Pope Shenouda III went into voluntary seclusion for a whole week at the Bishop Bīshūy Monastery in Wādī al-Natrūn allegedly in protest of the state security’s method of dealing with the ‘Umrāniyyah riots.
Amīn says that for the first time ever, the Pope “threatened” that the Coptic blood shed in the riots would not be wasted. The church’s attorney then issued a note to the authorities requesting the release of seventeen of those detained in the riots. The authorities immediately responded by releasing seventy.
The Pope then returned to Cairo and proceeded to carry out his usual duties, even attending the new parliamentary session’s opening--a parliament whose formation overrides all logic and crosses all lines.
Amīn asks, "If the Pope’s voluntary seclusion has so much influence on the authorities, why doesn’t he ever do it for Egypt instead of only for Copts?" He then quotes Dr. Muhammad al-Barad‘ī, saying that Egypt is burning, and then quotes his father Mustafá al-Barad‘ī in 1977, who says that disasters can only be avoided through the freedom of the people.
He says that the current situation should cause the Pope to go into voluntary seclusion for Egypt.
He then quotes Muhammad Hasanayn Haykal and says that the Egyptian people will not tolerate a new Presidential term for Mubārak if he chooses to run in the upcoming elections.
