Both the governor of Qalyubiya and the bishop of Shubra el-Kheima provided us with documents to support their arguments. We have made an overview of 11 documents received, and placed them in chronological order. In this order it is important to distinguish between the period before March 1 (the oral permit of president Mubarak mentioned by Bishop Marcos) and the period after March 1. We have mentioned who provided us the documents. We mentioned whenever a date was missing, documents were not signed and names were not clear.
Document 1 (September 1, 1998):
THE CONTRACT
(obtained from Bishop Marcos)
The content of the contract is buying a real estate with a surface area 441 m. It was sold for 180,000 pounds by Naguib Gabrial Naguib (seller) to Bishop Marcos, the Bishop of Shoubra Al-Kheima (buyer) on the first of September, 1998. The real estate consists of a piece of land with a surface area 320 m and a building of red bricks and concrete. It has all the utilities (water-electricity-draining). The surface area of the building is 121 m.
The four sides of the real estate are as follows:
The northern side: owned by the other
The southern side: a 5.5 m. street
The eastern side: (neighbor) owned by the other
The western side: a neighbor
Bishop Marcos, the Bishop of Shoubra Al-Kheima introduced the contract to Benha First Instance Court to verify the signature of the seller on the contract. The court ruled with a verification of the signature
Document 2 (March 13, 2001):
(Obtained from Bishop Marcos)
The Ministry of Electricity
Cairo Electricity Company
The General Administration of Shoubra El-Kheima Electricity Unit
CH: The document is dated 13/3/2001. It is not signed and not stamped. But the name of Adel Abdel Monaim Mohammed, the general director is written on it. Its significance is that the demolished building, located in Mohammed Afifi St., off Ahmed Orabi St., in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad, was never supplied with electricity before. However, the building to the west of the demolished building is supplied with electricity and has two electricity plates, one of which is in the name of Bishop Marcos. The meter in the name of Bishop Marcos has the number 3231840 and the plate of the meter has the number 753444. The document also mentioned that the building to the east of the demolished one is also supplied by electricity.
Document 3 (not dated):
[document obtained from the governor]
Qalyubiya Governorate
West of Shoubra Al-Kheima
Utilities Department
A report to be seen by the head of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district
The document is neither signed nor stamped. Its significance is that the district did not supply the demolished building with any utilities and that its owner did not introduce any requests concerning supplying any utilities to the demolished building.
When we interviewed Bishop Marcos he wrote on this document:
"I bought the building with the land. The building already had electric connection in my name. I did not need any other electricity."
Documents prior to the permit of President Mubarak to build a church (prior to March 1, 2001):
Document 4 [16/12/2000 - the date of this decree is not mentioned in this document but it is mentioned in document 5. The document was obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya.]
Qalyubiya Governorate
Decree No.2239, for year 2000
The Governor,
After examining
-Law 43/79 concerning the system of local administration, its executive bill and its amendments,
-Decree No. 1/1996 issued by the Prime Minister and the deputy of the military leader,
-Decree No. 572/96 issued by the deputy of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture, which authorizes us to carry out some of the specializations stated in the aforementioned military decree,
-The letter of the Agriculture Department concerning stopping transgression made against agricultural land and putting things back to how they were.
decided
Article one: Stopping the transgression made and putting things back to how they were. All the expenses is to be covered by the transgressors.
CH: the document includes a table in which 21 names against which violation reports were made are mentioned. The 21st name is that of Agaybi Zaki Agaybi. The number of the report made against him is 10-21/11. Agaybi Zaki Agaybi was mentioned in the interview with the Bishop on March 20 [RNSAW, 2001, week 14], apparently the person who first built on agricultural land in violation with Egyptian laws aimed at protecting agricultural areas.
Article two: All concerned bodies should execute this decree once it is issued.
