Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Self-financed by its members, the new group also targets activating freedoms of worship and belief.

“We totally refuse any financing from outside the coalition. We also refuse any internationalization of the issues within the Egyptian society,” said Fādī Yūsuf, the general coordinator of the coalition.

He said that the group seeks an anti-discrimination law, which, he added, had been pledged before but has never seen the light, stressing outright rejection of all forms of marginalization or discrimination on the basis of faith, color, ethnicity or gender. [Shādyah Yūsuf, al-Ahrām, Feb. 10, p. 10] Read original text in Arabic

Meanwhile, dozens of Copts protested outside the office of the president of the Cairo Court of Appeal to reject summoning Archpriest Mattias Nasr, Priest Philopater Jamīl, former coordinator of the Maspero Youth Union (MYU) Rāmī Kāmil and Chairman of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization (EUHRO) Najīb Jabrā’īl for investigations over the October 9 incidents off the state TV & Radio building in Maspero.

An investigating judge ordered barring Nasr, Jamīl and Jabrā’īl from leaving the country but released Kāmil.

“The investigating authorities summoned the two priests and some activists as suspects while no charges were pressed against anyone in the incident of mowing down protesters in Maspero, which left 27 people killed and more than 140 others wounded,” said Hānī Ramsīs, a member of the defense team for Nasr and Jamīl.

Mīnā Thābit, a member of the MYU’s information committee, said the union condemns summoning Coptic figures and holding accountable the victims while letting the culprits loose. [‘Imād Khalīl, al-Misrī al-Yawm, Feb. 10, p. 3] read original text in Arabic

Muftī of the Republic Dr. ‘Alī Jum’ah termed as “loss for Egypt” calls for civil disobedience on February 11, adding all Egyptians have to do their duty and avoid disrupting citizens’ interests and tampering with the potentials of this nation.

“Egypt is going through a decisive moment of its history drawing up the nation’s future map but every now and then emerge incidents of chaos, intimidation, looting and murder, which are all alien to the Egyptian people’s morals and moderate faith,” said Shaykh Jum’ah.

Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III, during his weekly sermon on Wednesday (February 8) at the Saint Mark Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-‘Abbāssīyah, rejected strike calls, adding civil disobedience is not acceptable by religion or the state. [Ahmad ‘Abbās and Marco ‘Ādil, al-Akhbār, Feb. 10, p. 3] Read original text in Arabic