Reflecting on the Papal Shrines
Five people were killed yesterday at St. Bishoy Monastery, crushed to death visiting the shrine of Pope Shenouda. I was nearly there, along with my three year old daughter. It was meant to be part two of my visits to the shrines of the most recent popes. The second leg was not planned with the [...]
Selecting the Next Pope
Near thirty journalists gathered at the Cairo Foreign Press Association headquarters to gain insight on the process involved in selecting a successor to the recently deceased Pope Shenouda. Arab West Report presented its research on the subject, accepting also further inquiries. The March 27 meeting was opened by FPA board member Sayid Ghuriyat, and presided [...]
A Salafi Speaks in Church on Shenouda
The evening was supposed to be about Fatima Naout and Pope Shenouda. It turned out to be so much more. That it included Fatima Naout is semi-exceptional in itself. St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Maadi invited her to be the keynote presenter for a memorial service for Pope Shenouda. Naout is a Muslim. Yet [...]
Mother’s Day: Culture, Parenting, and Last-Minute Chocolate
Our American readers may wonder why I am writing about this topic two months before the US celebrates their matriarchs, but here in Egypt, our big day is on March 21st. Mother’s Day has been celebrated in the last three countries we have lived in: Jordan, Tunisia, and now, Egypt. I don’t remember the dates [...]
Christianity Today on Pope Shenouda
Just a short post today to direct to the article I contributed to Christianity Today on why the death of Pope Shenouda is also mourned by Egypt’s Protestants. If you click on the link above today you will see it highlighted as the lead story. Afterwards, please click here for the permanent link. I hope [...]
Friday Prayers for Egypt: Copts
God, Bless the Copts. Bless their churches. Bless their leaders. Bless their reformers. Bless those with whom they rub shoulders every day. Give wisdom to the Copts, God. Their leaders were slow to join the revolution; many of their youth rushed headlong. Now they face more challenges. Should they stay with the revolution and agitate [...]
The Blind Sheikh: Between the Crimes of America and the Neglect of Egypt
Seeking to keep the case of their father in front of the public eye, the family of the Blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman, organized another conference at the site of their open sit-in across from the American Embassy. The conference was conducted by the World Forum for Moderate Islam, under the title ‘Omar Abdel Rahman: [...]
Friday Prayers for Egypt: NGO Confusion
God, If Egypt is a mess, is the whole world with it, America in particular? It seems impossible to discern between outrage and playacting. With the curtain now drawn, is it simply a bad ending or an interlude before a coming act? Or does corruption truly mix with conspiracy to make the stomach churn? US [...]
Instability in Upper Egypt, Experienced
Ever since the revolution Egypt has suffered / benefited from waves of popular protest. The expressions in Tahrir Square were largely political, yet included a significant expression of social and economic discontent. The original chant which rang through the streets demanded, ‘Bread, Freedom, and Social Justice.’ Most focus since the revolution has been on political [...]
Church, State, and Revolution in Egypt
Many Christians in America are keen on emphasizing that the ‘separation of church and state’ is found nowhere in the constitution. Rather, they state, it was from the personal letters of Thomas Jefferson – his guiding opinion, of course, but never adopted in America’s founding documents. This is true. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion [...]
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