Coptic organizations disagree about whether to participate in the civil disobedience campaign planned for 11 February to pressure authorities to fulfill the revolution’s demands.
On Wednesday, the Maspero Youth Union announced it would participate in civil disobedience, which activists say would include strikes. The Orthodox Church rejects the calls, while the Catholic Church remains neutral.
The April 6 Youth Movement and the Popular Campaign to Support Mohamed ElBaradei last week called for acts of civil disobedience, starting with a partial strike, on the anniversary of Hosni Mubarak’s resignation in a bid to force the ruling military council out of power.
“We will participate in the disobedience, as the demands of the revolution will not be achieved unless the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces leaves, power is immediately transferred and a president is elected in the absence of SCAF as the country’s ruling power,” said Hany Ramses, a member of the Maspero Youth Union’s Executive Office.
Ramses said former regime icons must be brought to justice for the revolution’s demands to be achieved.
Union leader Andrews Aweidah demanded an “internal restructuring of official media outlets, which instigated [the public] against the ultras youth,” in reference to football fans attacked during violence that broke out at a match in Port Said last week. The violence left over 40 dead.
Aweidah also demanded the “dismissal of the attorney general, the judicial mediator of the former regime, and the formation of a revolutionary court to quickly conclude the trials of the icons of corruption.”
When asked his opinion on calls for civil disobedience, Bishop Marcos of the Holy Diocese of Shubra al-Kheima expressed his disapproval. He said people must work to improve the country’s economy and should not disrupt hospitals and public services.
Catholic Church spokesperson Father Rafik Greish said the church “won’t prevent or push the youth to participate in the disobedience; they are free [to do what they like].”
Refaat Fekry, pastor of the Anglican Church, said he personally supports the idea of protests and strikes, “as the revolution’s demands have not been achieved” even though a year has elapsed since former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.
He said SCAF and the People’s Assembly “are not responding to the revolutionaries’ demands.”
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
