Egypt’s Coptic Christians are in a state of mourning after a suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a Cairo church on Sunday.
“Egypt always tends to rally around Christians at moments like this,” said Jayson Casper, CT’s Middle East correspondent. “But over time, [ISIS is] trying to hammer and hammer and hammer the Christians in Egypt and put so much pressure on the internal government that it itself may collapse.”
But even when suffering does come, the Coptic Church “is equipped to deal with it,” said Casper.
“They can say, ‘This has always happened to us in our history. It is how God has treated us and he perseveres with us through it.’”
While the attack was the worst to target Copts since the 2011 New Year’s bombing of a church in Alexandria that killed 23 people, the population has been the victim of sectarian violence for years. In 2015, ISIS, who also claimed responsibility for the latest attack, beheaded 21 Coptic Christians in Libya.
Casper joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor-in-chief Mark Galli this week to discuss the fascinating and important history of Coptic Christians, how the Egyptian church relates to a changing government, and why this most recent attack is unique.
Please click here to listen to the podcast at Christianity Today (38 minutes).
If the video is authentic, the suicide bomber strolled into the church grounds. Reports say the guards were distracted, perhaps having breakfast together.
A church doorman followed him to inquire. Seconds later – the bomber likely ran though the near door leading to the women’s entrance – the roof and outside wall shook. Twenty-five people were dead.
There are many to pray for, God. Perhaps we can start with those least among them.
It is not ours to pray for the bomber, God. But the victims can if they are able and willing: Do not count this sin against him.
Is the doorman still alive? Comfort him in what he was unable to stop. Surely he is torn apart internally, weeping over those torn apart literally.
He did what he could, God. It was not enough. Maybe in hurrying the bomber he stopped greater carnage? Make him content in the not-knowing. Make him aware of your great love for him even so.
Comfort also the guards in what they were negligent to stop. How condemning is their guilt? How scarring is their shame? They failed, God, and the consequences were immense.
Hold them accountable before the law. But let them first weep in recognition of their crime. Heal them in it, and draw from them repentance.
And neither is this for us to pray, God. But the victims can if they are able and willing: Let them experience the forgiveness of those they wronged.
Whether it comes or not, make them aware of your great love for them also.
God, there are those who smirk, even rejoice in this atrocity. There are those who helped plan it and threaten more. Pierce the conscience of the former in powerful contrition. Pierce the conspiring of the latter in rapid arrest.
The wicked laugh and plot, God. Bring them to failure, then bring them to yourself. Make them aware of your great love for those they hate, a love that draws them in as well.
We mention the victims, and many have prayed for them already. Add these thoughts to their ledger, and forgive us for presuming an ideal upon them.
Comfort them, God. Strengthen them. Illumine them. Indwell them. And may they be for our sake a fulfillment of your best ideal.
May your mercy flow through them.
In this, may they know your great love. May they know you, love itself.
Have patience with them God, and with the many who are angry. Be with them as they rend their clothes in rage and mourning. In it rend their hearts.
Give them others to weep with. Give them healing in their trauma. Give them good memories of their loved ones, to eventually smile.
God, in this horror transform Egypt. Make her a place of welcome for all her people. Make her strong, and make her soft. Help her stand. Help her kneel.
Help her know of your great love. Help the murdered rest in peace.
“There has been a bombing at the cathedral,” said the pastor at the local Methodist church in a lower-class area of downtown Cairo. “Several are dead, and we pray for our nation.”
It took me a moment to comprehend, but the gravity of his words indicated more than a simple illustration. I opened my cell phone to check the news and saw the bold headline: 25 dead and 49 injured in an attack on the Coptic Orthodox cathedral. The spiritual center of Egyptian Christianity had been mercilessly violated.
Only a few minutes earlier, the sermon considered John the Baptist and how his life of faithfulness ended with his head on a platter. Here again now was another modern Egyptian example of martyrdom, one more in a long line since the similar bombing of a church in Alexandria six years earlier. Several women sobbed quietly, as the men sat in stunned silence.
But a little later as they exited the service, the collective sense felt more like resignation. The men exchanged pleasantries and went home; the women lingered a little longer in conversation. What was unthinkable at the start of the Arab Spring had become unsurprising. In Alexandria 23 Copts died when a car bomb went off outside the church, but that attack, at least, soon gave way to the hope of a new revolution. The cathedral atrocity gives no inspiration, as Egypt remains muddled in a regional fog of war and terrorism.
In-between the two bombings were the 2013 revenge attacks on dozens of churches throughout the nation, as frustrated Islamists blamed Christians for the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated President Mohamed Morsi. And the usual stream of sectarian incidents continued apace, as the state failed to hold accountable the mob violence of Muslims objecting to a church in their village, or an interfaith love affair, or any other typical but ill-justified collective form of Coptic punishment. It has been a rough stretch for Egypt’s Christians.
