Some Ramblings : Post-Alexandria Reflections

I didn't realise this was going to be so long when I first started to reflect -- so, grab a coffee, light a cigarette or pour yourself a pint and come chill to some of my ramblings and reflections on the terrorist attach on the Alexandrian Coptic Church and the debates that followed.

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Understandably, the Alexandria terrorist attack has triggered immense debate amongst the more vocal and technologically-savvy in Egypt and within the diaspora. Like their compatriots, Egyptian Facebookers, bloggers, youtubers and tweeters have struggled to come to terms with the event and its reprecussions.

Many descended into an aggressive wave of sectarian conflict: accusations, excommunication and even exchanging threats -- as 'alien' as this sounds to Egyptian idealists and denialists, this is not unlike Egyptians. Egyptian schoolchildren, a friend reported on his FB status yesterday, marched around their neighbourhood chanting anti-Coptic slogans, supposedly, 'in response' to Copts' protests in which they vowed to 'avenge' the dead, threatened to 'slay' Muslims and 'redeem the Cross.'

Copts and Muslims in Egypt reacted rather similarly when Al-Qaida attacked Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad and considered it a threat to the Coptic Church in Egypt -- Copts even declared the establishment of a "Coptic Al-Qaeda" to retaliate against any possible attack against theit church!

Let's not go too far: days before the terrorist attack, I was invited to a family friend's Christmas dinner party in Sheffield -- the hosts were Egyptian Muslim and so were most of the guests. Nevertheless, socialisation and political debates after dinner turned into a row between Christians and Muslims who disagreed on the role of religion in society and argued as to whether or not Egypt was an 'Islamic country'. They were all -holders, mostly MDs, all over 50 years of age, not young, not radical and certainly not poor or ill-educated! The others' reaction? Calm them down, separate them and close the topic . Typical : دع الفتنة نائمة and pretend all is good. Instead of dealing with the situation and allowing the debate to continue, a policy of Sad El-Hanak was applied and Om Ali and tea were served for dessert!

In another Egyptians-in-England Christmas dinner, I overheard a few whispering -- they were discussing whether or not it's Islamically-permissable to wish Christians a Merry Christmas. The conclusion: yes, it's permissable in Christmas as it marks the birth of a prophet acknowledged by Islam; but come Easter and season's greetings become haram!

Egyptians on Facebook are no different: many got bogged down in an aimless debate on whether or not it is Islamically-permisable to use the Cross on your Facebook status, in slogans condemning the attack or in visual representations of national unity .

You can call all of that 'alien to Egyptian society' all you want, but these are educated, literate, well-off and Facebook-savvy Egyptians -- they are the créme de la créme of Egyptian society, graduates of top universities, drive the fanciest cars in town, shop in Europe and send their kids to universities in America!.

Idealists and denialists (who are most certainly the more visible majority) on the other hand have overtaken Facebook employing hundreds of creative ways to externalise responsibility and throw the blame on some non-Egyptian evil. Their techniques were rather colourful: thousands of "Crescent and Cross" profile pictures; Egyptian flags; and millions of statuses and FB groups, pages and causes condemning the 'foreign' attack on 'all of Egypt', expressing outrage at the 'alien' mentality behind it, and pointing fingers towards Israel, the USA and Al-Qaida. Some even posted 'documents' that 'reveal' a secret 'Zionist' plan to divide Egypt.

Good-hearted as their intentions may be , Egyptians' idealism and denialism has been my target in recent posts and has led me to see prospects of reform and democracy with pecimism and scinicism. -- this inspired my post two days ago . An article by Wael Abdel Fattah in the Lebanese Al-Akhbar inspired a little bit of optimism in my post today.

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Nonetheless, not all is negative: some constructive debate has taken place in the wake of the heinous terrorist attack. In fact, the aforementioned post was inspired by a debate which evolved around a friend's note on Facebook.

