CAIRO: The head of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization and Coptic Christian lawyer Naguib Gobrael filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General against Al-Ahram Group CEO Abdel Moniem Said, Editor-In-Chief of Al-Ahram daily Osama Saraya, and Al-Ahram journalist Abdel Nasser Salama, accusing them of defaming the Coptic Pope.
Salama wrote an article on Monday entitled “2010 Copts” in which he accused the Pope of being the first to create an environment of sectarian tension by calling for foreign intervention ever since his appointment in 1972.
Salama also accused the church of inciting Copts to demonstrate inside Virgin Mary and Angel Mikhael Church in Al-Omraneya in order to attack security forces.
The complaint filed by Gobrael accused Salama of defaming the Pope, endangering social peace and inciting sectarian tension, placing the blame for the article’s publication on the newspaper’s chief editor and the firm’s CEO.
“The article claimed that Pope Shenouda called for ‘getting rid’ of the Muslim conquerors in a speech in Alexandria in 1973,” read the formal complaint.
The complaint also stated that Salama’s article “said that the church incited Copts to gather inside the church and vandalize public property.”
Gobrael told Daily News Egypt that he will file a LE 5 million compensation lawsuit.
The article raised sweeping anger, spurring Saraya to try to ease tensions by using his daily column on Wednesday to praise the Pope’s role in Egyptian society and to promote harmony among Muslims and Copts.
“The Pope’s history and position are higher than any conflict that may arise here or there as a result of the mistake some Egyptians [may make], regardless of their faith,” Saraya wrote in his article. “The Pope is not subject to the criticism of any individual, regardless of his position, and I think that the Pope himself knows this [fact] very well.”
Saraya’s article added, “How many people dared to insult high profile [Muslims]? And how many times was Islam accused of terrorism [even though] Muslims were its first victims? Through the Pope’s forgiveness we will get over the conspiracies [others have created].”
“Saraya’s article was only an attempt to ease the tension [caused by Salama’s article],” Gobrael said. “This is not enough. Al-Ahram should have clearly apologized to the Pope and the Copts, and [should have taken] legal action against Salama.”
