“The MB is only tickling the Egyptians’ religious sentiments just to achieve political gains, which was evident in the first and second rounds of the current parliamentary elections,” Sawirus said in a statement.
The Muslim Brotherhood, in a message to the media on December 21, had criticized Sawirus and said he called for having Article 2 omitted from the Constitution after the January 25 revolution, attacked women’s wearing the Islamic dress code in Egypt and appealed to the West to intervene to protect Copts.
Sawirus, in his statement, flatly denied that he called for removing Article 2, which stipulates that Islam is Egypt’s official religion and that the principles of Islamic sharī’ah are the main source of legislation.
“All I have said was that there has to a paragraph providing that non-Muslims may have recourse to their own religious teachings as far as their personal status matters are concerned, which I believe is a fair request that was even supported by the Azhar,” he said. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Dec. 24, p. 8] Read the original text in Arabic
Meanwhile, the Salafī al-Nūr Party said that it respects the peace treaty with Israel due to the danger of canceling it unilaterally but some “unfair” items have to be modified by all legitimate means.
Al-Nūr (Light), in a statement published on its official Facebook page on December 23, said the objective of the hubbub raised during the past few days about the party spokesman’s statements with Israel Army Radio is only to dwarf the party’s popularity, stop its advance in the elections and depict the party’s Islamic reference as if it would prevent it from playing its role in the building of a modern Egypt. [Hamdī Dabsh, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Dec. 24, p. 3] Read the original text in Arabic
A British newspaper said the Christians of Egypt are scared after the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafī al-Nūr Party obtained the majority of seats in the new parliament and they are still wondering about the nature of their community’s coexistence under the rule of Islamists some of whom are trying to impose the strict sharī’ah (Muslim law) on.
[Reviewer’s Note: Throughout the article, the author did not mention the name of the British newspaper she quoted on this article]
The British newspaper quoted analysts as saying that the Salafists’ sudden rise in the first and second round of the legislative elections has given Christians more incentives to seek further cultural and political withdrawal. [Basant Zayn al-Dīn, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Dec. 24, p. 10] Read the original text in Arabic
Muslim Brotherhood Murshid (Guide) Dr. Muhammad Badī’ said any political power has the right to peaceful demonstration without the need to pelt others with stones, adding the group does not have to participate in million-man protests on Fridays unless they deemed it necessary to do that.
“We don’t call what we have achieved a victory but rather a test that puts huge responsibility on our shoulders to materialize the hopes and ambitions of the great Egyptian people,” said Badī’ in a press conference after he cast his vote at the Egyptian Veterinary Syndicate in Beni Suef. [Mustafá Fū'ād, al-Ahrām, Dec. 24, p. 7] Read the original text in Arabic
His Eminence the Murshid said he is constant contact with Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III to enquire after his health.
“Our Christian brothers will not see in this religion anything but freedom and justice we have all been denied for long,” said Badī’ during his press conference in the Upper Egyptian governorate.
He prayed for the souls of the martyrs of the January 25 revolution and whoever sacrificed their lives so the Egyptian people may get their rights back. [Muhammad Shawqī, al-Hurīyah wal 'Adālah, Dec. 24, p. 1] Read the original text in Arabic
In Tantā, the capital of al-Gharbia governorate, al-Nūr Party held a massive rally attended by 15,000 people under the title “They said they (al-Nūr) are dabbling in politics”
Al-Nūr Party leader ‘Imād al-Dīn ‘Abd al-Ghafūr, in a message of assurance to the Egyptian people, said that Copts will enjoy all the rights like any other Egyptian, adding al-Nūr is promoting freedom in which religious principles and values of justice are taken into consideration.
“Al-Nūr calls for an end to the emergency law and rejects any exceptional or military trials of civilians,” said ‘Abd al-Ghafūr, appealing to SCAF to hand over power as soon as possible to an elected civil parliament that is expressive of the people’s will. [Nāsir Rajab, al-Jumhūrīyah, Dec. 24, p. 6] Read the original text in Arabic
In an opinion article in Rose al-Yūsuf magazine, author Dr. ‘Abd Allāh al-Najjār said that the jizyah has no place for the contemporary fiqh applications to organize the relations between Muslims and Christians on the land of Egypt. [Dr. 'Abd Allah al-Najjār, Rose al-Yūsuf, Dec. 24, p. 64 - 66] Read the original text in Arabic
