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Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian Coptic Patriarch Shinoda, which aired on ON TV on July 27, 2009.
Interviewer: What do you think of Gamal Mubarak?
Egyptian Coptic Patriarch Shinoda: When the time is right, I and the other Copts will express our opinion. If I state my opinion now, people will oppose it, just because it is the position of the Church. Let’s leave this to the appropriate time.
Interviewer: What do you think about people who oppose the possibility of a Copt becoming the president?
Patriarch Shinoda: Against what?
Interviewer: A Copt becoming the president.
Patriarch Shinoda: President of the country?
Interviewer: Yes, a Copt as president of Egypt.
Patriarch Shinoda: They are right, of course.
Interviewer: Are they?
Patriarch Shinoda: Of course.
Interviewer: Why?
Patriarch Shinoda: Since the majority of the people is not Coptic, we cannot take a Copt from the minority, and make him president over the majority.
Interviewer: This settles the recent controversy.
Patriarch Shinoda: Was there a controversy over this?
Interviewer: Of course. The press is full of articles about this.
Patriarch Shinoda: Look, brother, if a Copt cannot even become a member of the bar association, how could he possibly become president of the country? This is neither logical nor practical.
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