After judge Khalid Khafaji, Vice-Premier of the Council of State Commentary, issued a ruling to ban demolition or selling of churches, I need to express my happiness and gratitude to the honorable judge for several reasons:
Such ruling proves the importance of worship houses and proves equality between Muslim and Christian houses of worship. It also annuls the claims of the extremists that churches are places of infidelity. Such ruling expresses policy of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi of equality among the Egyptians. Such message should also reach the officials who support the extremists in Egypt and treat Christians differently.
This ruling is a message that should reach the extremist sheikhs who incite division and hatred among the Egyptians. Moreover, it is a message to the whole world that Egypt is a civilized country and a good example of coexistence among Muslims and Christians.
The Egyptian Constitution supports such ruling by Article 53 that talks about equality and non-discrimination among the Egyptian citizens. It is a role model of pure judgment based on constitution and good conscious. It is worth mentioning that such ruling comes against a former judge who claimed he bought a church from the Roman Church though this church was donated to the Coptic Orthodox Church and this former judge decided to demolish it if he doesn’t receive a huge amount of money.