Another interesting debate has taken place between me and a dear relative of mine. Although we come from different generational backgrounds and live thousands of miles apart, our disagreements in the past week have been expressed in utmost respect and with constructive intentions.

I have decided, after consulting with her, to respond to two of the issues which we debated publically. I shall refer to her in his blog as A.N.

Firstly, in response to my criticism of the opinion that the terrorist attack and sectarianism is ever-so 'foreign' and 'alien' -- A.N attributed my opinion to my 'young age' and that I did not live the struggle for independence in the early twentieth century, the 1952 Revolution , the Israeli invasions in 1956 and 1967 or the violent 1970s. This, according to A.N explains why I am unable to appreciate the possibility of external forces as the perpetrators of the terrorist attack

Secondly, I 'disliked' a Facebook Cause claiming that "REAL Egyptians (Christians & Muslims) love one another" which A.N was promoting -- my argument was, real Egyptian society, even real Islam and the real Coptic Church are not innocent and are not unrelated to the terrorist attack that targeted Al-Qidissain on New Year's Eve. In response, A.N asked me to define what a real, good, patriotic Egyptian is.

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Here's my response to the two points:

Firstly, as flaterring as being called 'young' may be -- I disagree that young age makes one essentially and intrinsically unable to comprehend and analyse events which he/she has not lived in person. If that was the case, we would not have medievalists and scholars of antiquity amongst us! I therefore do not hold the belief that my young age disqualifies my judgements of events or makes my opinions and views any less informed.

In a previous post a few weeks ago, I expressed some of my positions towards the classical argument that 'because you live abroad' then you essentially 'don't know enough' and cannot make an 'informed judgement'. I believe the same stands for age and time. So, if A.N's opinions count although she hasn't lived in Egypt for decades, then I don't see why mine don't even though I wasn't physically around when Israel invaded the Sinai.

No arrogance intended, but, as a social scientist and almost-PhD-holder with a particular focus on early modern sociology, al philosophy and political-economy, I believe I am qualified enough to study and understand the events of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, perhaps even more than some of those who 'lived' these events: one might have lived an event but been kept ill-informed thanks to the limited access to information for which the Middle East is notorious! One might have lived a certain era so deep that they are genuinly unable to separate fact from the myths and conspiracy theories of the time. One might even live a certain era but be unformed of the opinions of other social classes and communities -- especially if you come from an aristocratic-turned-bourgeois family like ours, in a society as classist as Egypt!

This brings me to A.N's second point: how do I define a real, good and patriotic Egyptian.

My answer is rather simple: you cannot define a person, let alone a nation!

Egyptians are workers, professionals, thieves, beggers, poverty, gated communities, peasants, city-swellers, ba7raweya, sa3ayda, sayadeen, badw, beber/amazigh, 3arab, qebt, nubians, African blood, Arab heritage, Turkish roots, Levantine, Greek and Italian origins!

What counts is that a certain social order, social contract, social conduct and a state coordinated their living together. A social order guaranteed a degree of coherence, respect, civility, commitment, rights, duties and sanctity of life, property and honour (perhaps Ibn Khaldoun's Muqaddima might offer a good explanation).

The social contract has collapsed and the civility long-gone: it all started over a century ago -- has come to an absolute end decades ago. That's why A.N's father left Egypt; that's why she's where she is now and I'm where I am; and that's why millions of Egyptians want to follow our path -- Egypt only became an emigration country two decades ago. but, according to studies, the increase in the rate of Egyptians emigrating is higher than other sending-developing countries (excluding Iraq and Afghanistan). Egypt is currently 'exporting' more emigrants (as a percentage of population) than traditional-sending countries, India and Pakistan!

