Orthodox churches in the coastal city of Alexandria have launched an awareness campaign aiming to encourage Coptic Christians to take part in the parliamentary elections scheduled to begin on 28 November.
The churches will implement their campaign through what they are calling "citizenship committees" formed by activists and young volunteers, which will urge Copts to become more politically engaged.
Christian communities in Egypt have long been accused of being isolated from politics, with the Coptic Church often speaking for them in religious and political matters.
Copts have to be more active in political life, stressed Kameel Seddiq, secretary of the evangelical confessional council in Alexandria. He said that recent sectarian incidents should motivate Copts even more to vote in elections.
Activists' and Coptic youths' personal initiatives have served as the foundations of these citizenship committees, Seddiq told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
The Church will not evaluate candidates from a sectarian perspective, he added, saying that the institution will focus on the strength of candidates' platforms and how well the Church believes each candidate will support equal citizenship rights and counter religious discrimination.
Seddiq reiterated the churches' commitment to directives issued by the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, who previously said that Coptic candidates should not use churches as venues for their political campaigns.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