But not nearly as rough as the Christians of Iraq and Syria, or the Muslims of Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere have endured—and the Copts know this. They stand behind their Muslim Brotherhood-vanquishing president, and give much slack to a government they know is under tremendous pressure. Everywhere they turn it seems some new conspiracy is bent on dragging Egypt into the Middle East morass. The economy is in shambles, tourism is nonexistent, and save for the mandatory utterances of support following terrorism, they feel the international community never speaks except in censure. For this reason many have expressed favor at the election of Donald Trump. He likes our president, they say, and at least he’ll leave us alone.
For Copts are tired of being treated as pawns. A few days before the bombing, Foreign Policy ran a story entitled, “How Egypt’s Copts Fell Out of Love with President Sisi.” Even Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint piled on, ostensibly seeking to help by demanding the US president support Egypt’s Christians. “Meet the new persecutor,” said the article subtitle, “same as the old one.” Some on the left seem intent on buttressing the narrative of Copts in the way of a deserved Islamist democratic future. Some on the right seem intent on painting Muslims as sharia-inspired agents of Christian antipathy.
Both articles do well to draw on actual Coptic voices, and important ones. The news they convey is vital to learn in a world where, unless made a pawn, the Copt is often ignored. But they miss the nuance of the Coptic reality. Perhaps they can be forgiven for not knowing enough; perhaps they are guilty of pushing an agenda.
Back in Egypt, the Copts are well aware of incumbent discrimination and state weakness. But they cheer on a president who attends Christmas mass with the pope, and a military that rebuilds the churches Islamists destroyed. A new law for church building may or may not fully address the issues surrounding freedom of worship, but at least this regime—the first in 160 years—issued a law at all.
And following every tragedy, the common Muslim tends to open his or her bosom. Private taxi services Uber and Careem offered free rides to the hospital for blood donations. Many have missed the fact this bombing took place on the birthday of Islam’s prophet, a traditional day of merriment. The attack was therefore an assault on Muslims as well, Christians note. A popular cartoon draws the traditional holiday doll in the black clothes of mourning, as behind her stands a somber crucifix.
Thus between the kindness of the Egyptian soul and the sectarianism latent in an identity-driven society, the Copt is left waiting for national transformation. The rhetoric of the current regime seeks to revive a spirit of Egyptian nationalism, if only it can sludge through current challenges to reach a modicum of stability. Every maltreated Copt who fails to obtain justice is another reminder of how far the country has to go. And the cathedral bombing is another example of the powerful forces that stand against an idealized future.
But from the demonized past and lingering present, the Muslim Brotherhood condemns the bombing in one breath and blames it on regime-church collaboration in another. As long as this is the alternative, Copts find their best option in the preservation of a strong-handed government and a nominally secular society. Some in their community continue faithfully to agitate for human rights and a less political role for the church. Many agree but feel security and economy must be prioritized. Most hope for an open society of enlightened Egyptians, if only a generation away.
The Methodist church sermon that ended with John’s head on a platter began with the miracle that led to his birth. Elderly Zachariah and sterile Elizabeth likely long gave up hope of a child, the pastor surmised. Even so, “Your prayer has been heard,” said the angel. God is faithful, even when his people falter. John, the pastor noted, also doubted the one he baptized.
Where in this parable are Egypt’s Copts? Soon to be beheaded, or of pious prayers fulfilled? Likely somewhere in between, still inclined to pray for their nation.
This article was first published by Christianity Today, on December 11, 2016.
At least 25 people were killed and 49 injured when a bomb exploded around 10 a.m. this morning during a worship service at the spiritual center of Christianity in Egypt.
It is the worst terrorist attack on Copts since the New Year’s bombing of a church in Alexandria in 2011 that killed 23 people.
A worship service of mostly women was targeted in the St. Peter and St. Paul church, adjacent to the St. Mark’s Cathedral and papal residence of Pope Tawadros II, the leader of the Coptic Orthodox community in Egypt and worldwide.
Tawadros was traveling in Greece at the time of the attack. He will cut short his visit and lead funeral prayers tomorrow in the Nasr City district of Cairo.
So far, there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.
“This is an unbelievable act against Egypt first and Christians second,” Andrea Zaki, president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, told Christianity Today.
Please click here to read the full story at Christianity Today.
Inflation hit a high of 20 percent this month. Egyptians are suffering as the state seeks to stop years of internal bleeding.
But the response of some only does more damage – to themselves and the country. Egypt this week arrested a ring of doctors involved in the illegal trafficking of organs, attached even to prominent hospitals and medical schools.
Poverty has driven some to desperation. Greed has driven others to exploit them.
God, thank you for exposing this circle, and may it lead to finding others. Protect the integrity of the medical profession, upon which so much depends.
But protect also the integrity of the citizen, to live within a healthy means. Too many are adversely affected by the economy, no matter how necessary the reforms.
And in this, God, protect the integrity of the state. Give wisdom to balance the needs of the budget with the needs of the poor and middle class. May none grow rich on the sufferings of others.