We can deny it all we want. We can pretend that the Crescent and the Cross as 'naturally' in harmony in Egypt all we want. And we can certainly point fingers to Iran, Al Qaida or Israeli-directed GPS sharks and other conspiracy theories all we want. And, actually, we might even be right -- Israel, or Al Qaida or whoever else might be beneficiaries. Hell, they might have even funded or planned the attack. But Egypt is not an innocent victim, it's a fertile ground which breeds frustrations, hatred and terrorism thanks to a precarious social order and a failed state.

Unfortunately, our theories on how 'alien' and 'foreign' sectarianism is conceals a sad reality: Egyptian society has failed to nurture a commitment to development, an aspiration for a decent living, a promise for a better future. Failed to protect human life, provide social justice and has certainly failed in creating a citizen with a stake in this land, nation and country.

If you ask me, the problem is NOT one of poverty or ignorance. The lower classes might be poor, and they certainly harbour rather conservative views on sectarian, religious and social issues, and they are quite xenophobic when it comes to 'the non-white other' in general. But the 'real' issue is the Egyptian middle class. Despite their 'education', 'culture', 'travels', 'exposure' and endless richesse, the middle class harbours endless contradictions -- from genuine, well-articulated and disguised backwardness, sectarianism and xenophobia to an admirable ability to pretend 'everything is alright'. And when everything is not alright, then it must be 'something foreign.'

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Another 'alien' conspiracy? FB group condemns a joint prayers on January 6

I'm not sure if this is actually for real or it's some joke but check this out!

THIS is OBVIOUSLY 'alien' to Egyptian society -- of course Dr. Tamer Sha`aban Ali (as his Zionist name indicates) and other organisers and commentators on this page are not 'REAL Egyptians' nor are they 'REAL Muslims' ... Of course this is a conspiracy -- 'foreign' hands have infiltrated the country and caused the bombing weeks after having sent the GPS-directed sharks to eat up tourists in Sinai ... The reason? Simple, it's because Egypt is a pioneer in all fields of life, speaker of the Upper House told Egyptians.

El-Mokhles TV, one of the organisers of the campaign against the joint prayer of solidarity on January 6 hosts a number of links like this one which propagate conspiracy theories about Coptic organisations with links to Zionism and accuses them of perpetrating the terrorist attack. The page administrators also conducted a short survey on their status at 02:42 on Tuesday asking participants 'Who do you think is the biggest beneficiary from the Alexandria attack -- Copts? Muslims? the State? Other?' The results are shown in the screenshots below:

Another post on the page asked whether the attack targeted the Al-Qidissain Church or the mosque across the street. Again, the result was very 'alien' to Egyptians although the respondents weren't : the attack targeted the mosque of course -- the explosion occured 3 metres away from the mosque and 8 metres away from the church, and yet, the victims were predominantly Christians, go figure!

Of course, this all points to one thing -- of course they don't point to the rapid spread of hate speech and conspiracy theories in a socially-decaying Egyptian society; nor does it point towards a failed state and a culture of repression and counter-repression. If any thing, they point towards 'foreign' hands and 'alien' ideas that are conspiring against Egypt -- maybe Zionist or American, but maybe Iranian or Shi`a given the new wave of regional hate-speech and incitement.

Sigh. I leave it in your hands to judge.

In the meantime, this is getting too much for me -- they say the sand in Alexandria is splendid this time of the year. Anyone wanna join me? I think I'll go for a head-burying henak.

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Alexandria attack reveals the fragility of the Egyptian state and the precariousness of social order

I have always been a fan of Wael Abdel Fattah's coverage of Egyptian affairs for the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, but his coverage of the recent terrorist attack on Al-Qidissain Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria on New Year's Eve simply topped it up. The article was published a day after I published a post criticising an Egyptian middle-class-in-denial. In my post, I argued Egyptians must admit that the attack was not as 'alien' or 'foreign' as they would like to assert and that the root causes of social conflict (sectarianism included) are entrenched in a decadent political system and a rotten social order.

At the end of my previous post, I asked if there were Egyptians with the balls to admit the ills of society and polity at the root of this heinous terrorist attack. The next morning, Wael gave me my answer.