CH: This document is stamped and signed by the Governor of Qalyubiya, Counselor Adli Hussein]
Document 5: (February 16, 2001)
[this document was obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya]
Qalyubiya Governorate
The Local Unit of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima District
Engineering Department
[CH: A document describing the real estate existing on Al-Gamous field plot, Um Biyoumi land, for which a demolition decree No. 2239 for year 2000, dated 16 February, 2001 was issued.]
*The real estate exists on Al-Gamous field plot, Um Biyoumi land, in Manshiyat Abdel Monam Rayed, the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district.
*It is a three-floor building made only of concrete pillars. No one dwells in it and it is not used in any respect.
*The building is with a south frontage 21.3 m. long and a depth of 13 m. It consists of three floors only of concrete pillars with a surface area of one kirat (1/24 feddan) and ten sahms (1/24 kirat).
*Its costs about 160,000 pounds.
*Violation report No.10, dated 21/11/2000, which mentions the name of Agaybi Zaki Agaybi
*An administrational decision No.2239, for year 2000, dated 16/12/2000, was issued by the Agriculture Department against the mentioned building, whose surface area is one square measure [unclear] and ten sahma, in the name of Agaybi, to put things back to how they were.
* A report concerning building without a license was made against it by the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district, in the name of Naguib Ghabrial Girgis. In addition decree No.1018, for year 2000, concerning stopping building work and demolition decree No.1141, for year 2001, for violating allowable height were issued.
The document is not stamped and is signed by:
Engineer Mohammed Khalil Ibrahim, [HIS TITLE IS NOT CLEAR]
Engineer Nasser Youssef, [HIS TITLE IS NOT CLEAR]
Engineer Nagat Salah Abu Salam, the director of the Engineering Department,
Engineer Essam Eddin Hadid, the general director of engineering departments,
General Mamdouh Abdel Samee Al-Ghandor, the head of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district.
Document 6 (February 19):
[Written after the priest was informed after the demolition decree.]
The Bishopric of Shoubra Al-Kheima and areas belonging to this [bishopric] for the Orthodox Copts
P. O. Box 64, Shoubra Al-Kheima
Date: 19/2/2001
Your Excellency General / ****
General Mohammed Bey Said
[Obtained from H.G. Bishop Marcos. General Mohammed Bey Said is a high ranking officer in the Ministry of Interior]
First, we thank you for your good cooperation with us.
We want to inform you that we have bought the building that exits in Mohammed Afifi St., in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad from its original owner Counselor Naguib Ghabrial. The whole building is now owned by the Bishopric. The Bishopric wants this building to be one of services in the name of Anba Bola to serve the inhabitants of the area, religiously and socially. It will be used as a hall for different occasions, happy occasions and ceremonies, as a nursery, as *** [unclear] and as a benevolent hospital. There are about 1500 family in the area, this is about 6000 persons, who are in dire need of social and religious services. This is in addition to the fact that the nearest church to the area is three Km. away.
Yours,
Father Bola Awada
The Secretary of the Bishopric for public relations
Document 7: (date not mentioned. Perhaps February 27?)
[Document obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya.]
Qalyubiya Governorate
West of Shoubra Al-Kheima District
(Attachment No. 3 A)
Dear General, head of Shoubra Al-Kheima city,
After searching in the files of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district, we found out the following. No request concerning building a church in the name of Anba Bola, in Mohammed Afifi St., off Ahmed Orabi St., in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad, Um Biyoumi land, was presented.
RNSAW translator: The Document is not stamped and is signed by General Mamdouh Abdel Samee Al-Ghandour, the head of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district.
At the end of the document the following is written:
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The letter sent by the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district was seen by the governor
This part is signed by:
Engineer Essam Eddin [THE NAME IS NOT CLEAR]
Ahmed, the director of the Engineering Department in the city
General Essam Eddin [HIS TITLE IS NOT CLEAR],the head of the city
[twice the same name seems strange]
Document 8 (February 27, 2001):
[Document obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya]
Qalyubiya Governorate
Legal Affairs General Department
(Attachment No.3 B)
A report to be seen by the Governor
With reference to the telegrams sent to you by the Priests Assembly, the Sub Maglis el-Milli and the Copts of Shoubra Al-Kheima concerning destroying the building of the Bishopric of Shoubra Al-Kheima, please be informed that no request concerning building a church in the name of Anba Bola in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad, in Shoubra Al-Kheima was introduced by the aforementioned or any other person, until the date of this report.
