POMED Notes: “From Arab Spring to Coptic Winter: Sectarian Violence and the Struggle for Democratic Transition in Egypt”

On Tuesday, November 15^th, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing entitled “From Arab Spring to Coptic Winter: Sectarian Violence and the Struggle for Democratic Transition in Egypt.” Testimonies were provided by Michael H. Posner, assistant secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Dina Guirguis, attorney at Egyptian American Rule of Law Association (EARLA), Samuel Tadros, research fellow at the Hudson Institute, and Dr. Michele Dunne, Director, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council.

For full event notes, continue reading. Or, click here for the PDF.

Posner focused his comments on the difficulties and challenges that face the Coptic Christian community, as well as the U.S. State Department’s efforts in ensuring Egypt embraces freedom of religion and media. Posner began by saying the transition process to democracy is not an easy one, but full of challenges and tests. He then discussed how the Copts have faced discrimination for many years, attacks have increased since February with at least 67 people killed, and that the U.S. needs to urge Egypt to push towards religious freedom. Posner then noted that the Egyptian government is doing two things to in ensuring religious freedom. One, the government pledged unified worship places, which would allow all faiths to have somewhere to worship and reduced discrimination in the penal code. Posner then discussed the events that occurred on October 9^th and the Maspero massacre. He noted that the Egyptian Armed forces are reviewing the conduct of the Military police. Posner also noted that during many of these attacks on Copts, the government has nothing to do with most of these attacks, and that both Copts and Muslims have been involved in the clashes. He concluded by stating that like Egyptian Muslims, Egyptian Copts are concerned about their country’s future, and that they both want a free and safe country and that the “door to real democratic change is only beginning to open.”

During the question and answer section, Posner was asked several questions about Maspero and the government’s involvement in the massacre. He noted that there is no evidence that proves the government deliberately provoked events that occurred on that day and that the Egyptian government has not sought help with the investigation into those events. A question was asked about how does a Copt raise concern, and Posner discussed that the new elections are the best place and a great first step. Finally, Posner noted that the U.S. should play a role in promoting human rights and religious freedom, but in a broad sense and a focus on the fundamental building blocks, as well as being supportive of the transition process.

Tadros began by discussing the lack of religious freedom in Egypt, and that the Coptic community faced three distinct threats before the revolution from the Islamists, the government, and the general population. The Islamist threat took the form of direct attacks, the government through rampant discrimination, and the increase in attacks from the general population. When demonstrators took to the streets in January and February, many hoped that a new regime would bring about a change in the sectarian problem in Egypt. However, as Tadros describes the past few months have “shown a reinforcement of pattern of religious discrimination and a substantial increase in the number of attacks on Christians” involving the same three groups. He also notes the government continues to show a lack of interest in protecting Christians, despite increase international pressure. Tadros states that the most worrisome future of Christians is the participation of the general Muslim in these attacks, and that these attacks aren’t aimed to kill Christians, rather to entrench the notion that Christians are second class citizens. He concludes by saying the elections aren’t likely to provide any remedy to the problems facing Christians, refusing to accept their status as second class citizens, and that the U.S. can take certain steps to positively affect the transition, the real question is if they are willing.

Dr. Dunne began by discussing the trend of attacks in post-revolutionary Egypt, and how it is not surprising, but that it is difficult to understand why the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has failed to address sectarian violence in any effective manner. Dunne notes that the SCAF’s approach is similar to Mubarak’s approach, in that directly after an attack, the government promises reform and to investigate the perpetrators, but as soon as public attention moves on, the efforts are abandoned. The investigations of the Alexandria bombing and the Maspero massacre are ongoing and likely to be inconclusive, as anti-Christian violence is one of several serious internal Egyptian problems. Dr. Dunne notes that the SCAF is not equipped to address several major problems, which is why an effective timetable needs to be set to hand over power, but the SCAF is trying to postpone the transfer of power. Dr. Dunne concludes that only in a democratic state can violence and discrimination be addressed openly, but it would be a problem to not support the transition process in fear that Islamists might gain a majority in the government.

Guirguis discussed the increased violence on Copts, and the lack of religious freedom in Egypt as they are consistently ranked “not free” by many international organizations, like Freedom House, that deal with development. Guirguis noted that in 2011 alone, Copts have been the target of 33 sectarian attacks putting the death toll at 72. She also notes that it is easy to blame the revolution for this serious escalation and praise the stability of the Mubarak days, the same “societal ills” and the “insidious state role in inciting sectarian violence plague Egypt today more than ever” with the responsibility resting solely in the SCAF. The same culture of discrimination and lack of prosecution exist under the SCAF as it did under Mubarak. Guirguis discussed the mishandling of the events that transpired on October 9^th, and the role of the media and general population played in perpetuating the violence. She then noted that in the aftermath of the revolution, the state has continued the “institutionalized discrimination and encouraged the growth of a culture of sectarianism and impunity to act on that sectarianism.”