Egypt’s new Pope says security situation, not Islamists, worries Christians

The security situation, not the dominance of Islamists, is what prompts Egyptians - Christians and Muslims alike - to leave the country, new Pope Anba Tawadros told Al Arabiya.

Tawadros said since the Jan. 25 Revolution the security situation compelled Egyptians to emigrate, rebuffing claims that Coptic Egyptians are leaving the country more than Muslims.

While Shariah is not applicable to Christians in Egypt, Tawadros rejected article 2 in the constitution , which states that the “principles” of Islamic Sharia law are the main source of legislation.

He said article 2 will not grant Christians in Egypt their rights.

The marginalization of Christians is what has compelled his predecessor, Pope Shenuda III, to take more of a political role.

But he is uninvolved in politics, he said, adding that the Church as an institution is spiritual and not political.

He also made comments regarding Egypt’s relations with Isreal. He said there are no planned trips to Jerusalem and if there are, Egyptian Christians and Muslims will go together.

On April 2012, Jordanian king and Egypt’s grand mufti visited Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque despite claims by an internationally prominent cleric that such visits are a sop to Israel.

Early 2012, chairman of the International Union for Muslim Scholars Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi disapproved of the Palestinian Authorities chief Mahmoud Abbas’s call for Arabs and Muslims to a visit occupied Jerusalem commenting that this is not accepted in Islam.

While the Egyptian government is normalizing relations with Israel, the people reject it, Tawadros added.

Islamists criticized Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi for re-opening the Egyptian embassy in Israel. But during Mursi’s Eid al-Adha speech in October, Mursi said that “without declaring war against anyone,” Egypt would do its best to support Palestinian in their struggle against Israeli occupation.