CAIRO: Tens of Egyptian Copts demonstrated Wednesday on the steps of the Orthodox Cathedral in Abbasiya over a land dispute involving their church in the town of Meet Neama in the delta region of Qalubiya.
The demonstration coincided with Pope Shenouda’s weekly sermon. Demonstrators claimed that neighboring Muslims had taken over a piece of land that belongs to the Mary Girgis church in Meet Neama and built a wall on it.
There were conflicting reports about on the size of the disputed land with some sating it is 1,351 square meters while others claiming it measures 1,400 square meters.
The Bishop of Shobra El Kheima, Anba Morqos told the press that he had bought the land years ago, but was shocked to find that one of the brothers who had inherited it claiming to not having taken his share and building the wall.
The Bishop said that the city council had torn down the wall and promised to keep the area secure.
The church is now planning to build its own wall around the premises but is waiting to receive the state security permit necessary to do so.
