The educational expert said that religious extremism controls the mentality of those in charge of teaching; therefore it is “not surprising to find terrorist leaders are educated people” because they have been taught in Egyptian schools and universities.
Mogheeth said that the Brotherhood worked during their rule to “corrupt and control education,” and there are attempts by the current Minister of Education to reform what the Muslim Brotherhood “spoiled” in the ministry.
He said out that the phenomenon of accusing Christians of “contempt of Islam” increased under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, and added that education would not rise from the setback of sectarianism unless it “gets rid of militant minds.”
Mogheeth said Copts are the indigenous people of the country, and enabling them of assuming leading positions in the country is “a simple offer” for them after they were subjected to abuse and discrimination.
Mogheeth told MCN that an essential part of the problem of the judicial and education systems in Egypt is that religious thought “nests in the minds of these systems’ leaders.”
He said that the Egyptian judiciary has not issued a ruling in issues related to Copts for 40 years, and the death sentence against el-Kamouny, who was accused of killing 6 Copts and a Muslim man on Christmas night in 2010, was based on the killing of a Muslim man among other Copts.
Mogheeth denounced the judicial ruling that sentenced 7 Copts to death last January related to an “anti-Islam film.”
According to Mogheeth, radical thoughts in Egyptian education are evident in textbooks and adopted by those in charge of teaching.
He called for developing an article in the constitution to state that educational institutions are national institutions aim to strengthen national belonging, that would also prohibit the promotion of political or religious doctrines inside them.
He called for the prevention of women in niqab working in educational institutions, because the “public domain requires openness,” and denounced appointment of intellectually militant elements in the education process, who “accuse Copts of infidelity and legalize killing of non-Muslims without punishment.”
He called for the enactment of a law to punish any teacher who disdains religions.
The Egyptian expert said under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood, accusing of Copts with contempt of Islam became a phenomenon, and among those Coptic teachers accused of such charges was Demiana Ebeid Abdel Nour from Luxor.
With regard to the demands of some to cancel religious education in schools, Mogheeth suggested that Al-Azhar and the church assume the teaching of religious education instead of schools, “because [some] teachers are militants and sow extremist ideas.”
“Religious education can be taught in a way that is compatible with democracy and citizenship and without accusing others of infidelity,” Mogheeth noted.
He stressed that the situation of Christian students in Egypt is very difficult, because they are subjected to injustice and discrimination when they are forced to memorize Quranic verses and are ill-treated.
Mogheeth said that education must be based on the principle of faith in citizenship rather than sectarianism, and that the reason for the lack of attention to education is the non-national governments that bedeviled education.
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