Human Rights First organization said that the unified draft law on the construction of places of worship has made both Muslim and Christian leaders unhappy, rejecting the draft as restrictive and discriminatory to their respective religions.
If the law is passed without serious revisions, the attempts to quell Egypt's escalating sectarian violence may further intensify inter-religious tension.
According to Mamdūh Ismā'īl, an Egyptian lawyer and Muslim Brotherhood member, these unprecedented restrictions on mosque construction will force Muslims to pray on the streets.
Christian leaders from the Coptic Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican churches have been the most outspoken opponents to this draft law. Najīb Jabrā’īl, head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organization, argues that this law brings Christians “back to square one.”
Read the original Human Rights First report
