CathNews New Zealand

Many Muslims in Egypt are proud of their country’s heritage of religious pluralism. “So headlines like “Islam’s war on the Cross”, as in one British newspaper this week, fail to do justice to the complexities – and to the goodwill – on both sides,” according to the editorial in the London Tablet.  “Egypt has long been an important crucible for interfaith relations, and the Copts, who predate the Arab Muslim population by which they are now outnumbered 10 to one, have learnt the tricks of survival. They are a self-confident community, often more prosperous and better educated than their Arab neigbours,” it says.

Coptic Orthodox catholics began a three-day fast last Tuesday.  A priest said the fast was a way for the Copts to show their mistrust of Egypt’s authorities and was a move unparalleled since the 1970s, when Copts protested against President Anwar Sadat’s introduction of Islamic-inspired laws.

Pope Benedict has underlined the importance of preserving the co-existence, especially at this time of transition and he urged the faithful to pray, so that Egypt can enjoy a true peace based on justice, respect for freedom and the dignity of every citizen.

The Pope made the appeal on last Wednesday during his General Audience.

The Pope also expressed his support for the efforts of the Egyptian authorities, both civil and religious, to bring about a society which respects the human rights of all its citizens and, in particular, minorities.

Last week John Allen interviewed  Scott Appleby of Notre Dame, an American Catholic historian and scholar of religion who heads the university’s “Contending Modernities” project, designed to foster dialogue among Catholics, Muslims, and secularists. He says two points stand out from his interview:

• If Catholics want to support  Christians of the Middle East, the best long-term strategy is to boost our “Islamic literacy,” learning to make careful distinctions among various actors in the Islamic world – and the best way to do that is by engaging the Muslims in our own backyard.
• Christians in the West must acknowledge, and help revitalise, the traditional authority structures and leaders in the Islamic world because relying solely on moderates and Westernized Muslims will not reach the “street” in Egypt or anywhere else.

Islam Awareness Week (IAW) in New Zealand is taking place  31 October to 5 November this year. The theme is “Islam and the Environment: Our Rights and Responsibilities.”

Christianity in Egypt

Epypt has been a predominantly Moslem country since the Islamic conquest of Egypt in 640AD. Reliable estimates of the size of Egypt’s Christian population are hard to obtain. They range from 10% to 30%.

•  About seven million are members of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, although some say it is closer to 9 million. The leader of the Coptic Christian Church is Pope Shenouda III.
•  About 24,000 are Coptic Catholics; they are in full communion with Rome.
• About 40,000 are Greek Orthodox Christians.
• About 27,000 are Protestant Christians.

Source

• The London Tablet – Editorial
• The London Tablet -Article
• Vatican Radio
• The National Catholic Reporter
• Wikipedia
• Image: Monthly Review

Additional reading

• Egypt Unfinished business
• Winter for Christians in the Arab Spring?
• Acknowledging Muslim Male Leaders: Muslim male community leaders, working tirelessly to advocate for rights of Muslim women
• The Cairo massacre and How to invent "religious conflicts"

News category: Top Story, World.