International Orthodox Christian News

The group “Egyptians against Religious Discrimination” criticized the state bodies that sponsored the “illegal” reconciliation agreement for the Abu Fana incident. A statement by the group said if this agreement was eventuated, it would urge citizens to rig official documents. Even if the victims have the right to renounce their rights, the state does not the right to fail to protect society by enforcing the law and punishing violators.

Although the group respects the popular efforts aiming to put an end to the sectarian strife, those efforts would not be necessary if the law were applied to all parties so that everybody would get their rights. The informal reconciliation sessions that were held during the Abu Fana crisis consecrate injustice, lead to more problems, violate the rights of the victims and raise questions about Abu Fana priests and Bedouins, the statement said.

Although the agreement put an end to the problem outwardly, it did not resolve the discomfort over the issue by the public, which is still divided over the reasons for and nature of the Abu Fana incidents.The statement signatories called on the executive officials to enforce the law and refer the crisis to the judiciary to punish the culprits and compensate the victims. They also called on civil society organizations and human rights centers to investigate why the law was not applied and why the parties resorted to informal solutions that contravene principles of the modern civil state.

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