Coptic Solidarity Editorial Note:
It is reported (see below) that the Egyptian cabinet has authorized 53 Christian worship buildings.
The complete list presented last November includes about 3,700 de facto churches that need regularization. If the cabinet continues to approve churches at this rate, it will take a quarter of a century for existing churches to receive authorization.
In the meantime, over 250 churches remain closed by orders of Security, and Christians are arrested, tried, and imprisoned if they dare to pray without a permit.
As Coptic Solidarity wrote previously, the Church Law of November 2016 is meant to obstruct, not to endorse freedom of worship in Egypt.
Coptic Solidarity Translation of Notice Regarding 53 Churches Being Recognized
By Hend Mukhtar – Al-Youm7 –
(Monday, Feb. 26, 2018)
Within the framework of the state’s keenness to apply the rules of the constitution, which affirms the right of followers of heavenly (revealed) religions to practice religious rites within houses of worship, the Council of Ministers announced that it has been agreed to settle the situation of 53 churches and affiliated services buildings in a number of governorates to be presented to the next meeting of the Council of Ministers for approval, given that that conditions pertaining to civil defense are met within a period of 4 months, and also satisfying the state’s rights pertaining to ascertaining the situation of the lands upon which the buildings are constructed.
This came during the meeting of the High Committee for discerning the situation of the churches and services buildings today headed by Prime Minister, engineer Sherif Ismael, and in the presence of ministers of Habitation, Justice, Archeology, Parliamentary Affairs, Local Development, and representatives from a number of concerned agencies.
The meeting also discussed details of procedures regarding following -up on completing the work assignment of the committee pertaining to resolving the situation of unlicensed churches and services buildings at the national level, in light of the conditions, rules, and proceedings which are issued by the Council of Ministers and are clarified in law number 80 for the year 2016, concerning construction and repair of churches.
In this context, the Prime Minister pointed out the importance of the serious steps being achieved, which affirms the keenness of the state to settle all conditions that are not standardized within the framework of respecting the law and constitution.
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الحكومة توافق على توفيق أوضاع 53 كنيسة ومبنى خدمى تابع
لها بالمحافظات
أعلن مجلس الوزراء، عن إنه فى إطار حرص الدولة على تطبيق أحكام الدستور الذى ينص على الحق فى ممارسة الشعائر الدينية داخل دور العبادة لأصحاب الأديان السماوية، فقد تمت الموافقة على توفيق أوضاع عدد 53 كنيسة ومبنى خدمى تابع فى عدد من المحافظات، والعرض على اجتماع مجلس الوزراء المقبل لاقرار ذلك، مع الأخذ فى الاعتبار أن يتم استيفاء الاشتراطات الخاصة بالحماية المدنية خلال مهلة أربعة أشهر، وكذا سداد حقوق الدولة فيما يتعلق بتقنين وضع الأراضى المقام عليها تلك المبانى.
جاء ذلك خلال اجتماع اللجنة العليا لتقنين أوضاع الكنائس والمبانى الخدمية، اليوم برئاسة المهندس شريف اسماعيل رئيس مجلس الوزراء، وحضور وزراء الاسكان، والعدل، والاثار، وشئون مجلس النواب، والتنمية المحلية، وممثلى عدد من الجهات المعنية.
وقد شهد الاجتماع استعراض ما تم اتخاذه من اجراءات تتعلق بمتابعة استكمال مهام عمل اللجنة المختصة بتوفيق أوضاع الكنائس والمبانى الخدمية غير المرخصة على مستوى الجمهورية، فى ضوءالشروط والقواعد والاجراءات التى تصدر من مجلس الوزراء ويوضحها القانون رقم 80 لسنة 2016 بشأن تنظيم بناء وترميم الكنائس.
وفى هذا الاطار وجه رئيس الوزراء بأهمية ما يتم اتخاذه حاليًا من اجراءات جادة تؤكد حرص الدولة على توفيق كافة الأوضاع غير المقننة، فى إطار احترام أحكام القانون والدستور.
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http://www.youm7.com/story/2018/2/26/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%82-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%A3%D9%88%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%B9-53-%D9%83%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D9%89-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9/3668786
Hamayonic Law Revisited
What the current government of Egypt is doing is mere propaganda while retaining important aspects of the despicable ‘Hamayonic Law’ of the tight control of places of worship of the Copts in Egypt. If indeed there was an ‘honest’ desire to equate Christians with Muslims in regard to their places of worship there would be parity in the law regarding this issue. The lame excuse of ‘why does the Coptic minority need so many places to worship’ is discriminatory and aggressive. I call on President Al-Sisi to instruct his government to act appropriately and fairly towards all Egyptians regardless of their faith. Saba E. Demian, M.D.