An update on this story, which discussed some of the potential problems with the "reforms" of the new law. In particular, the plan to move to a decentralized system to permit or deny building according to local approval echoes the system that has been so disastrous for Christians in Indonesia. There are additional issues, described below. "Copts Calls for Withdrawal of Draft Law on Places of Worship," from Al Masry Al Youm, June 19:
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) called on the government on Sunday to withdraw a draft law on unified places of worship, which has been strongly criticized by various Christian denominations in Egypt. The churches said the draft law was a continuation of the old, discriminatory approach.
It would just decentralize it. To say all places of worship would be subject to local permission stacks the deck against the Christian minority.
Earlier this month, the Egyptian government approved the draft law for public debate.
For decades, Egyptian Copts have been calling for a law to unify the standards and conditions of construction for both Muslim and non-Muslim places of worship. The law would replace the "Hamayouni Decree", which is a clause in Egyptian law that regulates church construction and maintenance, and which dates from Ottoman rule. The decree stipulates the need to obtain prior approval from the chief executive -- the president in modern times -- to build a new church or to expand or restore an existing one.
A joint statement issued last week by the Egyptian Coptic, Anglican and Catholic Churches rejected the draft law on places of worship. They requested amendments to certain articles, especially those stipulating that places of worship should be 1000 square meters in size, which they say would be hard to implement, and that there must be at least 1km between places of worship.
That would be too easy. Every time someone wants to build a church, Muslims who didn't want a church in the area could find a place to claim to start a mosque project within 1km.
The permit system is also a non-starter:
They rejected the stipulation that local councils be given authority to grant permits, and requested that conditions for licenses be standardized.
In a statement on Sunday, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies said the draft law was "put forward hastily and without adequate consideration to the reduction of growing sectarian tensions."
The EOHR called for non-legislative measures to overcome the various legal, procedural, administrative and security problems that continue to pose obstacles.
An update on this story, which discussed some of the potential problems with the "reforms" of the new law. In particular, the plan to move to a decentralized system to permit or deny building according to local approval
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"NIMBYism" from hell. All Muslims have to do is find some local coreligionists who claim to be offended by the building or repair of a local church.
More:
They requested amendments to certain articles, especially those stipulating that places of worship should be 1000 square meters in size, which they say would be hard to implement, and that there must be at least 1km between places of worship.
That would be too easy. Every time someone wants to build a church, Muslims who didn't want a church in the area could find a place to claim to start a mosque project within 1km.
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This has already happened in a number of places—including Egypt and Indonesia. Sometimes Muslims have even claimed that the mosque *predated* the church, even if it was clearly just some jury-rigged storefront set up for the very purpose of challenging the church.
It's a bogus concept, anyway. I live just a few blocks from an Episcopalian church, a Congregationalist church, and a Reform synagogue, which are all at the same intersection. The recently built Catholic cathedral is half a block further down. The *only* issue that was brought up concerning the plans for the new cathedral (which replaces the old cathedral damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake) was parking.
In muz majority countries, minority faiths are persecuted. Where the muz is a minority, those savages get special treatment.
I have lived in Egypt and have lived in 5 different neighbourhoods. The is a law which stipulates that no one in Egypt can live outside earshot of the muezzin. Usually that means that every 500 metres there is a mosque. I lived in a compound with a mosque 50 metres from my front door and one 30 metres from the garden the garden. The 1km rule would make it legally and technically impossible for churches to be built.
They are so bloody petty and pathetic.
The law would replace the "Hamayouni Decree", which is a clause in Egyptian law that regulates church construction and maintenance...
That sounds suspiciously like 'The Pact of Umar'...Not always enforced, but always alive to be resurrected as needed...
... but always alive to be resurrected as needed...
As with everything Islamic, always ready to be activated as required. Clever people, these Moslems. Ever at the ready for a good old fashioned political confrontation. This is why they're batting .850 with a very high OPS.
But, for some mysterious reason, the Moslems have yet to flood baseball with skullcap wearers. Maybe it's all the hot dogs at the ballparks. Ain't nothing wrong with having tasty pork product at hand, but I think our Moslem masters disagree.
"But, for some mysterious reason, the Moslems have yet to flood baseball with skullcap wearers. Maybe it's all the hot dogs at the ballparks. Ain't nothing wrong with having tasty pork product at hand, but I think our Moslem masters disagree."
Probably the thought of Infidels with bats scares them away.
RichardL wrote:
The is a law which stipulates that no one in Egypt can live outside earshot of the muezzin. Usually that means that every 500 metres there is a mosque. I lived in a compound with a mosque 50 metres from my front door and one 30 metres from the garden the garden. The 1km rule would make it legally and technically impossible for churches to be built.
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Thanks for that information, Richard. I was not aware of it.
That means that—legally—no Egyptian is free from being woken up before dawn by caterwauling Imams. What a horror...
And you're right about how that would affect the building of churches—or even the status of existing churches. It is a law that could be invoked at any time.