A conference on the role of the Egyptian press in religious discrimination took place at the headquarters of the Democratic Front Party. The conference, organized by Masryoun Against Religious Discrimination (MARED), brought together researchers and human rights activists to discuss issues relating to news media and citizen rights.
Participants in the conference called on the Egyptian media to be neutral in covering matters related to religious freedom and to publish the facts without misleading so as to support and promote citizenship, which has been passing through a critical juncture in recent years after the increase in sectarian violence and targeting religious minorities in Egypt.
They further emphasized the need for media to "uphold the principle of citizenship, which entails profound meanings based on the confirmation of participation and equality for all citizens in rights and duties along with the interest in organization courses for training journalists and media figures from various institutions at the "citizenship press." This, in addition to establishing an independent National Council for the audiovisual media that is not subject to any governmental control or interference, and will be in charge of monitoring and holding the Egyptian media accountable for freedom of expression and anti-religious discrimination.
“The purpose of the conference this year is to combat discrimination which is a big problem that has stirred tensions in recent years in Egypt,” said Muhammad Munīr Mugahad, the general coordinator and founder of MARED, an organization which gathers human rights activists and researchers to promote equality for minorities in Egypt. “Over the past two years the state has realized the importance of many of our recommendations, like ridding school curricula of discriminatory content."
The conference was split into four sessions/discussions to help media representatives form a code of ethics to deal with sectarian issues. The first session included reports from media activists and researchers about media coverage of sectarian issues in Egypt. The second session was an open discussion with journalists about problems they face covering minority issues.
Media double standards, especially in dealing with Christian Egyptian issues, were highlighted in the 11-hour long conference. Nādir Shukrī, media officer of MARED, mentioned examples of Christians who were not allowed to build churches. “In Giza as well as in Helwan, the state prevented Copts from raising crosses, bells, and even Christian altars, instead they were asked to pray in their homes.”
The third session dealt with religious media in Egypt and its role in widening the gap between different faiths.
The fourth and final session presented recommendations, some of which included what the media should do to promote awareness about citizen rights and media outlets preaching hatred or discrimination against faiths should have their licenses revoked.
“The issue of discrimination has increased in Egypt over the last 60 years,” says Usāmah al-Ghazālī Harb, head of the liberal Democratic Front Party. Harb believes that this is due to three main reasons: the authoritarian regime, conservative Islamic culture imported from the Gulf States, and illiteracy.
Harb said that MARED, which abides by a human rights protocol, encouraged his party to host their third annual conference at their headquarters.
