Minister of legal affairs and parliamentary councils, Mofid Shehab, said that President Hosni Mubarak has never rejected a request to build a church. 

Shehab's statement came after leader of the Tagammu Party, Rifaat El-Said, said that a key factor behind sectarian tension is the fact that Christians are unable to build churches.

Shehab claimed that the number of churches built in Egypt in the past 30 years exceeded those built in the history of Egypt. Moreover, he said the Saints Church's attack was nothing more than an act of terrorism that aimed to undermine security and stability in Egypt.

However, Shehab added that a draft law was being examined to amend the regulations concerning the building of churches.