An Egyptian Coptic activist demanded on Monday the government's recognition of the Christians’ right to obtain official religious holidays as stipulated by the law.
“A decision was issued during the era of the late president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, invoking days such as Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday, which are Coptic holidays, as official holidays for non-Muslim minorities,” Mina Thabet, member of the Egyptian Alliance for Minorities said in a statement.
The statement added, “Some authorities plan to cancel those holidays, therefore we ask the cabinet to emphasize that these are official holidays, in order to end any possible confusion regarding that matter.”
Thabet explained that Article 21 of law no. 48 organizing issues of workers in the public sector that was issued in 1953 provides for granting non-Muslim workers official religious holidays.
He added that a worker may work on these days as an additional paid holidays if necessary, or that he should be granted additional days-off instead.
