As Muslims bash Swiss minaret ban, Egypt’s Christians cry foul
Bikya Masr
CAIRO: As Egypt’s Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa lashed out at Switzerland voters’ decision to ban minaret construction in the European country on Monday, Christians in the Arab country have voiced their concern of what they are calling the “hypocrisy” of Egyptian society. They question whether Egypt, which has been forceful in its refusal to allow the construction of churches in recent years, is in a position to criticize the Swiss move.
“We received this initiative in sorrow and it is considered as a humiliation for the Muslim community in and out of Switzerland,” Gomaa said in comments published by daily newspaper Al-Akhbar.
The Mufti expressed his concerns about the decision which he said would deepen Muslims’ feeling of discrimination and is an insult to the faith.
“This proposal…is not considered just an attack on freedom of beliefs, but also an attempt to insult the feelings of the Muslim community in and outside Switzerland,” Gomaa added.
But, for Christians in Egypt, they are demanding honesty as critics asunder argument upon argument against the Swiss move, which was not supported by business circles, the government or religious leaders.
“I was shocked to hear of what happened in Switzerland, but to be honest, I find it even more strange that Muslim leaders are saying what they are saying when almost the exact same thing happens in Egypt,” said Maged Idris, a local pharmacist in Cairo. “They should not be so quick to judge that’s all.”
57 percent of Swiss voters supported the referendum to ban Islamic minarets in the country. The direct democracy referendum inspired by the right-wing movement in the country, with opposition being led by the German-speaking portion of the country. There was sense that in the cities, especially Geneva, home to the United Nations offices, voters rejected the ban by nearly 60 percent.
Turnout in the vote was at 53 percent, a low number by Swiss standards. Those against the measure said this was a reflection of the apathy of young people in caring about the future of the country. But for the conservative segments of society, the vote galvanized a massive turnout, which ultimately voted for the ban.
Amnesty International said in a statement shortly after the vote on Sunday that the banning of minarets in the European country is a violation of freedom of religion and should be overturned immediately. They said that it violates the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of religious belief as established by a number of international human rights agreements to which Switzerland is a party to.
“The yes vote comes as a surprise and a great disappointment. That Switzerland, a country with a long tradition of religious tolerance and the provision of refuge to the persecuted, should have accepted such a grotesquely discriminatory proposal is shocking indeed,” said David Diaz-Jogeix, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International.
Coptic lawyer Naguib Gobrail, a firebrand leader, has voiced his concern over Gomaa and others’ statements over the Swiss vote. He said that Egyptians should see the realities of their own country before criticizing the European nation. He argued that until Egypt makes it nearly impossible for new churches to be built, “so why should they have any right to say the things they are saying.”
He added that their statements are an “insult to Christians” living in Egypt who have been forced to face “injustice upon injustice over their basic rights.” He continued to say that no matter what leaders in the country say, Christians know the truth.
“We have lived under constant threat for a long time and have been unable to even build our places to worship because the government won’t give us the proper permission. Now, Switzerland does something very racist and stupid, but Muslims in this country must understand that they do the same thing to us,” Gobrail argued.
Permission for churches is controversial in Egypt, where by law the president must give final say in the use of a certain space for religious purposes. Rights groups argue that because the president delegates authority in the matter to local officials, Copts have been forced to use illegal places for worship.
Many activists and rights groups have called on the government to install a unified building law for religious groups in order to end these spates of violence, but Cairo is dragging its feet, argued Gobrail.
“The unified religious building law has been stalled for over 15 years in the Parliament. Three Parliamentary terms and nothing has happened,” the lawyer added.
A number of activists on the social-networking site, Twitter, agree with Gobrail’s sentiments. They said that if a vote were to be had in Egypt, a vast majority of Egyptians would vote against allowing churches to be constructed.
For now, at least, Arabs and Europeans are again at odds over the path of development on the continent. Although it is likely to create more tension between the Muslim minority in Europe and the majority, most agree it will pass quickly.
BM