Wael published another article on Tuesday, 4 January 2011, discussing the sectarianisation of Egyptian society and the ascent of Christian fanaticism and a discourse of martyrdom among Egypt’s Copts in the wake of the attack – another must-read!

Angry Copts at the Cathedral of Saint Mark attack dignitaries and ministerial delegations with stones, shoes and angry chants. Dignitaries, Sheikhs and ministers have been visiting Pope Shenouda III to show solidarity and express condemnation of the terror attack.

Below are excerpts from his article published on Monday, 3 January 2011.

الموت في انفجار كنيسة القديسين لم يكن حادثة إرهابية عادية، لكنه لعب خطر على بناء المجتمع في مصر. وسواء كان الجناة «أفعى» لها رأس في الخارج وجسم في الداخل، أو وحش محلي يكبر في السر منذ سنوات، فإن قنبلة المسامير أشعلت الفتنة التي لم تعد تنام طويلاً. أشعلتها ومعها شعور بالخطر تحركه كثير من عواطف الفزع من الموت، وقليل من عقل يقفز فوق النار الطائفية

بداية من الرئيس إلى أصغر ضابط في الشرطة، يبحث نظام حسني مبارك عن أفعى تسرّبت من التجمعات الأمنية، وأشعلت السنة الجديدة كلها. سنة «الحسم» بدت حاسمة فعلاً في كشف «رخاوة» في جسد الدولة. وبعد ساعات من انفجار كنيسة القديسين، هاجم ملثّم نقطة شرطة وقتل شرطياً وسرق سلاحه الرسمي. وفي سياق الاحتجاج على الانفجار، قطع أقباط طريق الاوتوستراد، ومنعوا مرور السيارات. «الطريق» و«السلاح» هما من رموز الدولة التي تحاول استدعاء المجتمع لنصرتها في المحنة بحديثها عن الأفعى، والمجتمع خارج السيطرة، يشعر بالخطر، ويدافع بفوضوية عن تماسك ما. كل العناصر موجودة في حال الدفاع ضد الخطر: في المقدمة تعصّب يرفع شعارات دينية. الأقباط يصرخون بشعار تهتز له الكنائس: «بالروح بالدم نفديك يا صليب» و«مهما يعملوا فينا... العدرا ها تقوّينا». المسلمون في العادة يردّون في العلن بهتافات «الله أكبر»، وفي السر بشماتة ساذجة: «لكي يتوقفوا عن الاحتفال برأس السنة في دولة مسلمة». صوت التطرف الإسلامي خافت، لم يكن أمامه إلا البحث عن عدوّ خارجي. أشار الدكتور محمد سليم العوا مثلاً بإصبع الاتهام إلى «الموساد» ليلتقي مع الدولة في بحثها عن الأفعى، وليغسل يديه شخصياً من صنع موجات تحريض ضد المسيحيين ومعهم في مصر. دعوات صنعت له نجومية أخيرة، تأتي في سياق وضع توازن مع الكنيسة ونجومها. العوا لمع أخيراً لأداء دور في تحجيم قوة الكنيسة عن طريق عناصر من خارج المؤسسة الدينية

رجل دين عادي، مثل الأنبا بيشوي، يترك موقعه الكهنوتي ويتحدث قبل أسابيع من الانفجار كزعيم سياسي عن ضيافة المسيحيين للمسلمين في مصر. ثم يفجّر قنبلته بالحديث عن آيات القرآن الكريم التي تكفّر المسيحيين، ويتساءل عن وجود الآية من عدمه، لتمرّ فكرته في إطار كلام عن تحريف القرآن

