Egypt MPs slam US bill on Coptic discrimination in Egypt as “unacceptable interference”

Egypt's Parliament held a hearing on Wednesday in response to a resolution submitted to US Congress expressing concern over attacks on Coptic citizens in Egypt. 

Egyptian MPs decided at the end of the session — during which they described the contents of the US bill as “allegations” — to extend an invitation to the six American lawmakers who cosponsored the bill to another hearing in the Egyptian Parliament attended by Coptic MPs and to word a rebuttle.

Six US members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, cosponsored a house resolution on December 21 concerning the persecution of Copts in Egypt.

The resolution stated that Copts were subjected to "systemic bigotry and longstanding sectarian divisions," stressing that they were treated as “second-class citizens in Egypt.” It urged Congress to exert pressure on the Egyptian government to introduce “serious and legitimate reforms to ensure Coptic Christians are given the same rights and opportunities as all other Egyptian citizens."

The resolution also noted that the law governing church building and restoration, which was issued in 2016, did not ease the difficulties related to building places of worship for Copts in Egypt.

Wednesday's Parliament hearing lasted for two hours and was attended by members of the Defense and National Security Committee, the Human Rights Committee and the head of State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan.

Rashwan described the resolution submitted to Congress as “unacceptable interference,” which seeks to pressure Egypt using the economic and military aid it receives from the US.

“Solving problems of Copts in Egypt is a matter that does not require foreign intervention. It is an domestic issue,” he added.

Tarek Radwan, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that SIS should translate the resolution that the Egyptian MPs will draft in response and send it to foreign media channels, which he added that he deliberately did not invite to Wednesday’s session because “the Egyptian Parliament is for Egyptians only.”  

In response to a question from Mada Masr about whether an invitation was extended to the Coptic Orthodox Church to attend the hearing, Radwan said that “the church has a religious role. When the matter concerns the legislative institution, Parliament should take charge.”

Despite Rashwan’s denial of any discrimination against Copts in Egypt, he called for new legislation to improve human rights. He suggested a law criminalizing religious discrimination and the establishment of a national commission for combating discrimination.

Rashwan noted that it was necessary to identify the bodies representing Copts to the international community, and that “the US must differentiate between those who actually represent Copts and those who claim to do so.”

Alaa Abed, head of the Human Rights Committee, told Mada Masr that the committee will take action this month, which will include a visit to the United Nations and western capitals. “It is the Coptic MPs who will respond in regards to this issue,” he added.

Egypt's House of Representatives has 37 Coptic MPs out of a total of 596, constituting 6.2 percent of its members.

MP Margaret Azer, deputy head of the Human Rights Committee, refused to characterize Coptic Christians in Egypt as a minority, arguing that they are citizens who have the same rights as Muslims.