The Egyptian Situation

THERE IS NO NEED to "report" the bombing at the Church of the Saints in Alexandria, Egypt, the latest in a series of terrorist attacks against Coptic Christians inside Egypt. Clearly, the issue has garnered attention outside Egypt.


President Obama has issued a statement, condemning the attacks. Pope Benedict XVI has also weighed in. The Christian Science Monitor is calling for prosecutions. Fox News and MSNBC have also addressed the issue.

Speaking to Al Ahram, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III said, "The slogans used by some [Coptic protesters] have transgressed all values and modes of behavior... and some have tried to resort to violence, but violence is absolutely not a method of ours." He added

We can not prevent people from expressing their sorrow, yet I ask them to express their feelings without violence. I am glad that many Muslims joined [in the protests] which shows that all are against terrorism and sectarian violence. The attack brought us together and we have to unite against the enemy that aims to weaken our bonds.

He also expressed views regarding the government's role: "I believe that the state has a duty to solve Copts' problems," adding, "We all believe in the rule of law and the importance of law and order. A state would collapse if the law was not implemented, but we want equality. Additionally,

Citizenship is a great principle, but many don’t understand it, for it means equality.We must be alert to all kinds of discrepancies taking place in the our society. We should face problems and work on solving them because if we just ignore them, it will get worse.

The National Democratic Party's Policies Committee Chairman (and presumptive future Egyptian president), Gamal Mubarak called the attack "heinous" and asserted that everyone behind the terrorist attack will sooner or later be brought to justice.


Many here in the U.S. have suggested exerting pressure by whatever dignified means available. Among the options suggested was a letter campaign, directed to U.S. congresspersons. While I think this is helpful and necessary, President Obama and the U.S. Congress are preoccupied with resolving other important issues, such as those concerning healthcare and the economy, as well as the growing concern over Iran, North Korea, and domestic security. The concerns of their American constituents and (realistically) their own political well-being will dominate their efforts.

In the end, Egypt's destiny will, for better or worse, be decided by and among Egyptians. Encouragingly, many in the mainstream Egyptian media have begun to express the an appropriate level outrage. Among them are Amr Adeeb and, his wife and colleague, Lamis Elhadidy:





With a burdened heart, I ask you to join me in praying and advocating for Egypt, my people.

Winning Yourself

Haile Gebrselassie, known as "The Emperor," is considered by many to be the greatest runner of all time. On Sunday, he announced his retirement from the sport.

Here is a nice clip, in which he discusses "winning yourself."

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

He once told CNN,

When you believe in something, you believe in yourself as well. I believe in God. I go to a church and pray, not just to pray to God, but at the same time to pray for yourself. Your body is always ready to do what you recommend what you ask it. That's why believing is very important. I am a religious person. I am an orthodox Christian. My family taught me how to pray.(*)

Here he is announcing his retirement, after the 2010 New York City Marathon

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

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*Q & A with Haile Gebrselassie

Manute Bol's Radical Christianity

JOURNALISTS use the terms "redemption" and "atonement," fairly loosely. But for Manute Bol, who died last week, these terms had a real theological meaning, a meaning that translated into a single-minded life for Christ. Here's a nice Wall Street Journal piece my wife sent me.

Guest Post: Farrah's Trip to Egypt

by Farrah Assad

A friend of mine, Farrah Assad, visited Egypt last summer to work with the children in the Zabaleen district. She was kind enough to prepare a report for us:

I visited Egypt over winter break carrying all the donations, including children’s clothing, computer equipment, game console and money. I met with two of the teachers serving at Dare Banet Mariam in the Zabaleen. I also saw Tasoni (sister) Takla, the principal of the school. We divided the clothing into several groups, boys and girls and the age groups. The next day I visited the school and brought along with me the donations from school and church. My family and I set up the computer, printer, projector and video camera in Tasoni’s office. We passed by each class handing out the clothing for the students. The donations that were made for this organization were not only enough for the class that I taught over the summer, but there was plenty for the entire school, about 210 children. All the students were so happy and grateful for the sweaters and socks. The teachers and Tasoni Takla was extremely delighted to see the joy in the eyes of the children. They expressed their gratitude towards all who contributed to this effort. They decided to use the monetary gift towards setting up a playroom, something they wished to have for a long time. I wanted to thank everyone so much for all the donations that were made and to let everyone know that the smallest donations have made a huge impact on these children’s lives. I have attached a few of the pictures of the children receiving the gifts, hope you enjoy them. Thanks so much again!!!