الدولة تتحلل، بينما يكاد مخزون العنف ينفجر في مواضع خطرة هذه المرة

هتفت جموع مسيّسة ضد أسطورة الأمن التي لم تعد مهتمة إلا بتأمين المقاعد العليا، بينما أمن المجتمع مشروخ ومفزع. الهتافات اتهمت الدولة وأمنها مباشرة بالإرهاب «يا بو دبورة ونسر وكاب... إنتو الي عملتوا الإرهاب». ورأت أن المجتمع يحمي مصر وليس الدولة في رسالة «قولوا للحاكم جوا القصر إحنا الي بنحمي مصر» ... قنبلة رأس السنة أزالت أقنعة متعددة، لم يعد فيها مقبولاً إنكار الدولة: ليس هناك مشكلة طائفية. مصر وطن خال من التعصّب. وبعد كل فتنة يقبّل الشيخ القسيس و«اللي في القلب في القلب يا كنيسة... أو يا جامع» ... بعد التصوير يعود المسلم إلى البحث عن قلعة للمسلمين ويختبئ المسيحي تحت خيمة الكنيسة. هي حرب أهلية غير معلنة، لكنّ تفاصيلها أصبحت واقعاً يومياً يزداد ضراوة

حياة على الهوية لم تصل إلى درجة تكوين ميليشيات، لكنها أصبحت عادة، في المدرسة وإشارة المرور، والصراع على التجارة، بل ومنافسات بناء دور العبادة. الجديد أن الدولة، التي تشيخ مع حكامها، تتعامل بالهوية، وما لا يعلنه المسيحيون هو أنهم يشعرون بضعف الهمّة في حماية الكنائس رغم تلقّي التهديدات، لأنها (التهديدات) تخصّ مسلمين وتسبّب للضباط المسلمين شرخاً في الوعي
هذا عنصر جديد أضيف إلى التمييز التقليدي المتوارث، منذ أن تراجعت رغبة المجتمع كله في الدولة المدنية الحديثة التي لا فرق فيها بين مسلم ومسيحي ولا بين بحراوي وصعيدي أو غني وفقير. لا فرق في الحقوق الأساسية، ولا توزيع مناصب حسب الحصص الطائفية

«وحدة عنصري الأمة»
السخافة ليست في الشعار. ولكن في أنه كان مرفوعاً في ثورة 1919، لحظة تكوّن الأمة المصرية، وانصهار الطوائف في دولة حديثة لا تعترف باللون والجنس والدين. وبعد ما يقرب من 100 عام، عندما يُرفع الشعار نفسه، فإنه إشارة إلى تغلغل الطائفية إلى حدّ تشتعل فيه حرباً أهلية تحت كل سرير وفي كل زاوية ولا يشعر المجتمع بالنار. الرصاصات والقنابل تعميد للكراهية، وصور الشهداء تكريس للفرقة والانشقاق

عندما يكون ضحايا المذبحة «شهداء المسيحيين»، فهذا يعني أن هناك انتقاماً آتياً أو دماً معلّقاً يخصّ طائفة ضد طائفة أخرى

Click on the image for the source article

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A new video reveals the horrors of the Alexandria attack

A new video emerged on Facebook showing the moments of the explosion and the horror and terror in front of Al-Qidissin Church during a midnight mass on new year's eve.

Freedom4Copts Youtube Channel has also revealed a video of the joint press conference which included Pope Shnouda III, Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church; Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyib, Sheikh of Al-Azhar; Imam Sheikh Dr. Ali Goma`a, Mufti of Egypt; and Minister Mahmoud H. Zaqzouq, Minister of Religious Endowments. The press conference was held in the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Mark, the seat of the Holy See of Saint Mark in Abbasiya, Cairo, Egypt which the the two Sheikhs and Minister visited to show solidarity with the Church and express condolences to the Coptic community. The visit was scarred by the chants of angry protesters in the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral who demanded justice, revenge and asked the Pope not to appease the government, Muslims or the Islamic religious establishment.

