Egypt: Copts announce their withdrawal from Constituent Assembly-"Futile"

First the liberals and now the Coptic Orthodox Church is withdrawing from the body in charge of re-writing the Constitution. “Influence of Islamic forces is excessive”
04/ 2/2012

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has announced it is withdrawing from the Constituent Assembly in charge of drafting the new Constitution, claiming that an Islamic dominance in parliament makes the role of Copts “futile”. The decision comes after that of the liberals and Islam’s highest Sunni institution al-Azhar to boycott the constituent commission which is made up of 100 members, demonstrating its failure to represent all the various elements of Egyptian society.

The current Constitution was suspended by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in February last year, when it took over power following the collapse of the Hosni Mubarak regime. "The Coptic Orthodox Church General Council agreed with the approval of all of the council's 20 members to withdraw from the constitutional assembly... as it found it was pointless for the church to be represented following the comments made by the national forces about the way the assembly was formed," the statement reads.

The Copts who form Egypt’s biggest minority group and account for approximately 10% of the Christian population, have historically had a difficult relationship with the Country’s Muslim majority. Story