The poor quality of education and the media’s handling of sectarian issues are to blame for the spread of extremism and tensions in Egypt, participants in a seminar held on Monday at the Press Syndicate agreed.
The participants said Muslims and Copts suffer from the same political and social crises–for example, the rigging of the parliamentary poll has impacted Muslims and Copts alike, they said. The Islamic Sharia on the other hand has nothing to do with extremism, it was agreed.
Mahmoud al-Khodeiry, former head of the Alexandria Judges Club, said Muslims who correctly understand their religion could never harbor bad feelings toward their Christian brothers.
Fekri Andarous, author of "Muslims and Copts in the History of Egypt" said Egyptian history demonstrates how Muslims and Copts have been united throughout history.
Muslims and Copts are two sides of the same coin, he said, praising the values of tolerance, justice and equality fostered by Muslim leader Omar Ibn al-Khattab.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
