The disgruntled Copts considered this opportunity suitable for appealing to the public opinion in England. The complaints of the Copts were not presented to any of their representatives or leaders, so I could not discuss them and clarify the means by which they intended to alleviate the obstacles they believed they were facing. Furthermore, they preferred to hold a tribal conference to draw more attention to them outside of Egypt. The initiator of this conference did not approve of its announcement, stating that it would surely displease and provoke the Muslims into holding a conference of their own, thus unleashing the fires of religious hatred that had only recently subsided. Moreover, the choice of Asyut as the center for this conference was not a good one, and those who sought to hold it did not heed the government's advice, even though it was in their best interest. Nor did they consider the feelings of their Patriarch and the moderate faction of their community. The government saw no harm in preventing this conference and limited its actions to taking precautions to prevent disorder. The delegates convened in Asyut on March 6th and the following days. According to official reports, the number of conferees reached 500 or more. They presented the Copts' complaints in five sections and discussed them in turn, but they did not clarify anything regarding the various issues in dispute and requiring resolution. Their demands can be summarized as follows: (1) The right of Copts to benefit from the educational facilities provided by the new provincial councils. (2) Merit alone should be the basis for appointment to government positions. (3) Representation of the Coptic community in the Egyptian legislative councils. (4) Non-Muslims serving in government and schools should be allowed to substitute Friday with another day of rest. (5) Government grants should be given to all schools without discrimination, with fair distribution among them. The issue of religious education, with its difficulties, is not confined to Egypt alone. I have already mentioned what the government has done to teach religion in its primary schools. However, this entire subject, especially the morning attendance of a group of Copts who are unable to attend class to learn their religion in schools that are essentially Islamic, is closely linked to the establishment of Egyptian provincial councils that will have an increasing role in managing education throughout Egypt. Therefore, I have decided that the discussion of these two