In the end, God—and may it be soon—ensure these days strengthen the organs of Egypt. A society free from corruption. An economy free for enterprise.
And a people free to develop their nation. God, gird the loins of Egypt; bring her to peace and prosperity.
Many thanks to you who have read my thoughts over the years, either here at A Sense of Belonging or at the various sites that have published my articles.
I’m pleased to relate that others have found the work valuable, too.
This year my article for Christianity Today on the Coptic martyrs of Libya won third place in the category of ‘Higher Goals: International Religious Persecution’, from the Evangelical Press Association.
Altogether Christianity Today took home 45 awards from the EPA.
My reporting for CT was also honored as a finalist in the ‘Newspaper, Magazine, and Multimedia’ category of the Religion News Association.
I didn’t win, but it was still nice to be recognized.
Many thanks to editors for their patience and development. And thanks to God, certainly, for the privilege of this life.
It’s starting to feel a bit like the Oscars, so best to stop now. But thanks again to you, and I pray the information has helped you know a little more about the world, and help you do a little more good in service to it.
As with all people, sometimes society falls sick. Help Egypt restore herself to health.
But first, the people need medicine. Since the floating of the Egyptian pound essential drugs have been hard to come by. The price of imported raw materials nearly doubled overnight, while a cap is placed on consumer prices.
Drug manufacturers are pinched, and the sick suffer.
God, help Egypt find an equilibrium. So many interests, so many sectors to balance. Give foresight to anticipate coming struggles, and discernment to solve those of the present.
But another present problem is the role of civil society. Some see foreign money pursuing its own agenda. Some see government seeking to restrict the whole.
God, weigh motivations and inspire good policy. Many abroad just want to help. Others may intend discord. Many in government just want to protect. Others may intend control.
Sort and shuffle, God. Place good men in position to judge. Bring honest brokers to the task of implementation. Populate civil society with Egyptians who love their country. Populate government with people of wisdom.
Heal, God. There are long-suffered wounds and nurtured mistrust. The health of society is at stake, and the needed medicine is in your presence.
Lend it liberally, God. You are the great physician.
It started simply because I forgot to take my razor on a trip to a desert oasis. But with November around the corner, I thought, there is a good excuse to continue.
And a good cause. No Shave November raises money and awareness about cancer. Particularly directed to men, it provides an answer to the obvious question:
Why are you doing that to your face?
The American Cancer Society recommends all men at age 50 speak with a doctor about colon and prostrate cancer screening. Early detection can stop a killer.
I’m not at age 50 yet, no matter what the gray may suggest.
But cancer does not discriminate. In December we plan to visit and offer a donation to Hospital 57357, the foundation number of the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt.
At 320 beds it is considered the largest in the world. Modeled after St. Jude’s in Tennessee, it treats patients completely free of charge.
We have visited once before, and it can be a difficult thing to introduce yourself and offer words of encouragement to the innocents suffering. But it is a good thing to do, and we trust our children will learn even from our discomfort.
Mine, perhaps. My wife was much more natural. Our kids were a mixed bag. Perhaps next time will be easier.
But whether I go with my semblance of a beard will be up to our children. Today as November ends I’ll put it to a vote if they want me to shave or continue growing for another month.
My wife will break a tie. Of course, she can veto the whole process if she likes.
I must say, though, it has been fun. Please let us know if you would like to donate also.
In 2008 a Moroccan man and his 17-year old wife immigrated to America. Not long after she filed a restraining order against him, claiming her husband was raping her. The husband did not deny their sexual relations were non-consensual, but said that in his religion, the wife was supposed to submit and do all that he desired of her. The New Jersey judge found that given his understanding of Islam, he did not intend to commit a crime, and was therefore innocent. The restraining order was denied.
Cases like this set off alarm bells that shariah law is coming to America, and in fact is already here. Called “creeping shariah,” this case is given as just one further example of the United States nation forsaking its heritage in an effort to be politically correct and yield to the pressures of local Muslims to live by their own laws, and not our own.
But according to Eugene Volokh, a conservative law scholar at UCLA, it is quite the opposite. Where US judges have made reference to shariah law, they do so within parameters long established in American legal precedent. He notes, importantly, that the judge in the New Jersey case made a legal error, overturned by a higher court which granted the restraining order.
In the effort to understand this controversial and inflammatory subject, his explanation proved very helpful. Here is a list of what is and is not allowed in the American judicial system:
Allowed: Distribution of inheritance according to religious motivation
Not: Asking the court to divide inheritance according to shariah law
US law allows freedom of contract and disposition of property. One may divide one’s property in a will according to whim, or ask a religious scholar to divide it according to shariah law. But the court does not accept competency to interpret religious laws, and would reject a request asking it to do so.
