Attacks on Copts Expose Egypt's Secular Paradox

Muslims marched on a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt, in October, to protest distribution of a DVD of a play performed by Copts two years ago that they deemed offensive. (Associated Press)

The government has made some liberalizing gestures. Two years ago, it declared the Coptic Christmas an official holiday. Last year, the Copts were permitted to operate a satellite television station. Finally, last fall, Mubarak slightly loosened regulations governing church construction, allowing renovations to be carried out with permission of local governors instead of by presidential decree. But Mubarak gave no indication of what to do about de facto churches that suddenly demand recognition like the one in Odayssat.

Odayssat's Copts accuse Ali Odaysi, a landowner and member of Egypt's upper house of parliament, of organizing the riot. He said he did nothing of the sort, but said the Christians were wrong to worship clandestinely.

Odaysi met a reporter in a gas station he owns. An entourage of men in sunglasses sat around the room and provided nodding assent to whatever he said.

"This was just a little conflict between two groups of people. We've lived in harmony for hundreds of years. Look. Two Copts work at this gas station here," he said.

"If there's a dispute at all, it's whether there's a church or a guest house. If it's a church, why perform Mass in secret? There must be something else wrong. Any place in the world must have a permit to build a church or any other building. We must all abide by the law," he continued.

"Anyway, a Christian is Christian. We Muslims worship in any mosque, why can't they worship in some other church? There's another church, an Anglican one not far away. Why can't they worship there?"

Police in Luxor declined to comment on the riot. The governor of the surrounding province, Samir Farag, confirmed details of the Odayssat feud but played it down. He oscillated between calling it "just a dispute over land" and "the work of fanatics." He said 23 Muslim rioters were under arrest and that the case against them is being handled by a state prosecutor in Cairo -- an indication, he said, of concern.

"We all get along here," Farag said.