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EOHR regrets Alexandria events
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17/4/2006
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) is expressing its utmost concern and regret regarding the events that took place in Alexandria on Friday April 14th 2006. as on the afternoon of that day people inside three churches (Mar Gerges in Hadra, Qedeseen in Sedy Beshr, and Al Sayeda Al Azraa in Abu Ker), resulting in the death of citizen Nosehy Atta Gerges, 78, due to his wounds, while many other citizens were wounded as they were present at these churches.
EOHR also expresses its deep concern in relation to the continuation of religious conflict between Muslims and Christians in Alexandria, for three days, which led to more violence that resulted in the increase in number of wounded to thirty persons and the death of two, one of them Muslim and the other Chirstian, beside losses of properties.
EOHR sees that the increase in ideas of religious fanaticism is as a result to the absence of dialogue values, democracy, tolerance and letting the fanatic ideas address citizens and use them in various trends leading to an unjustifiable religious conflict.
The organization is giving a red alarm against the increase in fanatic and extreme ideas on both sides, that led to the acceleration and upheaval of religious conflict in Egypt, which is alarming and reflects a bad future if the clahes continue.
EOHR previously issued its report "Alexandria events, Underlyings and Rebuttal Strategies" in November 6th 2005 after last year's demonstration at Mar Gerges church, in which the organization recommended the following:
1. Creating a Religious Affairs Committee as part of People's Assembly. The Committee should include official representatives from the Ministries of Information, Education, Endowments, Interior as well as representatives from the Church, Al-Azhar, and Civil Society. The Committee shall undertake citizenry issues and suggest pragmatic solutions to help end incidental sectarian and doctrinal differences that ebb on the surface now and then, or any other problems arising between Muslims and Christians.
2. Strictly prohibiting attack on all religions in accordance with Egyptian Constitution's Article 151 and international covenants.
3. Handling sectarian differences by the religious institutions i.e. Al-Azhar and the Church responsibly, clearly, in order to reveal any such events to the public opinion rapidly enough before the problem deteriorates.
EOHR as soon as the violence started sent a fact finding mission in order to reach the reasons behind such events, the organization shall prepare a report declaring the information found by the fact finding mission.
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