I have recently read most of the articles in the constitution. I cannot deny that there are many good articles in the constitution, especially that refer to the rights of women and minorities. Also, there are many articles included for the fist time that refer to the Martyrs of the Church in the constitution.
All of that is good but I believe that the real challenge is how will we put these articles on the ground? I can make a very good recipe, but if I couldn’t cook it well, it’s done in vain. I also don’t believe that achieving the goals in the constitution will be just by issuing laws for various issues but also by changing the culture of the society.
Egypt needs to change, but not on paper. To change Egypt we need to change the way we think. The law allows Christians to build churches but can not prevent fanatics from destroying it. To build a church you first need to change the culture of the community in regards to Christians and Christianity. You cannot insult Christians in the Mosque and in the school and then allow to churches to be built.
This is not the only point I want to talk about. What I have mentioned also applies to the presence of Copts in the peoples’ assembly and within the local authorities. The point is not to force them to be in these institutions, but how to find a mechanism to let them feel like they will not be persecuted once they get into these positions.
I call all Egyptians to carefully read the new constitution. Every one of us should decide on his own whether this constitution comes up to his expectations or not. Does it express his wishes and future dreams about Egypt?
Every one of us has the right to vote with “Yes” or “No.” From now and then all Egyptians should shoulder the responsibility, however, don’t feel that you have to vote unless you are convinced with at least 80 percent of this constitution.
