Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Anti-riot police forces reinforced presence around the Saint Mark Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-‘Abbāssīyah, where renewed clashes erupted between protesters and thugs on Wednesday (May 2) as nine armored vehicles parked outside the cathedral that closed its gates. [‘Imān Ibrāhīm and Muhammad Fathī, al-Jumhūrīyah, May 3, p. 5] Read text in Arabic

Coptic activist Mamdūh Ramzī called for representation of Copts in all state positions, giving them the chance to have access to top posts and removing any bans on Copts seeking to run for presidential elections. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Wafd, April 13, p. 5] Read original text in Arabic

The defense counsel of the families of martyrs of the October 9 Maspero incidents quit the case and called for setting up an independent civil investigation panel. [‘Imād Khalīl, al-Misrī al-Yawm, April 12, p. 8] Read original text in Arabic

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians on Tuesday (March 20) attended the funeral of Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III that started at Saint Mark Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-‘Abbāssīyah amidst unprecedented security measures to control the pope-loving masses who tried to enter the cathedral to get a last look on the deceased prelate. [‘Imād Khalīl and Dālyā ‘Uthmān, al-Misrī al-Yawm, March 21, p. 1] Read original text in Arabic

Field Marshal Muhammad Husayn Tantāwī, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) endorsed an announcement of public morning in Egypt over the death of Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III, who passed away this week at the age of 89. [Walā’ Wahīd, al-Wafd, March 20, 2012] Read text in Arabic

Copts, who are brothers and partners in the nation, enjoy the rights to any state positions depending on efficiency just like any Muslim citizen except those of al-Azhar, said presidential hopeful Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā. [Michel ‘Abd Allāh, al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, March 18, p. 4] Read original text in Arabic

Possible presidential candidate Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā said if he ever became president of the republic he will apply the Islamic sharī’ah on everyone, adding he will never allow a religion in Egypt other than the three divine ones – Islam, Christianity and Judaism. [Sarhān Sinnārah, Umnīyah Karīm and ‘Afāf al-Mi’addāwī, al-Akhbār, March 14, p. 5] Read text in Arabic

Dr. ‘Isām Dirbālah, the chairman of the al-Jamā’ah al-Islāmīyah’s shūrá council, has set six key principles he said would be governing the new constitution, including the rights of non-Muslims to have recourse to their own religious laws. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Misrī al-Yawm, March 13, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic

Differences between the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists over the constitution have taken a new turn after al-Nūr Party and the Building & Development Party called for amending Article II of the Constitution to clearly indicate that the Islamic sharī’ah is the main source of legislation while Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) stuck to the current text that reads “the principles of Islamic sharī’ah are the main source of legislation”. [Wā’il ‘Alī, Hamdī Dabash, Hānī al-Wizīrī and Mahmūd Ramzī, al-Misrī al-Yawm, March 7, p. 1] Read original text in Arabic

The Coptic Orthodox Church would choose Coptic men of law to participate in the constituent assembly that would write a new constitution for Egypt but would exclude the clergy, a source at the papal office said on condition of anonymity. ['Abd al-Wahāb Sha'bān, al-Wafd, March 5, p. 3] Read text in Arabic