Sisi loses support of Egyptian Copts

The spokesman of the Coptic Solidarity Organisation, Magdi Khalil, has said that the policies of Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi towards the Copts are no different from those of ousted premier Hosni Mubarak, Rassd.com reported on Tuesday.

Khalil, who is director of the Middle East Freedom Forum, wrote on his Facebook page that Al-Sisi delivered his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York and only few Egyptians gathered to welcome support him.

“Only five per cent of the numbers gathered last year welcomed him,” Khalil wrote, “and all of them came from Egypt or were from the Copts who have been linked to the regime since Mubarak’s era.”

He added: “We sent 35 buses of supporters last year to welcome him in order to reinforce his international legitimacy against the Muslim Brotherhood, but there are a lot of things that were changed this year.”

Khalil, who is based in Washington, said: “These measures were taken hoping to make Al-Sisi understand that the mode of the solid bloc which supported his legitimacy –the Copts – has changed. If he does not recognise this, the Copts will turn from silence to candid opposition.”

He said that the Copts are “tolerant” but if Al-Sisi does not change his policy towards them, they will not remain so.

He concluded by saying that: “Mr President, we still extend our hands for equal treatment and for giving the Copts their rights. But we will never be tolerant in expressing our anger which will be aroused if you continue adopting Mubarak’s policy.”