Date of source: Friday, November 5, 2010
The Coptic Orthodox Church announced that celebrations for Pope Shenouda III’s 39th year as pope would go on as planned, despite recent threats by al-Qā‘idah. They will be held at the ‘Abbāsiyyah Cathedral next Saturday 14th. The Pope opened last Wednesday’s meeting at the Cathedral by thanking the...
Date of source: Friday, November 5, 2010
Head of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights, Najīb Jabrā’īl, issued a statement yesterday requesting priests to follow the Pope’s orders not to appear in interviews with the media. He said that statistics show that priests are not dedicated to their parish and, furthermore, that priests neglecting...
Date of source: Thursday, November 4, 2010
As soon as the Coptic Orthodox Church announced its decision to go on with celebrations for Pope Shenouda III’s “39 Years as Pope” celebrations at Wādī al-Natrūn, al-Qā‘idah announced the expiration of the ultimatum the group had given the church to release the allegedly detained converts held in...
Date of source: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Church is considering cancelling the Pope’s “39 Years as Pope” celebrations in fear of al-Qāī‘dah’s threats to sabotage Egyptian churches if the detainees allegedly held in church monasteries are not released. The Church has already taken extra security measures at its events, while state...
Date of source: Thursday, September 30, 2010
Pope Shenouda III said that he does not question inter-sectarian marriage and pointed out that he could not recognize non-Orthodox marriages. Head of the Baptist Church, Father Botros Falta‘ūs, said that his meeting with the pope touched upon the Personal Status Law for Copts, of which the Baptist...
Date of source: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A member of the Islamic Research Academy, Dr. Muhammad al-Mukhtār al-Mahdī, said that Azhar Grand Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyib, received a phone call from the church requesting that he postpone the Academy’s meeting to discuss Bishop Bīshūy’s recent comments, but he refused to do so. Al-Mahdī denied...
Date of source: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Church has banned all bishops and priests from speaking to the media throughout this week in fear of accidently causing fitnah. An ecclesial source says the pope’s recent apology to the Egyptian people is the first of its kind, which shows how much he values Islam and Muslims. Secular Coptic...
Date of source: Monday, September 27, 2010
As‘ad compares Bīshūy’s comments about Egypt being originally Coptic to Zionism, and his comments about the Qur'ān’s distortion to the American Pastor’s mass Qur'ān burning. He says that Bīshūy’s comments are not only offensive to Muslims, but to anyone who believes in freedom of religious belief....
Date of source: Monday, September 27, 2010
The Azhar’s statement, issued in response to Bishop Bīshūy’s offensive comments on Islam, received mixed reactions from leading Islamic figures. While some thought it was fair, others thought it should have adopted a more positive stance. Dr. Tāriq al-Bishrī even went so far as to request that the...
Date of source: Monday, September 27, 2010
During a lecture in Faiyum, Bishop Bīshūy denied making offensive comments about the Qur'ān and expressed his support of the Islamic Research Academy’s call to ban defaming religions. Protestant leader, Jamāl As‘ad, says he considers Bīshūy’s latest comments a “convincing” apology, yet urges him to...