ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE

135 for renewal by the People's Assembly. And the government is perhaps less libe- ral towards them than it was in the past. But the Copts continue to hold important positions in Egyptian society. They have government positions, and a large family in the community - the Sawi- ris - controls Orascom Telecom, one of the largest telecommunications compa- nies in the Mediterranean. Lastly, the criterion of reciprocity applies only to cases where the legitimate intere- sts of states are at stake. The Italian State has the right and the duty to defend its ci- tizens abroad and to ensure that they are not subject to discriminatory measures. But it cannot deal with Christians as such except in the name of ideal principles and within the framework of any international conventions. It is not "defender of the faith", "protec- tor of the faithful" or "guardian of the holy places". If it behaved as such it would be a confessional State that is an institution of which many Italians would prefer not to be citizens.