Throughout the past week, the tragic and highly-deplorable events in the southern Egyptian village of al-Koshh still made news and it has been the topic of every talk either in Egypt or outside it. However, Every Egyptian, be he a Muslim or Copt, rejects such catastrophic events.
Amidst the overestimated sentiments of regret and fear, we again came to hear the same spasmodic screams which warn of a communal strife in Egypt, which will never occur in Egypt.
Only a few days before the tragic events flared up and came to the fore, I attended a Ramadan iftar, hosted by the Minister of Religious Affairs, Dr. Mahmoud Zaqzouq. There, I saw for myself His Holiness Pope Shenouda III sitting, in a clear manifestation of genuine love, side by side at the same table with the Grand Sheikh of the Azhar, Dr. Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi. Other senior leaders of both faiths also sat side by side each other.
Most important of all, and despite all the regrettable events between some Muslims and Copts which everyone absolutely rejects, Egypt’s history can not be forged or counterfeited. The spirit of love and fraternity between Egypt’s Muslims and Copts has long gone down in history, and the blood of both elements of the nation has throughout that history inextricably gushed forth since the demonstrations staged by Egyptians against the British rule up to the wars against Israel in Sinai to regain the nation’s dignity.
What is wrong then? As an Egyptian, I do not like to be trapped as they want all Egyptians to be. I am only searching for the truth in its proper size, without either downplaying it or overestimating it.
What would have happened if the events of al-Koshh [in reference to the conflict between the two traders] had occurred in the Delta, rather than in Upper Egypt? The indisputable answer is that if such events had occurred in the Delta or any other region, the ramifications would certainly not have gone to such heights.
I implicate the scene the of the incident as the major culprit. It is the Upper Egyptian society which deserves most blame. It is a community based on tribalism, clans and sub-clans. Such a spirit has nothing to at all with being a Muslim or Copt. It is exactly this spirit which has long been fueling vendetta, as they call it in the West.
Another question has to be answered. Is there a plot?
Any smart reading between the lines of world news may be of much use in attempting an answer. For example, "Ha’aretz" newspaper, take notice of the newspaper’s name and where it is published [in Israel], quoted Bishop Wissa of Belyana as saying that Muslims attacked Coptic houses in four Coptic villages, and reportedly set ablaze Coptic property.
Hussein Abdul Ghani, a reporter of Qatar’s Gezira channel reported the events also in a bad light
He who wants an answer, can not overlook the suspicious role played in the wake of the events by Copts abroad.
What occurred at al-Koshh should not be let go by the government.
