The Maspero Youth Union, a coalition of young Coptic Christian activists, issued a statement on Friday condemning what it described as "forced displacement" of nine Christian families from the city of Rafah in North Sinai. The group stated that the situation was a clear violation of the rights of Egyptian Christians and was in defiance of state sovereignty.
Yesterday Christian activists reported that nine Christian families were forced to leave the city of Rafah and to move to the city of Al-Arish after receiving threats and orders to leave from Salafist groups.
The Maspero Youth Union expressed its concern about the negative position of the state, accusing it of approving the forced displacement of those citizens, according to a statement issued on Friday. Mina Thabet, a co-founder of the union, stated to Ahram's Arabic news website that he considered Sinai to no longer be under Egyptian sovereignty after the displacement.
"If the Egyptian state does not move and restore its control of Sinai again, Sinai will split off and become an Islamist principality," Thabet said.
The statement also criticised President Mohamed Morsi for neglecting to mention the cases of Egyptian Christians who have been forced to leave their homes, whereas he speaks around the globe about the displacement of Palestinians.