Allowed: Application of foreign law to determine marriage or overseas injury
Not: Specifics of foreign law against US code or procedural discrimination of testimony
US law will accept that two foreign individuals are married if they were legally married according to the law of their country of emigration. If in foreign nations marriage is determined according to shariah, then US courts must take this into consideration for the determination of marriage in a domestic dispute. Foreign acceptance of polygamy, however, has no application in US courts.
Similarly, if an American is injured abroad and sues a company with representation in America, tort laws are determined by the nation in which the injury occurred. But should foreign tort laws limit the value of female testimony, as for example in some understandings of shariah, this has no carry-over consideration in the American lawsuit.
Allowed: Exemption from work rules for religious reasons
Not: Unless it imposes ‘undue hardship’ on an employer or is against government interest
US law permits reasonable accommodation for religious belief, evaluated on a case-by-case basis. So wearing a hijab at work or taking time from the work day to pray may or may not be granted, based on the nature of the employment in question. A famous ruling allowing Muslim taxi drivers to decline a customer carrying alcohol may or may not have been judged correctly, but what is important is that it was based on existing American precedent, not in understanding what is right in Islamic shariah.
Allowed: Granting accommodation to students or clients that impose only modest costs on the granting institution
Not: Evaluation of these requests on the basis of which religious group asks for them
US law allows public and private institutions to better serve citizens and customers by appealing to their religious sentiments, as long as this does not damage the public interest as a whole. Banks have offered sharia-compliant loans, for example, and schools with high density Muslim populations have granted a full day off on holidays rather than just excusing Muslim students. Examples of this sort apply equally to all religious petitions, and must not be judged on the basis of which religion benefits.
Allowed: Efforts to legislate Islamic morality in heavily populated Muslim areas
Not: Unless it violates the Free Speech Code or Equal Protection Clause
US law permits citizens to lobby government to pass laws reflective of morality. In local areas therefore, Muslims are as free as others to pass legislation barring alcohol, for example. Should any locality, however, seek to encode restrictions on “blasphemy” or limit the rights of women, it will stand in clear violation of existing US law and be struck down by the courts.
In addition to Volokh’s analysis, New York attorney Sadakat Kadri wrote in Heaven on Earth: A Journey through Shari’a Law from the Deserts of Ancient Arabia to the Streets of the Modern Muslim World, that US federal arbitration law has been on the books since 1925.
Arbitration law has legitimized religious tribunals for Christian conciliators and the Jewish Beth Din, giving them force of law to issue legally binding decisions. To deny similar right to Muslims, within the context above, would require reforming that law to impact all religious communities.
There are many cases offered by those who warn of creeping sharia, and each must be evaluated on its own merits. There may be examples–many or few–in which the above descriptions have been violated. The above is offered to all who have been affected by the clamor that “the Muslims are coming.”
Indeed, they are already here and are coming as citizens within a nation of laws. They are undoubtedly changing the demographic and culture of our country, as every set of immigrants has done before. That they are Muslims, outside of the general Christian heritage of most previous groups, does add a different application of the American guarantee of freedom of religion. It may also result in these newer Americans who, either unaware or rejecting of American liberty, seek to illegally restrict individuals in their own communities.
But throughout the nation’s history the constitution and bill of rights has worked remarkably well. It should be trusted to continue, no matter the unfamiliarity of those who believe also in shariah. The United States will honor them within reason, and curb any excess that violates our order. On many issues worthy debate must take place. But we must not let fear or demagoguery permit generalization or discrimination.
Let the law decide.
This article was first published at the Zwemer Center.
Men will always defend their turf. But doing so can shake the whole.
Make Egypt more than the sum of her parts. Being her together in consensus with all.
The state has proposed an agricultural investment project in the underdeveloped areas of the south.
But doing so sells off the land of the marginalized Nubians. Displaced by construction of the High Dam, the constitution guarantees their right of return.
They now protest against further loss of turf.
The state is prosecuting violations of the protest law, among them journalists who demonstrated against the ceding of two Red Sea islands.
They took refuge in their syndicate, which was eventually stormed by police.
Now the head of the syndicate is also arrested, and the general body is studying how best to protect their turf.
The state has imprisoned many Brotherhood members for participation in violence and betrayal of the nation. Court cases resulted in rapid convictions, some of which have been confirmed.
But higher courts have overturned others, ordering a retrial. The Brotherhood struggles to fight for survival. But the judiciary also has its own turf.
God, guide Egypt in each issue.
Develop the economy, in cooperation with the people. Ensure necessary stability, with guarantee of rights. Weigh justice judicially, with due process on every charge.
Bless those who strive honestly for all they believe to be their right. But guard against partisanship and selfish insistence.
Bless those who struggle in defense of their kin. But temper the strong who may press upon the small.
This article was published in the November print edition of Christianity Today.
(via Coptic Solidarity)
Long live the crescent and the cross!” shouted Egypt’s parliament in joy. All 39 Christian members joined the two-thirds majority to vote to end a 160-year practice instituted by the Ottomans requiring Christians to get permission from the country’s leader before building churches. The long-awaited reform was promised by the 2014 constitution after the overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi.
