Ibrahim Eissa, an Egyptian television personality, recently made some remarks that were as objective as they were startling to many in Egypt.
After pointing out that it is good to teach Coptic Christians the Koran in public schools, simply because knowledge of the Koran goes a long way in improving knowledge of the Arabic language—which both Copts and Muslims should aspire to—Eissa said:
But here we come to the real question: Why isn’t Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel—which is one of the greatest and brightest of statements, full of wisdom and justice—also being taught?
He then stressed that, if Copts should be taught the Koran, so should Muslims learn from the New Testament: “And if you disagree, then you are unjust, unfair, and unpatriotic.”
Meanwhile, back in the real world, many of Egypt’s pious dismiss or condemn Eissa as an apostate for making this and other “outrageous” claims.
Brave man!!!
Journalists in the Middle East must learn a Western language along with the practice of journalism which requires critical inquiry. They must learn to think like Westerners while remaining grounded in their native culture. That’s why things like this happen but check out Raymond’s next article where a cleric shouts at a Western style journalist saying, “Are you even a Muslim?”. Clerics only think in Arabic or in their own languages like Farsi with a heavily Arabized vocabulary. They live and think in an “Islam Only” bubble, so Ibrahim Eissa’s delightful suggestion will go unheeded.