A member of Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on Sunday opened a number of facilities in a Giza village that witnessed sectarian clashes in March.
Major General Hassan al-Roweiny, who heads Egypt’s Central Command, inaugurated the facilities on behalf of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the SCAF, the state TV website said.
The facilities in the village of Sol in Atfeeh, Helwan, include a medical center, a bakery, a sports yard and a mosque, state TV said.
On Monday, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram said these facilities were set up by the military’s engineering department.
The sectarian violence in Sol occurred after angry Muslims burned a church over a relationship between a Coptic young man and a Muslim girl.
The armed forces rebuilt the church in an attempt to calm protests that broke out in different areas in Cairo.
Coptic activists criticized the SCAF for the incident, saying it failed to provide adequate protection for Copts and their places of worship.
Meanwhile, some fear that SCAF members’ frequent TV appearances are paving the way for the military council to hold a long-term political role.
Since the fall of the monarchy in 1952, Egypt's presidency has been occupied by military figures: Mohamed Naguib, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and finally Hosni Mubarak.
The history has created doubt over council’s seriousness about handing over power to civilians. Adding to this doubt are Tantawi’s recent appearances on state-run TV, bringing to mind Mubarak's own appearances.
