Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-10-27-Speech-4-242-000"
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"en.20111027.17.4-242-000"2
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"−
The European Parliament in its resolution of 20 January 2011 stated that it wants Egypt to be free and to become an exemplary state in the area of ensuring civil liberties and rights as well as religious rights and freedoms. Recently I called Baroness Ashton’s attention to the fact that violence against the Copts is on the rise and that there has been a considerable increase in the number of extreme Islamist political groups. I warned that without a firm stand on the issue of religious freedoms the provision of assistance to Egypt should be out of the question. As I feared, we have witnessed constant attacks on Christians in the last five months. Furthermore, in the course of bloody clashes the army that at present rules the country has killed 36 and wounded more than 200 Copts. The reality of the situation is that the new authorities are not responding either to the shameful acts of religious violence or to the increasing lack of restraint of extreme Islamic militants, who are attacking places of worship such as the church in Aswan.
This hard-line approach towards Christians is also reflected in the draft of the new constitution of Egypt, which contains direct reference to sharia law. It is worth reminding ourselves that according to the version of the constitution that has been in force since 1956, Christians cannot renovate their church buildings without presidential consent. How many similar ideas do we still have to accept? Under such circumstances, the European Union should not sign any trade agreements with Egypt and should suspend all aid, until a new constitution is announced that offers full protection to Christians who are resident there and that gives them equal rights with the Islamic majority."@en1
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