The new law shifts authority into the hands of the governor, who must issue a decision within four months of an application and give detailed reasons for refusals. The law also established a process to retroactively license hundreds of churches erected without a presidential permit.
“It is a good step,” said Andrea Zaki, president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, who helped negotiate the draft law with government officials. “If we wanted an agreement to include everything and please everyone, it would have taken 100 years.
“This is the best we can get right now.”
But even as they celebrated, Christians debated if they failed to fully seize a unique opportunity to pursue equal citizenship…
Please click here to read the full article at Christianity Today.
With the release of their ‘Sixth Trumpet,’ Anglicans from the Global South announced their discontent with the state of the worldwide communion. Meeting in Cairo, Egypt from October 3-8, delegates from 16 provinces discussed issues of both unity and mission, addressing the Anglican Church worldwide. This question and answer format highlights the key developments, as well as a primer for essential Anglican terminology.
We know there is a divide in the Anglican Church over issues of homosexuality. What happened in Cairo that is worthy to note?
Among the 34 points of the official communique, three developments are most substantial.
A commitment to work together with GAFCON
A working group to address the need for an enhanced ecclesial responsibility in the Global South
A concern for the revisionist directions which the Church of England could be taking and the impact that could have on other provinces
Thank you, but for non-Anglicans much here needs explanation. What is GAFCON? And similarly, what is the Global South?
The Anglican Communion includes 38 provinces around the world, comprising 85 million people in over 165 nations. It is the third largest Christian denomination after the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.
The Global South is a grouping of 24 of the 38 Anglican provinces which are largely non-Western in character, but includes also the breakaway Anglican Church in North America. It first met in 1994 and has 61.8 million members, constituting 72 percent of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is provincially-based and primate led, though clergy and laity have significant input in the general conferences.
By contrast, GAFCON is a reform movement in the Anglican Church as a whole, though also led by a council of primates. It stands for Global Anglican Future Conference, and began in 2008 in Jerusalem, boycotting the traditional worldwide gathering of Anglican bishops in England.
What is, or was, the core disagreement between the Global South and GAFCON?
Both the Global South and GAFCON emphasize the authority of the Bible as the word of God, and in application reject the validity of same-sex unions. They jointly find fault with the Anglican instruments of communion for failing to hold accountable member churches which deviate from this standard.
The 2008 decision to boycott the worldwide gathering, however, was a divisive issue. Though membership in both groups is overlapping, GAFCON includes Western voices. Cultural differences and strategic approaches both contributed to each group developing along its own path, rather than in unity.
In recognition, paragraph 22 of the Global South communique repents of failings in the Global South to hold this unity among themselves. Furthermore it affirms and cherishes the witness of GAFCON, including the statement it issued from Jerusalem in 2008. Paragraph 26, meanwhile, demonstrates this newfound unity in acceptance of a joint Global South-GAFCON statement on human sexuality.
Thank you, this is helpful, but you used Anglican terminology again. What are the instruments of communion?
The instruments of communion are the four internal mechanisms by which Anglicans in all their diversity maintain worldwide fellowship. They include the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual and symbolic leader of the church. To be in the Anglican Communion means to be in fellowship with Canterbury, though he has no authority to discipline or interfere in the administration of sister provinces.
The three other instruments of communion are represented in regularly held gatherings. Convened first in 1867, the Lambeth Conference brings together the Anglican bishops every ten years. The Anglican Consultative Council consists of clergy and laity from each province and meets every three years, first held in 1971. The Primates Meeting is an irregular gathering of province leaders for deep consultation and prayer, begun in 1979.
None of these instruments have legal force among member churches, and are primarily avenues for persuasion. Its official statements, however, represent the voice of the worldwide communion.
So how did the instruments of communion fail?
In 1998 the Lambeth Conference passed Resolution 1.10, upholding the scriptural teaching of marriage between a man and a woman, and declining to advise the blessing of same sex unions or the ordination of homosexual clergy.
Paragraph 25 of the communique notes the actions of some churches violate this resolution, as well as the subsequent 2004 Windsor Report, recommending a moratorium on the appointment of new homosexual clergy. Other statements from primate meetings have urged violating provinces to voluntarily withdraw from participation in the gatherings of communion.
Not only has such appointment continued, but paragraph 30 notes with sadness that the provinces of Scotland, Wales, and Canada have changed canon law to recognize same sex unions.
What does the Global South propose to do about this?
Paragraph 29 states clearly that the instruments of communion are unable to sustain the common life and unity of Anglican Churches worldwide. Paragraph 32 emphasizes the need for enhanced ecclesial responsibility.
The communique did not delineate a new governing structure nor a formal covenant. But in paragraph 33 it expressed the collective will of the Global South provinces to convene a task force for this purpose.
So it recommends a committee? This means the real news is still to come.
