An interesting new development are the activities of a group of Orthodox Copts against the divorce regulations of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which have become more confrontational.
On 7 July, dozens of Copts protested in front of the Ministry of Justice against the church leadership’s policy concerning divorce. Their spokesman Ayman Georges declared that the demands were that Coptic divorcess should be allowed to remarry, Christians should be allowed to divorce each other by consent, and the code of 1938 should be re-introduced. Some called for the introduction of civil marriage for all Egyptians (www.wataninet.com, 7 July 2011, http://wataninet.com/ArticleDetailsEX.aspx?A=597 and in English: http://wataninet.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?A=33195 )
This started a lively debate in Watani (some voices: http://wataninet.com/ArticleDetailsEX.aspx?A=594 )
On 18 July, a group of protesters (120 according to al-Masry al-Youm, 20 July) started a sit-in in the cathedral to put pressure on the church leadership (On the sit-in: http://wataninet.com/ArticleDetailsEX.aspx?A=615 and al-Masry al-Youm, 19 July) The protest was apparently especially directed against Bishop Bula, the bishop who currently controls the clerical council (he must have taken over from Bishoi, who must have been sidelined after his public row with Salim al-Awwa). They complained that Bula had refused to talk to them and that the security of the cathedral grounds had attempted to scare them away with the help of watchdogs.On 19 July, they decided to suspend the sit-in for a week to give the Church time to react (http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=304396&IssueID=2202)
On 19 July, the secretary of the clerical council, Archpriest Ruways 'Uwayda issued an official statement (http://wataninet.com/News.aspx?N=5778). Expectedly, the church claims that it cannot do anything because it cannot change the rulings of religious law. However, it seems that they must at least show a semblance of compromise in the face of the protests: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/17390/Egypt/Politics-/Pope-Shenouda-III-considers-divorce-and-second-mar.aspx . But can that really stop the protest movement?
On 19 July, the secretary of the clerical council, Archpriest Ruways 'Uwayda issued an official statement (http://wataninet.com/News.aspx?N=5778). Expectedly, the church claims that it cannot do anything because it cannot change the rulings of religious law. However, it seems that they must at least show a semblance of compromise in the face of the protests: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/17390/Egypt/Politics-/Pope-Shenouda-III-considers-divorce-and-second-mar.aspx . But can that really stop the protest movement?
No comments:
Post a Comment