Cairo, May 12: The Egyptian government has decided to form a national justice committee in an attempt to confront sectarianism following Saturday’s deadly sectarian clashes in the North African country.
Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf decided to form the committee in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
According to Sharaf, the committee is tasked with preparing new laws that criminalize sectarian violence in accordance with concerned articles in the constitutional declaration.
“Egypt witnessed serious events threatening the security of our nation and the tolerance of soul among our people,” Sharaf said.
The Egyptian premier reaffirmed to deal with ‘sedition, discrimination and sectarianism’ with tough measures.
Sharaf’s remarks come after Egyptian officials announced that they have captured the mastermind behind the clashes in the capital Cairo.
On Saturday, sectarian clashes between Saudi-funded Salafis and Coptic Christians left at least a dozen people killed and hundreds injured.
The Saint Mena church, in Cairo’s Imbaba district, was set ablaze following an exchange of gunfire between Coptic Christians and Saudi-funded Salafis.
Meanwhile, Egyptian officials say that the elements of the former regime of Hosni Mubarak are behind the recent deadly clashes.
Former vice-chairman of Egypt’s Court of Cassation, Mahmoud El Khodeiry, accusing pro-Mubarak regime forces for the tensions, said on Tuesday that the elements of Mubarak’s regime seek to prevent the revolution from achieving its goals.
Egyptian protesters are expected to hold another million-man march next Friday. The rally has been dubbed as the “Day to Purge the Remnants of Mubarak Regime from Egypt.”
Since the ouster of Mubarak in a February revolution, Egyptians have persistently demanded the purging of all the remnants of his era.
——–Agencies