CH: This document is not stamped. It is dated (27/2/2001) and is signed by:
Mohammed Zaki Fouad, the director of the Legal Affairs Department,
The deputy of the [Legal Affairs] Department
Document 9 (February 27, 2001):
[handwritten, written in a meeting between H.G. Bishop Marcos, H.G. Bishop Maximos, H.G. Bishop Samuel with governor Adli Hussein on February 27, 2001. The document was referred to by Bishop Marcos who recommended us to ask the governor for a copy of this document. The governor did provide us with a copy of this document when we asked him for it.]
Dear governor Adli Bey Hussein, the governor of Qalyubiya,
In the name of the people of Shoubra Al-Kheima who witnessed the demolition, that took place last Saturday, of a building owned by the church and registered in the name of Bishop Marcos, and which was followed by many other demolitions, without any reasons, to houses owned by Muslims. Because, in this area Muslims and Christians are living in love and unity for a very long time, and since we are keen on making this existing love and unity continue and which will continue in the era of President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak, who takes care of the interests of all, without discrimination. The thing that we experienced in your love to all without any discrimination since you became the governor of Qalyubiya. For all that we ask your honor to stop all the demolitions of the houses in the area, considering the social situation of the area.
With all thanks and respect
MPs Coptic people
CH: The Governor wrote on the letter he agreed to stop the demolitions and put his signature on the letter
Documents after the permit of President Mubarak to build a church (after March 1, 2001):
Document 10 (March 9, 2001):
[Document obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya]
Qalyubiya Governorate
The Local Unit of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima District
Engineering Department
Dear Bishop Marcos, Naguib Ghabrial and Agaybi Zaki Agaybi,
Please send to the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district the architectural design for the building to be constructed with a frontage 21.3 m. long and a depth of 13 m., on a piece of land in Mohammed Afifi St., off Ahmed Orabi St., in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad. This is in order to be able to take the necessary procedures in this respect.
This document is signed by:
Engineer Mohammed Khalil Ibrahim, a representative of the Agricultural [Department]
Engineer Nasser Youssef,
Engineer Nagat Salah Abu Muslim, the director of the Engineering Department,
General Mamdouh Abdel Samee Al-Ghandour, the head of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district.
The Document is stamped, has number (679) and is dated (9/3/2001)
Document 11 (March 11, 2001):
[Document obtained from the governor of Qalyubiya]
Qalyubiya Governorate
The Local Unit of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima District
Engineering Department
A report to be seen by the Governor concerning the attached letter of the Bishopric of Shoubra Al-Kheima
First: We received the attached letter from Bishop Marcos which asks for the formation of a committee
Of the consultant engineers:
1-Engineer Safout Ghabrial Al-Naggar
2-Engineer Wasfi Tawfiq
Second: Upon your agreement we recommend,
1-Engineer Essam Eddin Hadad Ahmed
2-Engineer Nagat Salah Abu Muslim
3-Engineer Nassar Youssef Al-Naemi
to form a committee to study the consequences of the execution of the demolition decree No. 2239 concerning transgression made against agricultural land and the violation of the allowable height of building No. 18, Mohammed Afifi St., off Ahmed Orabi St., in Manshiyat Abdel Monaim Reyad. In the light of this study, it will be decided whether to redesign the building or not.
The document is not stamped and is signed by:
General Mamdouh Abdel Samee Al-Ghandour, the head of the West of Shoubra Al-Kheima district,
Essam Eddin Naguib Salah, the head of Shoubra Al-Kheima district.
[it was agreed upon by the governor who put his signature on it on (11/3/2001)
العربية