More Pain

I WILL BE the first to admit that many of the Coptic protests in the West against persecution in Egypt have been gaudy and downright embarrassing. But no one - no one - can deny that there is a serious, serious issue in that country. For the first time, the situation is making me physically sick and psychologically depressed.

The latest episode occurred this past Christmas when six Coptic Christians were murdered by a Muslim gunman as they filed out of a midnight mass in the southern town of Nag Hamadi.

The situation has become so bad that even, in Europe, His Holiness Pope Benedict felt compelled to address the issue.

I genuinely believe that President Hosni Mobarek is personally saddened by these events, especially in view of his long-time friendship with His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. However, it remains to be seen how serious he is about a crackdown on the mess in Upper Egypt. Egyptian police say they have arrested three suspects. It is my view that what is done with these three men and about this attack will speak volumes about how serious Egypt is about being viewed as a just, respectable nation on the world stage. For a country held in high regard - at least relative to other Mideast nations - such a state of affairs is unacceptable.

The Wall Street Journal recently put this event in context of a wider global issue.

In contrast,The New York Times appears to minimize the issue, framing it as a simple case of a shooting that just happened to take place at a church. Really.

See also the report and perspective at Christnology.

Can a Bad Man Be a Good Philosopher?

The New York Times recently published a piece on the upcoming publication of the English translation of Heidegger: The Introduction of Nazism Into Philosophy. In the book, the author argues fascist and racist ideas are so woven into the fabric of Heidegger’s theories that they no longer deserve to be called philosophy.

This raises a broader question: Does a Nazi deserve a place among Philosophers?

My initial reaction was "No. Not 'Philosophers' with a capital 'P,' at least."

The following passage from The Gospel According to St. Matthew came to mind: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ...Therefore by their fruits you will know them."(1)

So, then, does this this mean a bad person cannot have a good idea?

Well, the point is that he may have a good thought here or there, just as a bad tennis player might make a good shot here or there. This does not make him a good tennis player. Heidigger was a Nazi and thus(3) a bad man and to me, a bad man cannot be a good philosopher. Or at least not a philosopher that I would read.

What do you think?
__________
(1) Ch. 7
(2) cf. Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. Bk. 3, Ch.2
(3)Jeff challenged me to consider whether we can so easily evaluate whether someone is a "good" or "evil" man in the first place. I imagine there are figures in history whom we can evaluate absolutely as essentially "good" or "evil" without falling into over-simplicity. Speaking of "essentially," that is really what I mean by good or bad. I think the question ultimately relates to the essence/substance/nature of the person. Can a person be evaluated as "good" or "evil" in their essence/substance/nature? I am not sure. I really consider the issue to be whether he deserves to be counted among The Philosophers. Maybe the initial debate is about what the criteria should be for those.

Meb Does Top Ten

Egyptian Father Jailed After Attempting to Rescue Daughter from Kidnappers

NO ONE WANTS downer news on a Monday.

However, sources report that when Myrna Gamal Hanna was kidnapped and forced to marry Mohamad Osama Hefnawy, the now-20-year-old woman was 19 and under the age of marital consent. Sadly, it appears that her father was jailed after attempting to rescue her.

We look forward with hope to a better Egypt where such injustices are not countenanced.

Ground Breaking on Site of Littlest Lamb Orphanage!

I AM EXITED TO REPORT the recent ground-breaking ceremony for the Littlest Lamb Orphanage at Ahmed Oraby, Egypt!

His Holiness Pope Shenouda came to bless the land and lay the first bricks (beneath which he buried a cross, a coin, and a mini lamb).

Please take this opportunity to share in this event with any love offering you feel is appropriate. Imagine that one day there will be an orphanage, a safe haven for Egypt's street children, on this site and that you were a part of making it happen!

