Mob assault on Christians raises fresh concerns over religious freedom in Egypt

Originally written in Norwegian by Johannes Morken.

Dozens of people surrounded the church building in Tal Al-Quiblya in Minya province, and threw stones at the doors and windows of several homes owned by Copts, while chanting inflammatory slogans, according to a statement from the reputable local advocacy organization Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). The village minister, father Pavlos Kamal, also had his car windows smashed in, while it was parked outside a Coptic home. The attacks resulted in several minor injuries. 

Four Christians arrested 

Police was quickly dispatched to the scene. They arrested four Christians among those who had been attacked by the mob, along with an unknown number of Muslim residents. 

EIPR reports that the four Christian men were released July 10, after withdrawing the charges filed against their assailants. 

The village of Tal Al-Quiblya was without a church for many years, EIPR reports. They say Christian residents traveled far to attend services in neighboring villages, creating overcrowding at those churches and making attendance very costly and difficult. 

“To cope with this situation, Christian residents began holding regular prayers and masses in their homes on a rotating basis,” EIPR reports. Eventually, the community agreed to designate a building in the neighborhood as a church – with the knowledge of both security authorities and Muslims in the village. 

Poor government response 

EIRP is critical of the local authorities’ response to the village’s ongoing sectarian tensions. They state, “the violence occurred despite prior warnings from the church's priest, Father Pavlos Kamal, who had informed security authorities of earlier incidents of incitement and harassment during religious services. Despite these warnings, authorities failed to take preventive action to deter the assaults.” 

CSW sounding the alarm

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a renown organization in the field of freedom of religion or belief, also reported on the incident recently. Mervyn Thomas, president of CSW, says they are highly concerned.  

“CSW is highly concerned at this latest attack on a Christian community in Upper Egypt, and particularly at the continuing failure of the local police to act pre-emptively,” Thomas stated. 

“In addition, the fact that four victims of violence were detained and were only released upon withdrawing their complaint against their assailants is a lamentable indication of an abiding inequality before the law. We call on local and state authorities to ensure that justice is served, and urge the Egyptian government to increase efforts to crack down on those responsible for the dangerous rhetoric and hate speech that emboldens extremists and mob groups to attack Christians with impunity,” said Thomas. 

Constitutional violation 

As people in Tal Al-Quiblya and other villages continue to wait for a legal place of worship, rights group EIPR warns that unresolved church legalization remains a flashpoint for sectarian violence across rural Egypt. 

Their statement highlights that the villagers’ demands and requests are based in basic human rights enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. Additionally, in 2019 a law was passed that would secure Coptic church buildings, after several thousands of church buildings were not approved and numerous villages were without a church.  

EIPR points out that despite the law making some positive steps forward, the legislation’s stated goal – to ensure construction and renovation of churches, without burdensome administrative regulation – was not met. Such reforms, EIPR says, are crucial to prevent acts of sectarian violence from recurring. Many such incidents have been linked to systematic and institutional restrictions on church construction. 

Church needs legalization 

EIPR is also calling on Egyptian authorities to legalize the church in Tal Al-Quiblya, and ensure that Christians can worship in a manner that is legal, free, and safe. It also demands that those responsible for the assault would be prosecuted. 

For more than two decades, EIPR has documented violations of Egyptian Christians’ right to exercise their religion, by performing rituals and meeting together. The organization has repeatedly warned that the current legal framework continues to create obstacles, particularly in governorates and villages where Christians still lack places of worship. 

Now, they ask authorities to “amend the Church Construction Law, which has proven insufficient in resolving all legal and procedural obstacles”. They also urge Egypt’s Prime Minister to issue a decree to legalize all churches where religious services are actively held but have pending legal status.