Coptic Solidarity Much of the curriculum of Al Azhar—the Islamic world’s most prestigious university, located in Cairo—is based on Islamic books written in the medieval era or earlier. These books—histories, biographies of Muhammad, hadith (words and deeds of the latter), tafsirs (Koran exegeses), etc.—are often criticized by more reform-minded Muslims for being too … [Read more...]
Muslims May Wear the Cross to Deceive Christians
An Arabic language video of an Al Azhar professor, Dr. Salim Abdul Galil, is instructive of how that Egyptian institution sees the relationship between Muslims and Christians. In it he discusses Koran 3:28: “Let believers not take for friends and allies infidels rather than believers: whoever does this shall have no relationship left with Allah—unless you but guard … [Read more...]
Coptic Bishop in Egypt: “Christians Are Original Inhabitants of the Nation”
Coptic Solidarity Coptic Christian Bishop Daniel met with the Swiss Minister of exterior at the St. Mark Cathedral in Cairo, the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church, during the minister’s recent visit. The bishop said that, formally, the Church enjoys good relations with the state and Al Azhar, which represents Islam in Egypt, but less formally, on the ground, “there is still … [Read more...]
The Last Supper: The Plight of Christians in Arab Lands
Note: The following is a book review of The Last Supper: The Plight of Christians in Arab Lands, by Klaus Wivel. A shorter version of the review first appeared in the Middle East Quarterly (Fall, 2016, vol. 23, no. 4). Danish journalist Klaus Wivel is to be commended for shedding light on an important but ignored topic, the plight of present-day, Arabic-speaking … [Read more...]
Dr. Ahmed al-Tayeb: Meet the World’s “Most Influential Muslim”
FrontPage Magazine There’s nothing like knowing Arabic—that is, being privy to the Muslim world’s internal conversations on a daily basis—to disabuse oneself of the supposed differences between so-called “moderate” and “radical” Muslims. Consider the case of Egypt’s Dr. Ahmed al-Tayeb. Hardly one to be dismissed as a fanatic who is ignorant of the true tenets of … [Read more...]