Do You Text and Drive?

THIS IS NOT EXACTLY ABOUT sneakers or books, but I think it's important.

Wait, here is a shot of my sneaker driving:


O.k. now that that's settled...

A new study found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

So, while it may have been obvious to you that texting while driving is dangerous, this study shows how high the risk is. Think of it this way, if Shaquille O'Neal were 23 times taller than he is now, he would be three inches taller than the El Salto de Eyipantla waterfall:



That's high! Don't text and drive!

Former Olympic Marathon Runner Retires at Age 81

KEIZO YAMADA, who competed in the 1952 Olympics and won the Boston Marathon has decided to "scale back" a bit: he will continue with his daily 20km jogs but will no longer compete at 26.2.

I guess running might not be so bad for the knees, after all.

Source: The BBC, via The Cassidy Feed.

Violence and Rape: Egyptian Street Children

ACCORDING TO UNICEF, an arm of the United Nations, Egyptian street children indicate that violence is a major issue in their life. UNICEF reports,

These children lead an unhealthy and often dangerous life that leaves them deprived of their basic needs for protection, guidance, and supervision and exposes them to different forms of exploitation and abuse. For many, survival on the street means begging and sexual exploitation by adults.

World Health Organization studies show that street children suffer from health problems ranging from cholera to tuberculosis and anemia, and that they are exposed to a variety of toxic substances, both in their food and in the environment around them.

Yesterday I was complaining because the water filter at my office was not to my liking.

In a survey in 2000, 86% of street children identified violence as a major problem in their life. In another survey, 50% stated that they had been exposed in some manner to rape.

Will you consider helping my friends build a wall around them?
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Source: Street children: Issues and Impact

U.S. Government Commission Taking Note of Coptic Situation

On June 26, 2009, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ("the Commission") issued a report in which it expressed concern over growing, unchecked violence against Copts in Egypt.

Felice D. Gaer, chair of the Commission, stated, regarding the recent events in the Beni Suef region,

This latest incident is another example of the upsurge of violence against Coptic Christians we have seen in the past few years. The Commission has long expressed concern that the Egyptian government does not do enough to protect Christians and their property in Egypt, nor does the government adequately bring perpetrators of such violence to justice.

On July 1, the Commission issued an update, stating,

With every violent attack on Copts, the same scenario of events takes place. The State Security forces the Coptic victims to an unofficial 'reconciliation meeting', in which they are forced to give up their rights, and the perpetrators go unpunished. Such a 'reconciliation meeting' for the villagers of Ezbet Boushra-East is scheduled for 6/30/09; the outcome of this meeting is already known by the Copts.

Many thanks to Mr. Victor Beshir for directing me to the June 26 report.

You may read the June 26 report here.

Mob Attacks Church and Loots Christian Homes in Egypt

I AM SORRY FOR BEING LATE IN REPORTING THIS but there are reports coming out of Egypt that a Muslim mob attacked a church on Sunday, Jun 21 in the village of Ezbet Boshra-East, El-Fashn*.

The mob smashed windows and assaulted Copts with clubs and white weapons, wounding 25 Copts. The most awful part of the report is that this was all done "in the presence and with the instigation of the State Security."(emphasis added).

It gets worse: The next day, El-Fashn prosecutors issued an order for the village priest, Reverend Isaac Castor, to appear and answer charges of sectarian sedition.

Apparently three Muslim women accused him of hurling stones at them from inside the church.

The priest remains holed up in the Church, together with 10 people and three children, ages five years and younger.

"As if I'm dreaming what went on, such savagery! It broke my heart to see my children (i.e. his congregation) treated in such a beastly and barbaric way" said Rev. Isaac to Coptic News Bulletin. "It is as if we are back to the Era of Diocletian"

The report also indicates that homes of nearby Copts were broken into on Sunday by the Muslim mob, which included women, assaulting the residents including young girls, and destroying their furniture and looting electrical equipment.

Human rights organization 'Sunshine' said that what is happening now in El-Fashn is a new trend in the violations carried out by the State Security against Coptic clergy.

