• 09:04
  • Friday ,17 August 2012
العربية

Civilized Majority and Underdeveloped One

Monir Beshai

Article Of The Day

00:08

Friday ,17 August 2012

Civilized Majority and Underdeveloped One

The majority in any country can use its huge number and influence to control the minority, persecute or even destroy them. This was the reason behind the presence of human rights that simply gives rights to the minorities and protect them from the majority. Thus, civilized countries gave its minorities rights and freedoms that became part of their culture. People belong to the majority have to show respect for such rights, not only fearing a punishment of the law, but also as they respects such rules and embrace them as part of their own culture. 

In a civilized country like the United States, the situation is exactly the opposite as the majority is now claiming their rights. Everybody talks now about Chick-fil-A restaurants which has many branches throughout the United States. Dan Kathy is one of its six owners who serves as the director general. Dan Kathy is a U.S. religious Christian who closes his restaurants on Sundays, and donates a portion of the income for charity works. He suddenly found himself facing a violent minority group, homosexuals. Kathay has never hurt any of them and they are allowed to eat and work at his restaurants. However, like any  Christian, he believes in normal marriage. One day, he was asked about his opinion about Gay marriage. He said his openion adding he donates money for many organizations including those encouraging normal Christian marriage, which is exactly his right. Suddenly, gates of hell was opened against him; gays boycotted the restaurants and sit-in in front of many branches to prevent customers from buying their food. This was sure to lead the restaurants to a bankruptcy or serious financial losses.
At this moment, silent majority has decided to wake up and hundreds of thousands people have headed to all branches of Chick-fil-A to buy their food and change their loss to unexpected profits. Here, the majority has never attacked the minority or prosecute them, but rather face their evil without using violence.
 
In Egypt, the majority has the right to prosecute the Christian minority and call them infidels. Couple of days ago, a lawyer called Sherif Gad Allah has reported to the Attorney General claiming that Christians are infidels as they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as well as polytheists, and they shouldn't participate in drafting the new constitution!
 
However he is totally wrong concerning their beliefs, civil rights of Coptic Christians shouldn't be linked to their beliefs which is their own business.
 
Another story happened in Dalamally village, Beni Suef where many Salafis have gathered to prevent St. George church restoration in spite of the license of restoration from the governor, which was given to them as the building is about to collapse, but those Salafis don’t care if Christians die while they pray!
Disagreements between majorities and minorities can be found all over the world, but in civilized countries both groups have rights that should be respected and guaranteed. I hope this will happen in Egypt someday