Egyptian police forces tightened security measures around churches following the Alexandria attack

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2011 for Egyptians : a bloody start for a critical year

Egyptians welcome the new year, 2011, with a massacre of unprecedented political and social significance. Following a year of tense relations between Muslims and Christians in Egypt, Egyptians bid 2010 farewell less than half an hour before a deadly attack targeted a congested Coptic Orthodox al-Qiddissin Church in the Sidi Bishr neighbourhood of Egypt's second-largest city, Alexandria [map].

The car exploded in front of the church as worshippers emerged from a New Year's Mass (source)

The attack sums up a year which characterised by tensions between the Church and the Muslim community over allegations of extra-legally imprisoning and torturing converts to Islam and, recently, an Al-Qaida threat against the Coptic Church. I, referred to the heightened tensions between Copts and Muslims in Egypt amidst political turmoil at this critical phase of Egyptian history as 'the bagamisation' of society. I first used this expression jokingly, but eventually it became a token of my anger and frustration at the prevalent state of affairs: a situation in which Egyptians are driven and kettled into primordial ties and enchained by unbreakable bonds of fear and loyalty at risk of 'excommunication'. As a result, an Egyptian is bogged down into stupidity, meaningless conflicts aggravated, and attention diverted from the imminent questions of democracy, political reform and social justice.

Blood splattered the facade of the church, a painting of Jesus inside, and a mosque across the street

(more photos of the attack and the clashes that followed can be found here)

A rare and amateur video released hours ago shows the congregation in the Coptic midnight mass inside the al-Qiddissin Church of Saints Mark and Peter when the unexpected struck: a car bomb exploded outside the church killing 21 people as worshippers hurried outside the church. The incident sparked violent sectarian clashes between angry Christians and the neighbourhood's Muslims as well as between Christian mobs and anti-riot police almost immediately after the attack.

Footage courtesy the al-Qiddissin Church

An eyewitness quoted by a number of online and print forums said he saw two men leave the car and head for the charitable hospital across the street from the church before the car exploded destroying the facade of the church. According to Michel Nasr, the car bore the phrase "and the rest will come" on the back. According to Nasr, who also spoke to the state-owned Nile News TV as well as a number of Coptic diaspora satellite channels, angry Christian mobs attacked Muslims in retaliation immediately after the attack causing a number of casualties before tens of anti-riot police trucks arrived and highways leading in and out of the 4-million-person city were shut down by state security police.

Despite attempts to reveal the circumstances of the tragic event which comes at an acute political stage in Egyptian political life as well as heightened sectarian tensions, the Egyptian government refuses to reveal any information to the public and has restricted journalists' access to information leaving a large vacuum which unverified testimonies and speculation have readily filled.

Another eyewitness, Mina Sami, narrates the incident

According to another eye witness, Mina Sami (the video above), the attack against the church was in fact threefold: according to Mina, after the first car bomb exploded between 00:30 and 00:45 CLT, the clergymen directed the worshipers out of the church using the back doors fearing the main entrance may be too dangerous for a mass evacuation. Mina claims that upon exit from the back doors however, another car bomb exploded. The episode was repeated a third time when worshippers were directed to a small emergency exit on El-Essawi Street.

According to his testimony, the attack also involved a dozen or so vandals penetrating the crowds and vandalising the computer rooms, archives and stained glass facade of the church as worshippers hurried out of the church. The vandals, Mina asserts, were arrested by angry Christians who presented them to the Priest of the al-Qiddissin Church who checked their IDs and determined they were in fact Muslim men before handing them over to state security. State security have made no statement and nothing has been heard of the alleged vandals so far.

As usual in cases deemed "sensitive" and of "particular importance to state security", the Egyptian government continues to provide the public and the media with little or no information and operates its usual heavy-handed policing policies. The lack of information has left public opinion informed only through unverified testimonies, rumors and speculation.

Egypt's Coptic community is due to celebrate Christmas on Friday, January 7 according to the Coptic or Alexandrian calendar which will probably be accompanied by a show of force by the police including intense security measures around churches and public places and might involve a number of arbitrary arrests aimed at reassuring the Coptic community, appeasing the Church and diffusing vengeance.

