Journalist Ashraf Helmy condemned the repeated assaults on members of the Coptic Church in Egypt, particularly on priests, citing the incident yesterday (Friday) in which Father Basanty, priest of the Church of the Virgin Mary and Martyr Abanoub in Shubra El-Kheima, was attacked.

Helmy explained that the attack involved a person verbally and physically assaulting the priest and ripping off the cross he was wearing before leaving the scene.

He said that attacking priests constitutes an affront to the clerical vestments worn by metropolitans, bishops, members of the Holy Synod, and priests, and stressed the importance of handling such incidents according to the law to ensure protection for clergy and preserve respect for religious symbols.

Helmy added that waiving civil rights in some previous assault cases — including an incident in Alexandria a few weeks ago where a priest was attacked — may, in his view, contribute to the repetition of such events.

He called on the Egyptian government to consider drafting legislation to regulate the use of clerical attire and to prohibit its wearing or use by non-clergy, similar to the legal measures governing the use of Al-Azhar attire, and urged that the law be applied to perpetrators of assaults to safeguard public security and safety.

Helmy emphasized the need to protect clergy and to respond firmly and legally to any assaults targeting them or violating religious symbols and clothing, noting that legal protection of clerical vestments could help reduce their misuse or the impersonation of clergy.