Coptic Solidarity On Friday August 26, unidentified and armed militants broke into and robbed a Christian church, the Church of Banjasar, in Aden south of Yemen, according to a report appearing only in Arabic media. In the words of a local source, “Armed militants accompanied by youths from the village broke into the church after morning prayers and looted the contents of … [Read more...]
Saudis Arrest and Deport 27 Christians for ‘Conducting Christian Prayers’
Coptic Solidarity Saudi Arabian officials recently arrested 27 Christians—among them several women and children—for the crime of "conducting Christian prayers" and being "in possession of Bibles," reports Arab media. The group of Christians, most if not all of whom were Lebanese nationals, were celebrating a Virgin Mary feast day when authorities stormed their … [Read more...]
Coptic Bishop: Egypt’s Christians Attacked ‘Every Two or Three Days’
Coptic Solidarity After the latest round of attacks on Egypt’s Christian minority—which saw at least one Copt stabbed to death and many Christian homes and a church burned—Coptic Bishop Makarious of al-Minya, the region where many of the attacks on Christians take place, was interviewed on television. Although Church authorities in Egypt are regularly diplomatic and … [Read more...]
The Two Faces of Al Azhar
Coptic Solidarity In a statement titled, “The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Calls on Al Azhar’s Sheikh to Renounce His Remarks Which Contradict Religious Freedom and Support Violent Extremism,” the institute blasted Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb’s recent remarks concerning apostasy, first reported in the English here. Though Tayeb is often portrayed as a … [Read more...]
Islam: Religion and Polity
Coptic Solidarity. French What is the role of Islam in Muslim society? Is it just a religion to be practiced privately, as Christianity is understood in the West? Or does it call for theocracy—governance according to the laws derived from it, also known as Sharia? Dr. Ahmed al-Tayeb—currently Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar University and former Grand Mufti of … [Read more...]