Rome, December 16, 2013 (Zenit.org) Ann Schneible
The increase in sectarian violence against Egypt’s Christian communities endangers not only the country’s ancient Christian heritage, but also the cultural, social and political dimensions of society.
This was one of the assertions made by political scientist and sociologist Mariz Tadros, one of the 30 experts invited to speak on the theme of religious freedom at an international conference: “Christianity and Freedom: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.”
The conference, which took place over the weekend, was organized by Georgetown University’s Religious Freedom Project, in collaboration with the Acton Institute, and hosted by the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
Religious persecution against Coptic Christians has been on the rise since the 2011 ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Further fierce uprisings followed the election of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi, forced out office this summer and placed in custody pending his trial. Violent attacks against Christian communities followed. A revised constitution put forward by the country’s interim government – which, Tadros says would improve the rights of Egyptian citizens – will be voted on next month.
In an interview with ZENIT, Tadros, who is a research fellow for the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, offered her perspective on issue of religious freedom in light of the current situation in Egypt. Read it online here:
Sectarian Violence Endangers Egyptian Heritage | ZENIT – The World Seen From Rome