Bishop Estephanos, who staged a sit-in said, "We will all pray. Since matters reached this stage, if necessary we will all become martyrs. Our Coptic Church has been built on the blood of martyrs."

You can find the full report here and an update here.

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*El-Fashn is in Beni Suef region of Upper Egypt, north of Minya

Obama's Egypt Speech and the Copts

Judith Miller of The Manhattan Institute discusses things she hopes U.S. President Barak Obama won't say in his upcoming speech to the "Muslim World."

She writes

Surely he knows that most Egyptians tend to be Egyptians first, and Muslims second, or not Muslim at all, as in the case of the country’s traumatized Coptic Christian minority. One hopes the speech Obama gives will resonate with all of Egypt’s citizens. Americans, who favor the separation of church and state, should not kowtow to those who seek to define their citizens by their religion.

Her full post may be found here.

Manya Brachear has also done a good job in her feature for the Chicago Tribune,"More Than the Muslim World Watches Obama," of highlighting Coptic expectations for the speech.

President Obama Highlights Eritrean Government Abuses

PRESIDENT OBAMA marked World Press Freedom Day with a statement denouncing the Eritrean government as a major violator of press freedom in Africa.

Among the government's violations was the non-canonical removal of Abuna Antonius, the rightful Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. The Patriarch had been openly objecting to the government's interference in Church matters and the arrest of three priests. On May 27, 2007, the government impermissibly deposed him and installed Bishop Dioscoros of Mendefera in his place. That same day, he was forcibly removed from his residence and transported to a location that is still unknown.

Here is a report of President Obama's statement.

Here a BBC article regarding the government's denials.

Eva Habil Kyrolos: Egypt's First Female Mayor

The Los Angeles Times has published a nice feature on Egypt's first female mayor.

Open Letter to Uncle Ashraf and Popa Shakes

Dear Uncle Ashraf,

As June 6 approaches, I wonder,

Who are you?

In my dreams you approach me,

7 feet, 8 inches.

Your mustache grows outward,

then towards me.

It envelops me,

I scream,

Awake,

Temples drenched.

By day, when I run, my feet no longer hit the ground to the gentle

"one-two, one-two."

Rather, they send up a taunt:

"Un-cle, Ash-raf, Un-cle, Ash-raf."

There are so many myths attached to your name, and I cannot separate fact
from fiction.

Is it true you clobbered the field in last year's 5k?

Is it true you can move mountains with a shake of your mustache?

+ + +

And "Popa Shakes,"

Why do you send your towering sons to mock me with their "questions?"

Am I not a man? If you cut me, do I not squeal like a little girl?

+ + +

Perhaps you ladies would care to join me for a real race?

Bomb Blast in Khan El-Khali, Cairo

I regret to report that a bomb exploded in the tourist-dense Khan El-Khalili section of Cairo today. You can find the New York Times story here and the BBC report here.

In Memoriam: Hegomen Bishoy K. Demetrious (+2009)

From behind a sheet of tears, we commemorate the passing of the devoted man of God, the Very Reverend Hegomen Bishoy K. Demetrious. Abuna Bishoy was the founding pastor of St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

He moved to East Brunswick 32 years ago. Having studied at the Coptic Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt, he was ordained on May 22, 1977 in Queens, N.Y. and was assigned to establish St. Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church.

Seeing the fruit of his labor, including the thousands who have been touched by his life and work - the present author among them -, it is difficult to believe that the congregation initially met as a small parish in Corpus Christi R.C. Church in South River, New Jersey before building its own church and complex on Riva Avenue in East Brunswick in the late 1970s.

A humble and self-effacing man, he was a priest in the purest and truest sense of the word. He loved his flock as a father and the Church as a son. Those who dealt with him knew him to be a man of genuine faith who always preached and counseled with utter conviction. There is no doubt that he was one who, like Moses, spoke to God “face-to-face” (Ex 33:11). While his passing is poignant, the impact he has made on countless souls is immeasurable in human terms.

Services will be held tonight, starting at 6 p.m. at St. Mary's Coptic Church, continuing through the night and culminating in funeral services officiated by His Holiness, Pope Shenouda III tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.