Besides the intensive news reports on the incidents in Naj‘ Hammādī, the press also published many articles discussing the possible reasons behind sectarian tensions and the possible solutions. Three main domains have been mainly principally highlighted to end sectarianism in Egypt; passing a unified law for building houses of worship, purifying the educational system and the curricula from all elements that may encourage sectarianism and leading a balanced authentic media reporting of the incidents. Many people also talked about the responsibility of the State to effectuate the powerimpose the rule of the law, and the responsibility of the religious institutions to sow seeds of tolerance in the public.
Press review based on Rose al-Yūsuf, January 11, 2010 (pp. 9, 20), January 13, 2010 (p. 9), January 14, 2010 (pp. 5, 8); Rose al-Yūsuf, January 9- 15, 2010 (pp. 2, 9, 10, 19- 21, 22- 24); al-Wafd, January 14, 2010 (pp. 7, 13); Al-Dustūr, January 13, 2010 (pp. 2, 3, 4), January 14, 2010 (pp. 1, 4, 6); al-Akhbār, January 13, 2010 (pp. 1, 3), January 14, 2010 (p. 3); al-Jumhūrīyah, January 13, 2010 (pp. 13, 15); January 14, 2010 (p. 38); al-Maydān, Jnauary 13, 2010 (pp. 3, 4, 5, 14); al-Misrī al-Yawm, January 12, 2010 (pp. 21, 22), January 13, 2010 (p. 17), January 14, 2010 (p. 17); al-Ahrār, January 13, 2010 (p. 1, 3), January 14, 2010 (p. 1); al-Hayāh, January 14, 2010 (p. 9); al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, January 11, 2010 (p. 11), January 12, 2010 (p. 10), January 20 (p. 20); Sawt al-Azhar, January 15, 2010 (p. 1); ‘Ākhir Sa‘ah, January 13, 2010 (pp. 8-11); al-Musawwar, January 12, 2010 (pp. 22, 23, 24-25, 26- 27, 28, 29, 30, 31); al-Ahrām, January 9, 2010 (p. 13), January 13, 2010 (p. 11); al-Qāhirah, January 12, 2010 (p. 8)
The Christmas bloody incidents in Naj‘ Hammādī echoed strongly in the Egyptian media [See articles 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 of this issue]. Besides the several reports on the incidents, many comments and analyses have been published.
The National Democratic Party condemned the attacks. Muhammad Safwat al-Sharīf, general secretary of the party, stated that the criminals who executed the murder do by no means represent religion or any religious values. Al-Sharīf asserted the that citizenship rights rule govern the relationships between people and the State’s state authorities. Al-Sharīf further stressed the role of the media and educational system to spread moderation and tolerance among the public.
In On the same issuetopic, al-Maydān of January 13, 2010 published an article entitled “No for to putting Egypt on fire Egyptsetting Egypt alight.” The article highlighted the fraternal ties between Muslims and Christians in Egypt in general and in Naj‘ Hammādī in particular. MP Hishām al-Sha‘īnī held a media conference in his home in which he denied what was rumored about an alleged link between the crime and the parliamentary elections.
In an article published in al-Misrī al-Yawm of January 13, 2010 Muntasir al-Zayyāt, lawyer of the Islamist groups criticized the political regime in Egypt for discarding Copts from electoral lists. Al-Zasyyāt bevels that today it is more important for Muslim to defend Islam and ameliorate improve its image than trying to prove the fanaticism of some Copts.
The Syndicate of Lawyers, however, formed a fact -finding committee to follow up with the incidents of Naj‘ Hammādī.
Coptic member of the Shūrá Council, Nabīl Lūqā Bibāwī accused human rights organizations of playing a dirty game against Egypt and complying with foreign countries for the funds they get. He also accused Coptic expatriates of working against Egypt’s interests, calling on Muslims and Christians of Egypt to be aware of the significance of the national unity.
On his part, Jamāl As‘ad refused any foreign interference in Egypt’s interior affairs. In Elsewhereanother place, Jamāl As‘ad stated that the main reason that confirms sectarianism is ignoring to apply the law in Muslim-Christian conflicts.
Al-Musawwar of January 22, 2010 published an interview with General ‘Ādil Sulaymān, thean expert in strategic affairs. General Sulaymān asserted that the main threat of the Egyptian national security is the Zionist project.
Al-Musawwar interviewed ‘Abd al-Rahīm al-Ghūl MP of the ruling National Democratic Party for Qena who was accused of being involved in the attacks. Al-Ghūl asserted that the attack was one hundred percent criminal and had no religious nature. Al-Ghūl stated that he had had Coptsic and Muslims votes in the elections and had no conflicts with Copts. Al-Ghūl denied the accusations and said that the court will reveal the truth.
He denied having hired al-Kammūnī to commit the crime, adding that “al-Kammūnī has relations with others who use him and are wiling to nominate themselves to the coming elections.”
Newspapers highlighted the incidents behind the increasing sectarian clashes; ‘Abd al-Latīf Hāmid of al-Musawwar of January 13, 2010 highlighted the so-called honor crimes related to sexual harassments, others related them to the lack of a unified laws for building houses and worship in Egypt, a matter that increases sectarian conflicts. Tāhah Farghalī noted five sectarian incidents in one year before ofthe building of churches.
