“Overall, Christians are usually passed over, even when they are equally qualified,” Bishop Kyrillos said, adding, “This is also the case in public administration and the army.”
He called for a change in mentality, for other religions to start treating Christians as their equals, in adherence to calls made by the country’s head of state, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who, the bishop says, constantly talks about “the equality of all Egyptians.”
Bishop Kyrillos compared the situation of Christians during Sisi’s time to the presidency of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, and said that Christians are better off today.
“These are golden times for us Christians under Sisi,” he said: “When a mosque is built in a new city, he (Sisi) always asks when a church will be built next to it. He often affirms that everyone – Jews, Christians and Muslims – must be allowed to practice their religion freely and be able to build places of worship.”
The leadership of ACN has however noted that even under Sisi, individual Christians still attract the attention of the state.
“Serious allegations, even including charges of terrorism, have been made against Coptic activist and government critic Ramy Kamel. These are considered absurd by human rights activists,” ACN leadership asserts.
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