Coptic Orthodox Church Believes Proposed Egyptian Constitutional Amendments Too Limited

The Coptic Orthodox Church has expressed its opposition to constitutional amendments that will be put to a referendum in Egypt this Saturday. While the Church has not said it will encourage Copts to vote against the amendments, it believes they do not go far enough in that they fail to make Egypt a state whose citizens are equal to one another regardless of their religious beliefs.

Although they do not deal with article two of the constitution, which recognizes Islam as the state religion (despite a Coptic Orthodox minority that may form a fifth of the country's citizens) and establishes sharia as the source of all legislation, the amendments do reduce and limit presidential terms and restrict the use of the emergency laws. More here.