Yes, but not entirely. Paragraph 31 recognizes the unique role played by the Church of England in the life of the communion, but then proceeds to issue a stern warning.
Recognizing a potential movement to imitate the churches of Scotland, Wales, and Canada in affirming same sex unions, the Global South stated there would be “serious implications” if it were to occur.
That sounds like a threat for schism. Is it on the agenda?
The implications are unspecified, but it is understandable one might hear a warning shot toward the most foundational Anglican instrument of communion, embodied in the Archbishop of Canterbury. And among many in the Global South there is certainly frustration with the current officeholder.
Understood and appreciated as an evangelical, the archbishop’s recent statement admitting that he knowingly consecrated a celibate but homosexual bishop, amongst other developments, felt like a betrayal of the adopted resolutions and issued statements listed above. The Global South recognizes the great pressure he is under, but prays for him to uphold biblical leadership.
Paragraph 23, however, states clearly that the Anglican heritage is not merely of nostalgic interest to the Global South. Doctrinally and liturgically, it binds the churches together so as to communally discern the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Paragraph 24 then clarifies that modern clear departures from this heritage are causing offending provinces to “sever themselves” from their spiritual roots. It is not the Global South that seeks schism, but others are diverging from communion through unilateral actions.
The general framework of Global South understanding is that new ecclesial structures are needed. Whether this entails a new governing structure or covenant, the idea is for member provinces to adopt this together, and then invite all provinces to join.
It is not meant to create a parallel Anglican Communion. But representing a majority in provinces and population, including substantial support outside the Global South through GAFCON, it would be a clear demonstration of what the Anglican Church stands for. The question of schism would then be put to provinces which fail to uphold the Anglican heritage of biblical and apostolic fidelity.
Was the communique unanimously adopted by the Global South?
Yes, and please click here for a list of reflections by several of the participants.
Eighty-two Egyptian youth are free today. Some say they never should have been imprisoned to begin with.
The majority were convicted for breaking the protest law. Some were guilty of thought-related crimes.
All had exhausted their legal appeals. Some had only a little time left on their sentence.
God, thank you for freedom, theirs and ours. May these youths use it well.
Guard them against bitterness, frustration, and revenge. Give them a proper understanding of justice, toward themselves and the state.
May they act accordingly. May they be stronger for this experience. May they honor you and the Egyptian people in all that is to come.
Bless the activists, God. Bless them with wisdom to add to their zeal. Bless the country with patience, and discernment in listening.
Their release stems from an initiative of the president to reengage youth. Parliament has contributed, as has the National Council for Human Rights.
But consider also those youth who were not released, God. Some were convicted of more serious crimes. Others may feel overlooked and abandoned, perhaps even targeted.
If mistakes were made, God, may they be corrected. If there was injustice, hold the wrongdoers accountable.
But move Egypt forward, with all of her youth. No nation can leave them behind and survive.
And no nation can thrive without freedom and responsibility. Give both in abundance, and may Egypt prove faithful.
Egypt finally took the plunge. After years of spending hard currency to support the pound, the Central Bank decided to float it against the dollar. Economists rejoiced, IMF authorities nodded, and an already inflationary local market braced for another blow.
Society, meanwhile, braces for planned protests on November 11. No one is certain if they will happen or not, but the mysterious originators – with some Brotherhood connections – call for an uprising over skyrocketing prices.
God, bless the government for taking a hard decision. Wisdom was asked by many on their behalf; may it be that it this the right one.
Now, with a plan in place, help the country see it through to completion. Food subsidies to the poor are being increased. Discounted essentials are being distributed.
It is a stop-gap, God. But it may be necessary. Help the poor to pass through these troubles. Help the middle class to simplify and save. Help the rich to be liberal in generosity.
And for the further reforms called for, refine bureaucracy and curb corruption. Bolster education and inspire entrepreneurship.
Confidence, God. In self, others, and you. Restore it to Egypt. Perhaps grant it fresh. Little can happen without trust in the system. Faithfulness, God. To you and to conscience.
For within such hope there must be place to protest. A healthy society needs dissenting voices. Judge those of this call, if they purpose destruction. Channel frustration into healthy expression.
But may legitimate grievances be heard. May neglected ideas receive due consideration. May dissonance gel into consensus.
The pound is weaker, God, but perhaps it is stable. Maybe the economy is similar? Strengthen all, for the sake of all.
A rising tide will float all boats. May November mark the end of ebb.
How shall a young man cleanse his … country? Two paths were open for Egypt’s youth this week, invited to a national youth conference sponsored by the president.
One group decided to attend, to make their voice heard. Another thought their voice would be louder in boycott. God, bless them both.
Those present heard of plans to train and incorporate them in the political path. A committee was mandated to revise the protest law and release the nonviolent from prison. And the president promised to remain with them in monthly dialogue.
Those absent spoke harshly of political theater. They condemned ongoing detentions. And in a recent poll, their majority said if elections were today they would not vote to reelect the president.
