in the management of the state,” Ramzi added.
For his part, Mohamed Mounir Megahed, founder of the Egyptians against Religious Discrimination (MARED) denounced the assault on Copts in Khosous and the St. Mark Cathedral.
Megahed added that MARED was established in the wake of criminal attacks on churches and succeeded in underlining the issue of religious discrimination. He concluded by declaring solidarity with Copts against religious discrimination.
“We are plagued with rulers who do not recognize that there are martyrs who are victimized every time and that the main reasons behind the issue of sectarian violence are immunity and impunity. The state fails to punish the offenders, which is a message to perpetrators to repeat their crimes,” said Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
Bahgat added that three attacks on Copts have occurred in Khosous since 2007, and in the three incidents perpetrators were not arrested.
He called on judiciary to adhere to independence and collect evidence to restore rights and eradicate sectarianism.
Alaa Abu el-Azaym, a Sufi sheikh, said the most dangerous thing that threatens the national unity is to differentiate between Muslims and Christians. “Shedding the Egyptian blood is forbidden, and we condemn the attack on the cathedral of St. Mark,” he said.
For his part, Sheikh Mahmoud Ashour, first undersecretary of Sheikh of Al-Azhar, said that the attack on the cathedral was preceded by an attack on Al-Azhar university. He stated that both Muslims and Christians are experiencing a crisis at the moment.
“What happened to Al-Azhar was a calamity and we say that religious institutions are a ‘red line’ that should not be exceeded. The church, like the mosque, is a house of worship and violence decreases when houses of worship spread in Egypt.”
“In chaos, everything can happen. Violence has become a theme in our daily life. We meet and reconcile and then other incidents occur. This is unacceptable and the law must be enforced so that we lead a safe life,” Ashour pointed out.
Ashour addressed a message to the officials in the country and the president, saying, “What would be the problem if Copts get their rights? What prevents giving them the right to build houses of worship? No church was attacked throughout the history of Islam as has happened recently.”
Saad Eddin Hilali, a professor of comparative fiqh at Al-Azhar University, said there was a need to uphold the value of human beings.
“We must rescue Egypt from its ordeal, and the law must be the basis,” said Hilali, who stressed the need for the society to support man and protect different communities against prosecution.
Sheikh Mazhar Shahin of the Omar Makram Mosque said that the Egyptian society inherently rejects strife.
“Why do the competent authorities in Egypt always say that the perpetrators in sectarian strife are unidentified?”
Shahin pointed out that Al-Azhar should always be the reference and that it is a “national security issue” for Egypt because it protects the country from intolerance. Shahin stressed the need to pass a law criminalizing attacks on mosques and churches.
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Edited from http://www.mcndirect.com/showsubject.aspx?id=44895