OUR OBJECTIVES
EQUALITY * JUSTICE
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
Copts (Christians of Egypt)
are not asking for special privileged treatment to compensate them for centuries
of discrimination and persecution suffered from. They are only asking for
equality as stated by the Egyptian National Constitution, though it is not
practiced.
1. Copts demand the immediate cancellation of the antiquated 19th Century
Hamayouni decree, as well as the ten restrictive conditions enforced by the
government since February 1934.
2. Copts demand the removal of the second Article in the Constitution
stipulating “That Islam Is The National Religion” and “Islamic Sharia is the
main source of legislation”. These articles do not render justice or respect to
15 Million Copts. Egypt will prosper under a secular system that separates
Religion from the State. Right now Egypt is more of a religious state than
civic.
3. Copts demand parliamentary representation in every sector according to their
numbers in addition, to Muslim representation.
4. Copts demand immediate removal of the Coptic File from the State Security and
State Intelligence Authority reporting directly to the President Office. Coptic
File should be handled directly by government agencies and not by State Security
and State Intelligence.
5. Copts demand an educational curriculum that respects all citizens regardless
of their various affiliations. This should include the history of the Coptic era
prior to the Arab invasion.
6. Copts demand a fair equal Media whereby air time
should be assigned equally between Christians and Muslims on government
controlled TV and Radio Stations. The present campaign of hatred against
Christians has created a cloud of intolerance in every corner in Egypt.
7. Copts demand that all citizens enjoy freedom of
expression, freedom of worship, including freedom of religious choice. Muslims
as well as Christians should be free to convert to their choice of faith without
fear of harassment or persecution, imprisonment and torture.
8. Copts demand that religious affiliation be
removed from national ID cards, and all documents as it does not serve any good
purpose other than explicit discrimination. Christians and Muslims should be
treated as equal citizens.
9. Copts demand justice to be served against
murderers, robbers, kidnappers, rapists and terrorists. Egypt is obliged to
respect and apply all Human Rights covenant signed since 1981. Egypt refused
until now to sign the optional Protocol to the International covenant on civil
and political Rights.
10. Copts demand an end to discrimination against them in government job
appointments and promotions, especially at the level of top ranks in every
ministry.
11. Copts demand removal of all restrictions
against Coptic students by allowing them to enrol in all educational
institutions publicly funded as Police and Military Academies. Al-Azhar
University Colleges should become a secular University and in order to admit
Coptic Students with the same conditions applied to non-Copts.
12. Copts want to see an end to the religious
discrimination that prevails at all levels of the Egyptian educational system,
especially in hiring of teachers, professors, and the unfair grading practices
aimed at Christian students.
13. Copts demand an end to kidnapping minor
Christian Girls. In order to force them to convert, they were raped and tortured
using inhuman techniques by Muslim extremists’. Abductors are always given
police-protection.
The Egyptian regime must be serious about apprehending those criminals who
murder The Copts, to apply the current Penal Law by punishing them to the
fullest extent of the law, and to compensate the victims adequately of these
crimes.
No killers of Copts have been sentenced to same punishment as that of a killer
of Muslims.