As for solutions, the media highlighted three main domains to be improved and developed to get rid of sectarianism: Many people suggested improving the educational system and purifying ridding it from of all sectarian elements. Other observers stressed the necessity of passingassign a unified law for houses of worship to end all problems resulted from building churches. And many observers highlighted the essential role of the media and news reporting that in many times complicate the problem.
Mustafá kāmilKāmil-Sayyid of al-Shurūq al-Jadīd warned of trivializing the sectarian incidents. He also highlights the vanity of the superficial solutions. In his opinion the State is primarily responsible in the first place tofor preventing similar incidents through quick and decisive decisions and reactions. He believes that the State should grant all people citizenship rights, and should give Copts equal chances in the different positions and institutions like their Muslim fellow citizens. He also believes that the political parties also shoulder part of the responsibility and that they should nominate Copts to represent them in the different positionsposts. Al-Sayyid further bemoaned the economical and social hardships that provide fertile soil for sectarianism.
In Al-Wafd of January 14 Najīb Jibrā’īl wrote that the general stance from surrounding the crime of Naj‘ Hammādī is similar to that of an ostrich hiding its head in the groundsand. Jibrā’īl believes that the political regime is hiding the truth to preserve its image before in the international community. Jibrā’īl believes that the accident is a random killing that and not linked to the Farshūt incident where a Coptic young man raped a Muslim girl. Jajīb also believe that executing the crime on Christmas Eve asserts that sectarian identity of the attacks. Jajīb further believes that sectarian clashes usually appear in times of political decay and weakness of the ruling authority. He also believes that the Islamist tend in Egypt pushes Copts to religious fanaticism.
Hānī Labīb of in Rose al-Yūsuf of January 11, 2010 highlighted the lack of information about all sectarian conflicts, which, in his opinion reflects in a lack of accuracy and authenticity in the reported news in the media.
In the same issue of Rose al-Yūsuf, its editor-in-chief Karam Jabr wrote that the first step to in solve solving sectarian problems is to get rid of men of religion offreligious figures. However, she highlighted the difficulty of such a step in the current prevalence of superficial outward religiosityusness. He believes that more effectuation effective of the role of institutions ofin civil society can be a step to limit the role of the religious institutions. The third step is to effectuate impose the laws, and the fourth is to stop discussing criminal matters in a sectarian light. The fifth step is to stop the media from igniting the fire of sedition.
In another context, Nancy Habīb of al-Dustūr of January 13, 2010 compared between the Egyptians’ reactions to the killing of Marwá al-Shirbīnī in Germany [See AWR 2009, week 27 article 7] and the crime of Naj‘ Hammādī.
She stated that many people considered the killing of al-Shirbīnī to be persecution against Muslims in the West, but at the same time believe that the attacks in Naj‘ Hammādī cannot be considered sectarian.
Se referred to Dr. Surūr’s stance blaming the German government for not being able to defend the court but he did not blame anyone for not being able to defend the churches on Christmas.
Habīb also noted that the killing of Marwá al-Shirbīnī was a chance to get distract people’s attention from interior national problems, while in the attacks of Naj‘ Hammādī there is a tendency to take off the public attention.
The official reactions were all compatible with the collective public reaction to the killing of Marwá al-Shirbīnī, while condolences in Naj‘ Hammādī were offered discretely.
After Following heated controversy, and hesitation, the Egyptian government accepted decided to compensate Copts whose properties and businesses were harmed by Muslim riots in Farshūt and neighboring villages after the claims about a Coptic young man having raped a Muslim teen. Al-Ahrār of January 13, 2010 reported that a committee from the Ministry of Local Development paid compensation for the harmed Copts in collaboration with the Syndicate of Pharmacists.
Amidst the anger and public uproar that followed the Christmas attacks of Naj‘ Hammādī, some newspapers shed light on incidents that prove the attack was an isolated incident that cannot negate reverse the fraternal relations between Muslims and Christians in Naj‘ Hammādī. al-Akhbār of January 13, 2010 reported that a Coptic five-year old child in Naj‘ Hammādī fell off the fourth floor. Meanwhile the Muslim neighbor saw him and took him quickly to hospital to save his life, leaving his shop open behind him.
In another contextOn another note, Muhsin ‘Abd al-Hāfiz, lawyer and nominee in the coming parliamentary elections for Naj‘ Hammādī published and announcement in al-Ahrār of January 14, 2010 condemning the attacks and bemoaning the killing of seven Egyptians. He also offered his condolences to Bishop Kyrillus of Naj‘ Hammādī and his thanks to General hHabīb al-‘Ādilī, Egypt’s minister of interior, General Majdī Ayyūb;, governor of Qena, General ‘Adlī Fāyid, assistant of the minister of interior fir public security, General Mahmūd Jawhar; head of the security apparatus in Qena, General Muhammad Badr, Brigadier General Mustafá Jum‘ah, Lieutenant Colonel Kamāl Radwān and Colonel Haytham ‘Atā’ for their intense efforts that resulted in the soon arrest of the culprits. He also thanked Dr. Khayrat ‘Uthmān, the national National Democratic Pparty’s secretary in Qena and Engineer Nabīl al-Hifnī, head of the local people’s assembly for their effort to bridge the gap and sow spirits of cordiality in Qena.