It matters not their political preference, God. But their political participation is crucial. The nation needs buy-in from all its citizens. Many of the young have instead opted-out.
God, guide the government in sincere reengagement. Guide the youth in setting their terms. And in the diversity of response, find consensus.
Give the young a spirit of respect. Help the aged to respond in humility. Give the young a freshness of vision. Help the aged to adapt and amend.
Together, God, may they strengthen Egypt. By taking heed thereto according to … each other.
In their way, by thy word, with whole heart may they seek you, and in your commandments find Egypt’s best.
Father Rafic Greiche, a Catholic priest; Father Bishoy Helmy, an Orthodox priest; and Reverend Rifaat Fikry, a Protestant pastor speak at a meeting of Egypt Council of Churches.
Egypt’s recent church building law was largely negotiated behind the scenes between the government and the three largest Christian denominations: the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. Despite concerns over insufficient public dialogue and loopholes which may hinder implementation, many Christians celebrate a formal legal process over the ad hoc nature of security intervention and presidential permits.
And among those who hope to gain are the smaller Christian denominations of Egypt. Largely overlooked in the national discussion, they also have a right to freedom of religion and worship.
Christians are generally estimated to be 10 percent of the population, the vast majority belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church. But in 2006, the Ministry of the Interior published its most recent major clarification of Christian denominations, recognizing also the Coptic Catholic Church and the National Evangelical Church as “Egyptian” churches. Eighteen others are approved but designated as “foreign,” An additional 17 Protestant denominations are not mentioned specifically in the 2006 statement, but are recognized under the umbrella of the Evangelical Church.
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For many in Egypt these are difficult days. Taxes are increasing, subsidies are reducing, the pound is depreciating, and prices are rising.
And as many fear worse is to come, people are hoarding. Basic commodities are disappearing. Some are smuggling, others siphoning.
The government is reacting. The military is supplying. The economy is sliding. Many are worrying.
God, your wisdom is needed. Help the ministers set proper policy. Help the international community know how to assist. Help the consumers distinguish their wants from their needs.
Help the people budget. Help their budgets stretch.
Help the police weed out corruption. Help the nation eliminate waste. Help tourists return. Help investment simplify.
There are many things wrong that need fixing, God. Lend your aid, and may Egypt listen. The root cause, the surface trouble, and everything in between—set things right.
Bless Egypt, God. May prices hold, and her people rise.
Speaking to house mothers at one of the more unique boarding schools in Egypt, Saleem Wassef challenged them to maintain hope with difficult children.
“Repeat yourself over and over again, because it is a long journey to raise a child,” said the administrative director. “Keep teaching them, even though they don’t listen.”
As every father, mother, and teacher knows, this is wise advice. What prompts the added italics is the setting. Technically speaking, the house mothers were not listening either.
Suzanne, Maryam, and Marina are deaf, graduates of the school in question. They live full time with 45 students at the Deaf Unit, a ministry of the Anglican Church of Egypt located in Old Cairo. One-third are from Upper Egypt, the rest from poor areas of Greater Cairo. Ten others commute from nearby.
Founded in 1982, the Deaf Unit provides essential education to a segment of the population that is often seen as a source of shame. “To have a disability or a disabled child is sometimes seen as punishment from God for the sins of the family,” states the school’s website. “But one of our key objectives is to change these cultural attitudes by working with families and communities to educate them and build relationships.”
According to a 2007 study by the World Health Organization, 16 percent of Egyptians suffer from some degree of hearing loss. The Deaf Unit estimates two million are hard of hearing. The government provides deaf schools, but Wassef, a former director-general in the Ministry of Education, says these are overcrowded and not up to a satisfactory standard.
Marina goes further. Twenty-years-old, she is currently completing her high school degree in the government system. The Deaf Unit offers classes only through elementary, defined in the deaf curriculum as kindergarten through 8th grade.
“Government schools do not work hard enough, with insufficient focus on education,” an annoyed Marina gestured with her hands. “Some of the teachers don’t even know sign language.” She skips classes altogether, learning material through a private tutor while Deaf Unit students are in sessions. The rest of the day she mothers them, finding the sixteen teenagers especially challenging.
At the end of each school year Marina takes her tests in the government system, which for the first time provided a high school equivalency exam for the deaf. Egypt is making progress in attending to the needs of this neglected population, and Cairo University is opening its doors to graduates.
Though the Deaf Unit is not permitted to administer examinations, the government greatly appreciates their service, said Wassef. There is now one Muslim student enrolled after authorities encouraged the diocese to open classes to all. Wassef is currently seeking state authorization to extend classes through the preparatory level, in deaf terms from 9th through 11th grade.
“We have to be a model in front of the children, because they will follow someone and right now the morals of many are low,” Wassef told the three house mothers. “And in the end you will be able to say, ‘We developed these leaders.’”
