Nowadays, there are two topics that occupy the minds of all Egyptians and particularly the Copts: electing the President and choosing the Patriarch.
Electing the Pope is one of the most important events in the Coptic Church, as he is the head of the church. We saw a number of bishops with dioceses were nominated for the papacy, which is against the rules that allow only general bishops and monks to be nominated.
However the first Coptic church outside Egypt was built in Canada which now has more than half million Copts (it have more than 30 Coptic churches and more Copts than Scandinavia and north Europe), they won’t be able to vote in the elections at all, why? Pope Shenouda has tried more than once to ordain 2 bishops for Canada, but the priests of Canada refused and prevented the Pope. The result is that Canada with the biggest Coptic Diaspora all over the world won’t participate in electing the Pope. It’s similar to preventing Alexandria from voting in the Egyptian presidential elections. It’s unfair and we should make a request for Abba Pachomius, acting Pope, to solve this problem.
As for the second topic which is the presidential elections, I think about it as a Coptic man. I’m worried after hearing that the head of the General Coptic Organization tends to nominate the Muslim Brotherhood leader and the Afghan struggler, Dr. Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh. The same choice as the Salafis! I do not think this was a mistake of Dr. Sherif Doss. As I remember his support for the Mubarak, I discover he always goes with the current. I don’t think there is one rational Copt who will support the choice of the Salafis. Moreover, choosing the president isn’t the most important choice today in Egypt, as drafting the constitution is even more critical. For the constitution may give the president no authorities, or at least give the parliament half of it. So, selecting the committee drafting the Constitution is not less important.
Copts population is said to be 17 million or at least 10 millions. If we have 7 million Coptic voters, it’s more than the Salafis or the Muslim Brotherhood. Why shall we give our rights up? He can elect Amr Moussa or Mohammed Shafik, but Douss chooses Abul Fotouh!
Copts should come together and unite for the good of Egypt and the good of the Copts. They should unite to get their rights like having a Coptic vice-president and a decent number of Coptic Ministers, in addition to active citizenship, the law for building worship houses, personal status law. Furthermore, we shouldn’t have to get the approval of the president to choose our patriarch.