The attack on parishioners at Our Lady of Salvation in Iraq in October 2010 has led to worldwide condemnation and featured highly in Christmas prayers and papal/patriarchal speeches this year.

The attack is expected to be the work of Al-Qaida-related groups. Al-Qaeda vowed revenge against Egypt's Coptic Church amidst popular allegations that the Church is holding a number of converts captive in remote monasteries. Al-Qaida launched a deadly attack against worshippers in the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad, Iraq [photos]. Al-Qaida sources said the attack is only a warning to Egypt's Coptic Church that "it too will be targeted" in retaliation for "holding Muslim sisters in captivity and forcing them to denounce Islam and convert back to Christianity."

The Egyptian Coptic Church has raised great concern and caused immense anger and sectarian strife in the past two years following the mysterious disappearance of a number of women (especially wives of priests) who allegedly converted to Islam. The church was almost immediately accused of imprisoning the converts in its remote desert monasteries in an attempt to force them to convert back to Christianity. Although none of these allegations are substantiated, Al-Azhar records and the threatening intonation of the Coptic Church's top clergymen have left little room for doubt.

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المجمع المقدس يشكل لجنة لمراجعة البرامج قبل بثها علي قنوات الكنيسة

يؤسفني ان تؤكد لنا كنيسة مصر العريقة مرة أخرى انها ما تزال جزء لا يتجزأ من نظام و عقلية الوصاية التي تملكت بلادنا في المشرق منذ قرون. ففي حين ان الحكومات تفرض وصايتها على الأراء "الخارجة" اخلاقيا او ادبيا او ثقافيا او سياسيا تحت مسميات الأمن و الوحدة الوطنيين, يحتل أزهر مصر و كنيستها العريقين موقع "الوصي" الذي له حق تحديد ما هو مسيحي او اسلامي مما هو هرطقة و زندقة و خروج عن الملة... متى نقدر و نحترم و نثق و نحرر العقل من هذه القيود... دعوا الناس يخرجون عن الملة و يعودون كما شاءوا حتى تجد الشعوب طريقها و تختار مصيرها

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كتب عمرو بيومي 16/06/2008


أوصت لجنة الإعلام بالمجمع المقدس بضرورة اعتماد المواد التي سيتم بثها علي القنوات الدينية التابعة للكنيسة، للتأكد من مطابقتها للمذهب الأرثوذكسي. وكشف الأنبا مرقس، رئيس اللجنة، عن نية المجمع إنشاء لجنة كنسية للإشراف علي البرامج والمواد والأفلام، وإبداء الرأي فيها قبل بثها.

من جهة أخري، تسود الكنيسة المصرية حالة من التضارب في الأخبار بشأن نوع العملية التي أجريت للبابا شنودة الثالث، بابا الإسكندرية، بطريرك الكرازة المرقسية، بمستشفي كليفلاند بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، فبالرغم من إجماع كل الأساقفة داخل مصر وخارجها علي نجاح العملية وتحسن صحة البابا وارتفاع حالته المعنوية.

وأكد الأنبا إبرام، أسقف الفيوم، عضو سكرتارية المجمع المقدس، أن العملية التي أجريت للبابا تم خلالها تركيب شريحة في فخذه الأيسر، فيما توقع الأنبا بيشوي، سكرتير المجمع المقدس، مطران دمياط، أن تكون الشريحة تم استبدالها بطوق حول الفخذ، نظراً لكبر سن البابا وحالة العظم.

وكشف الأنبا مرقس عن تلقيه مكالمة من الأنبا يوأنس، سكرتير البابا الشخصي، ومرافقه في الرحلة، أخبره فيها بأن البابا أجري عملية جراحية بنظام علاجي جديد غير التجبيس أو الشريحة

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