Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and potential candidate in the 2011 presidential election, met yesterday with artists and Coptic activists.
During his meeting with Coptic activists, ElBaradei emphasized the crucial role of the state in protecting Copts and ensuring their safety as Egyptian citizens.
ElBaradei said that problems of Copts should be addressed internally and not internationalized.
Amin Eskandar,a leader in the Karama Party, reported that ElBaradei underscored the importance of making the Constitution the sole reference point for Egyptians, urging Copts to refer back to the church only in matters relating to religion.
ElBaradei also said that the field for specifying religion on identity cards and other official documents is a sectarian classification of Egyptians.
ElBaradei met separately with a delegation of artists that included movie directors Dawoud Abdel Sayyed, Magdi Ahmed Ali, Khaled Youssef, Youssri Nasrallah, Hala Khalil, and actors Naglaa Fathi, Basma, and Khaled Abul Naga, all of whom signed ElBaradei’s statement titled "Together We Can Introduce Change."
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
