President Mubarak called for placing the principle of citizenship as the first article in the constitution. For his part, Pope Shenouda III said that there is no justification for cancellation of Article 2 of Constitution and that those Copts who call for its abolition allege championship. "We respect our rulers", Pope Shenouda told mass media.

All Egyptian Muslims and Copts appreciated the citizenship of Pope Shenouda as cancellation of Article 2 will not profit Copts but it will provoke their Muslim brothers. I can confirm that cancellation of this article has no any interest for Copts because of the following text of the Article "Islam is the religion of the state and Arabic its official language. Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation". The first part of the article "Islam is the religion of the state" does not annoy Copts if we understand its constitutional interpretation because the State as a legal idea, corporate or legal person has no religion. "Islam is the religion of the state" means that majority of Egypt's populations embrace Islam. The State has no religion as a legal idea but religions are for the natural persons but not the corporate ones.

The second part of the article "Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation" does not upset Copts according to the correct legal understanding because the article says that Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation which means that there other sources for legislation including Gospel besides the principal sources. Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia'a) is not applied to Copts as other sources are applied to them. Unilateral divorce, wives multiplicity and divorce (in return for a monetary compensation to be paid by the wife for the husband) (Khola'a) are not applied to Copts. However, it is in the interest of Copts to apply the Islamic principle in the matters of personal status such marriage and divorce. In the matters of personal status, Gospel is applied to Copts and Torah is applied to Jews.

In addition, constitutions of 80 Arab and Muslim states include articles like Article 2 of Egyptian Constitution and no one of Copts, in said states, called for its cancellation as it will provoke Muslims put the regime in awkward position before the foreign world especially Copts have no interests in its cancellation. Therefore, I appreciate Pope Shenouda for his citizenship when he called for keeping Article 2 of Constitution without cancellation.

Al Akhbar
By: Dr. Nabil Loqa Bebawy
28/2/2007