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Political Representation Denied

Egyptian Christians are effectively a disenfranchised minority in Islamic Egypt. In 1942 there were 23 Christian members of the 264 seat lower house of parliament and 16 Christian senators out of 147 in the upper house. Since then Christian representation has steadily declined. Today there are five Christians in Egypt's 454 seat unicameral National Assembly. While Christians are not denied the right to vote, they are denied by Law 40 of 1977 the right to form their own political parties to defend their interests. This law prohibits the establishment of parties that are based on allegiance to a religious community and those whose charters and programs are deemed to be incompatible with Islam. Law 40 of 1977 also requires all political parties to support the clause of the unamended Egyptian Constitution of 1971 establishing Islamic law as a main source of legislation.

Political appointments are no less difficult for Christians to come by than elected office. Out of 480 political appointees to government posts announced by President Mubarak on October 17, 1991 only 5, or just over 1%, belong to the Christian community. No cabinet minister with a portfolio, state governor, ambassador, city mayor, provincial police chief or state college dean is a Christian.

The recently elected Secretary General of the United Nations Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali - scion of a distinguished Coptic Orthodox family - attained the rank of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when President Sadat could not depend on a more senior Muslim Foreign Minister to conduct his peace policy with Israel. Though Boutros Ghali was Sadat's principle adviser on foreign affairs, he was never elevated to the position of Foreign Minister because of his Christian faith.

Evidence of ballot rigging to diminish the influence of Christians in elections is mounting. Many Christians find that when they go to vote their names are missing from the electoral roll. The administrative measures that are necessary to have their names reinstated take such a long time that these Christians are effectively barred from voting. The proprietor of the Coptic Orthodox weekly Watani, Antoine Sidhom, testified at the end of 1991 that he was prevented from voting in this way. Mr. Sidhom also reports that the Egyptian authorities have obstructed the registration of new Christian voters.

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