Coptic leaders feel deceived by the presidential resolution to place seven Copts in parliament by appointment, according to a Coptic Church source. The leaders claimed that the appointed MPs are too old, and that some of them are against the Coptic Church.
There are ten seats in parliament that are reserved for appointment by the president.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that appointing Gamal Asaad in particular was a bad decision, as he is known for his stance against the church. He added that this might be a message from the regime to the church.
“They should not have excluded MP Gerogette Quilliny from the selection,” said Coptic lawyer Mamdouh Nakhla. “She was a good defender of Coptic rights.”
Church pastor Radi Iskandar, for his part, said “we don’t care if they are Copts or Muslims as long as they are conscientious Egyptians.”
Michael Mounir, head of the US Coptic Association, considered the president’s choice an escalation of the differences between the Coptic Church and the regime.
Coptic Church lawyer Maged Hanna also disagreed with the president’s choice. “It seems the ruling party is living on another planet,” he said. “For those MPs do not truly represent the Copts.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
