Egyptian citizenship
rights
Youssef Sidhom
Even though the term
“citizenship rights” came up more than once in President Hosni
Mubarak’s electoral platform, no definition of the
term was cited, nor was any scientific or procedural standard of it outlined.
Consequently, no flaws in citizenship rights were diagnosed—neither relevant to
Egyptians as a whole nor any specific sector of them.
It is no secret that citizenship rights deficiencies involve in the main part—if not entirely—Copts. Because of their religious identity, Egyptian Christians suffer a plethora of problems on the legislative, political, social, and behavioural levels. It is
thus imperative to admit the problem, define
and diagnose it, and thence prescribe
treatment. Much has already been done throughout the past three decades
on that front, starting with the recommendations
of the Oteify Committee commissioned by the Egyptian Parliament
in 1972 to report on the problem
and recommend solutions, and through countless
declarations and conferences on that head. Among the most
recent such events were the
Zurich Symposium in September 2004, the Egyptian Journalist
Syndicate Group’s Declaration
of the Egyptian Council of Citizenship Rights in February 2005, and the Montreal
Declaration in June 2005.
Discounting the conspiracy theory and accusations of unwarranted interference in our domestic affairs—allegations which are promptly hurled in our media and political
arena at any reform suggestions coming from outside
Egypt—it is worth noting
that those who tackle the
problem of citizenship rights, whether Muslim or Christian, are concerned
Egyptians. If we take into consideration
that denial and escapism have led to a lack of any Egyptian official, partisan,
or popular initiative to tackle
the problem, there is no reason
why initiatives from outside Egypt should
not be given due thought.
The most recent of such initiatives was posted to me by a group of Egyptian-Americans
from the Greater Chicago area, who met under the auspices of the Egyptian-American Society to discuss what could
be done for Egypt at this
critical period in its history. The
result was a declaration on citizenship rights in
"Nationalism
has been all-inclusive in contemporary
Egyptian history, but
tensions have been growing between
Muslims and Christians, and were reflected within the Egyptian
communities in the United States and elsewhere in the world. Concerned about this situation, a
Group of Egyptian Americans
met in
“It is obvious that
the Christian minority in Egypt feels the
pressures of marginalisation, intimidation, and even exclusion. This social climate
has led to withdrawal of the Coptic community,
and increased polarisation of
the Egyptian society.
“The Group recognises that the intolerance and prejudice cannot
be attributed to religious factors alone, but also derive from social and educational factors, in addition to ignorance, suspicion, and indifference to issues of religious intolerance.
“Accordingly,
the Group believes that a set of basic principles and guidelines should be elaborated to address these problems
and create a better climate of understanding between the two communities.
The following Basic Principles and Implementing Guidelines—neither all-inclusive nor all-encompassing, and not likely to entirely satisfy all concerned—are not intended to direct blame, but to bring about inter-religious understanding, enhance national unity, and advance
equality and human rights of all in Egypt.
• “Egypt is a homeland for all Egyptians, irrespective of differences in
religion or ethnicity.
• “All citizens
must be allowed to enjoy and exercise
equal rights, including freedom of religion and its practice, in accordance with the Constitution and international human rights legal obligations. Nothing in policy or practice should abridge these fundamental rights.
• “Egyptians
should be called upon to set aside religious intolerance, reinforce the unity of the
nation, and advance social harmony. It is
imperative that the government, religious establishments and
civil society institutions should confront
all forms of discrimination and
disparity between Egyptians.”
Apart from the above
basic principles, the following guidelines were proposed:
• “A unified
law for building and repairing places of worship should be issued
and applied to all Egyptians.
• “Official documents and papers should
not contain the religious identification of persons,
except where there is a demonstrable
and valid reason.
• “Intolerant
religious messages, as demonstrated
in undue comparison of faiths and ridicule of other religions in the media, school curricula, and sermons, should be prohibited.
• “The number of appointments and access to leadership
positions in the government,
military, police, universities,
regional and local councils, should be increased for Christians. A law for affirmative
action should be considered, to guarantee a percentage of non-Muslims—provided required qualifications
are met—in governmental and
institutional positions.
“The Group, having reached these conclusions, decided to circulate this text to a wider audience of Egyptians inside and outside the
country, with a view to develop a broad constituency capable of taking their viewpoints to governmental and religious leaders, and to Egyptian civil society.”
Even though the above
declaration was written outside Egypt, it is
purely Egyptian in spirit and soul. It remains for us in