Landownership disputes in Egypt: A Case Study of the Tensions around Abu Fana in May, 2008

Date of Publication August 26, 2009
Authors Asgar Toft Johannsen, Marianne Nabīl Maḥrūs and Maria Graversen
Reviewers

Review  by Prof. Bahā' Bakrī 
Review by Dr. Amīn Makram cUbayd
Review by Wā’il Muḥammad Ḥasan

Editor Cornelis Hulsman
Full Text Landownership disputes in Egypt: A Case Study of the Tensions around Abu Fana in May, 2008

Summary:

Due to the pervasive media reporting both inside Egypt and in the international community, the violent incidents of May 31, 2008 at the Abu Fana Monastery is widely viewed as a sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims. Though this is not without merit, especially through the subsequent escalation of the tensions, at its core the controversy is a landownership dispute with competing claims from different local actors. Unclear regulation about registration of land led to a situation with two groups maintaining ownership of the same parcels, and the additional aspect of archaeological land and artifacts at an ancient Christian site further completed the issues.

The Muslim villagers claim the right to own the land through traditional “wad al-yad” claims, which demonstrate ownership of previously unused land, if development is evident. The Christian monks claim the right to own the land through traditional “urfi” contracts, with money transacted and signatures affixed, but with no official documentation in the government. Neither of these measures is recognized by the authorities, but since Egyptian laws are unclear and often unenforced, the measures remain in frequent popular use.

With this as a background, it is easier to understand the subsequent tensions, though a solution remains difficult, especially one that brings reconciliation. Further analysis on the report is given in three evaluations. The first is from Prof. Baha Bakry, professor of urban ecology at Cairo University, whose comments center on the ecological consequences of the reclamation of desert land. Second is Dr. Amin Makram Ebeid, a prominent Coptic intellectual, who focuses on the role of the Bedouin traditional understanding of ownership. Third is Mr. Wa’el Hassan, a High Court lawyer, who considers the use made of the conflict by religious groups. It is hoped that through a wider understanding of all these issues, not only may solutions be discovered for the tensions still existing at Abu Fana, but also lessons may be learned for the prevention of future conflict along similar lines.