Serving the whole society is part of the ethos of the Anglican Church, Wassef explained, and special attention is given to employ their students. Suzanne, Maryam, and Marina are examples, but several others work outside of Cairo, where community-based rehabilitation groups operate in Luxor, Minya, and Menouf. An audiology clinic operates at the Deaf Unit, which in two years plans to employ four deaf to administer hearing tests and produce ear molds. In 6 October City the diocese runs a full-scale Vocational Training Center.
Setting their sights at a young age, the Deaf Unit takes a field trip to KFC in Dokki, where a socially-conscious hearing manager has employed several deaf behind the counter. Most customers can only confusedly point to their food selections, but by placing the deaf in the public eye the culture slowly changes.
The Deaf Unit does what it can to speed up the process. Sign language classes are offered once a week to parents, relatives, and the general public, said Ramez, the financial manager, with an intensive course each summer. A native of Old Cairo attending the historic Jesus, Light of the World Church, he was intrigued by the fifty-plus member deaf congregation that also meets at the facility. He studied sign language, and has watched others learn. “Before too long,” he said, “anyone can sign professionally.”
Thirty to fifty Egyptians are trained each year, with special instruction available for non-Arabic speaking foreigners. Courses are offered at minimal charge, but the Deaf Unit stands in need of donations. None of the 55 students pay more than 200 LE ($22 US) per year. Wassef says the per-student yearly cost is 17,000 LE ($2,000 US).
But beyond donations, the Deaf Unit appreciates even non-signing volunteers to help with physical education, computers, and vocational training. And for the truly dedicated, teachers and room mothers are welcome. Suzanne, who has 18 years of experience, recalls with a smile her school days when foreign mothers helped raise them.
None have been on staff since the 2011 revolution, but neither can any replace the authentic model. “Our children like foreigners because they look different and are fun,” she said. “It is like what they see on TV.
“But they prefer the house mothers to be deaf, because we are like them and can understand.”
In a defiant gesture of faith from beneath the Pyramids, Anglican bishops sent a message to the world this week: Egypt is safe.
And this on a weekend the UK embassy warned against visiting public places.
Representing twenty of the more conservative provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion, delegates to the Sixth Global South conference in Cairo visited the Giza pyramids and dined on the Nile in a show of solidarity.
‘I appeal to you as an Egyptian, please return and visit Egypt,’ Bishop Mouneer Hanna Anis, chairman of the Global South, told delegates.
‘Our economy depends on tourism, and when it is down, thousands of Egyptians cannot earn a living.’
The tourism sector employs roughly four million Egyptians, representing 12.6 percent of the work force. But according to the Central Bank of Egypt, tourism revenue declined by nearly a half – 48.9 percent – year-on-year to September 2016.
The 31 October, 2015 crash of Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 over the Egyptian Sinai desert, claimed by the Islamic State, had a disastrous impact.
Russia, who represented 35 per cent of arrivals, has since barred all flights to Egypt, and the UK at 12 per cent have canceled flights to resort areas in the Sinai.
Ghostlike
Photo: Darren Haley
In Cairo the pyramids stood empty. In Luxor there was just one family at their hotel, where staff threw a party for their one-year-old’s birthday, to show their appreciation.
American Darren Haley said: ‘It was sad to see just how much Egypt has to offer and how few are willing to take the journey. Egypt is history just waiting to be explored.’
Egypt is struggling to promote tourism with an ongoing Islamist insurgency.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted furiously to UK and other embassy warnings that they said could ‘harm the country’s economy.’
Without identifying the threat, the UK embassy issued a warning 7 October to avoid ‘large gatherings and public spaces,’ specifically mentioning museums.
‘Most terrorist attacks target the security forces,’ reports the embassy website,‘but it’s likely that foreigners, including tourists, will also be targeted.’
So the bishops’ stance is all the more remarkable. ‘I wanted the Anglican delegates to see a different picture of Egypt than what they see in the media,’ Bishop Anis told Lapido.
‘It is unfair to call Egypt unsafe, as we have seen there is no place in the world safe from terrorism.’
Before the Russian airline crash tourism was showing signs of recovery. Revenues had increased 45.3 percent compared to a year earlier.
Rebound
Egypt hopes a second rebound is coming.
Officials are finalizing negotiations with the Russian authorities to restore flights. Egypt Air resumed London-Luxor travel on 3 October.
On 10 October Egypt completed restoration work at the shrine of King Tuthmosis III in Karnak Temple.
Last month the ransacked Mallawi Museum in Upper Egypt was reopened for the first time since pro-Morsi rioting in August 2013.
But even throughout this tumultuous period, tourists have come.
‘We have never had a bad experience, even during the uprisings of the last five years,’ Bishop Timothy Ranji of Kenya told Lapido. Every year since 2004 he has brought thirty clergy to Egypt for religious pilgrimage.
‘Egypt is secure, full of lovely people, and I invite everyone to come,’ said Archbishop Tito Zavala of Chile.
‘I am an ordinary person here. There is no need for bodyguards.’
Jayson Casper 