Three Events at the Same Time

[Peace4All]

Because some newspapers
presented this issue in a way that
did not reflect the whole truth but
harmed us, it became necessary
that we explain what happened
with accuracy. We did not have the
intention to talk in the first place
because we leave our matters for
God to handle, and He handles
them always, and we always have
faith in His solutions…
Three events coincided with
each other and had an effect that
showed in an obvious rage that
reached the level of
demonstrations gathered in St.
Mark Cathedral in Cairo. These
three events are:
1. Incidents of Assiout that
caused pain:
This pain showed sometimes,
and was oppressed other times
and finally exploded. And Wattani
newspaper talked about it in the
opening article on Sunday 28-11-
2004 and inside the newspaper. It
contained events about the
conversion of girls and men from
Christianity to Islam and it accused
the President of the National Party
of Assiout and his helpers of being
the ones behind. Added to this the
troubles that Copts face in terms of
building churches and even in
planting trees in the area of
Dronka.
And Fr. Abanoub Thabet the
responsible in Assiout has
submitted a report to HH the Pope
about these events.
2. Events in Manqattin Village,
Samallout:
HG the Bishop of Samallout
presented a report about these
events to HH the Pope. In this
report HG mentioned that this
village is inhabited by five
thousand Christians and they have
no place to pray in, to the extent
that they hold their funeral prayers
in the streets. And they bought a
land since 1977 and they tried to
build a church but their request
was rejected because of security
reasons. Then they were allowed
to have a limited religious activity
in a known Coptic Association like
funeral prayers, wedding prayers
and Sunday School but the Mayor
of the village went against this.
Then serious harassments took
place on Friday 3-12-2004 starting
6:30 PM. During which Dr. Reda
Morgan's Pharmacy was robbed
and then completely burnt, Mr.
Thabet Qastour's car was burnt,
Mr. Youssef Henein's house that is
right next to the association was
attacked and Mr. Zakareya
Ghattas' Clothes Shop was robbed.
Then some grocery shops owned
by Mr. Ishaq Tadros and Mr.
Girguis Azer were robbed then Dr.
Osama Ghali's Pharmacy was
robbed.
All this happened and
policemen did not make a move
until all the damages were done
and afterwards they arrested some
of the attackers.
3. The disappearance of the
wife of the Priest of Abou El
Mattamir and what was said
about her conversion to Islam
and marriage to a Muslim:
And unfortunately this
provocative news was posted in Al
Ahram Newspaper on Tuesday 7-
12. And this is unreasonable
because how can a woman marry
two at the same time? For her to
marry another man she must get a
divorce from her husband first.
And this requires a lawsuit in the
Personal Status Court in which her
Christian husband is first offered to
convert to Islam and if he accepts
she remain to be his wife. And if
he refuses she gets a divorce. And
how would they offer conversion to
Islam to a Christian Priest?! This is
a scandal that had its effect and
bad impact all over everywhere.
The most important thing is
that this event was "the last
straw". And demonstration started.
And here we talk about how
events went on.

[Peace4All]

􀂙 The priest's wife disappearance
problem happened in a contained
place which is Abou El Mattamir.
And it could have been resolved
locally and finalized without letting
the rest of the country hear about
it. But it was not resolved although
HE the Metropolitan of Behera met
with HE the Governor who was
very understanding. Then joint
them the Local Governing Minister
and the Security Department… This
was on Thursday 2-12.
And when the subject was not
resolved on the local level,
everyone (Security and the
Metropolitan) agreed to take this
subject to Cairo. And two buses
took off to Cairo with the
knowledge of the security
department then they were
followed by a third bus. They faced
obstacles in the way but they
finally made it…
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
􀂙 Objection to this situation was
moved to Cairo. And news there
spread on a much larger scale than
it could in Abou El Mattamir. And
this was on Friday 3-12.
􀂙 On the dawn of Friday the
great reporter Mr. Said Sonbol
died and his family requested
to hold his funeral in the Grand
Cathedral in Abbaseya to honor
him and so that HH the Pope can
hold the prayers himself on the
honorable deceased. And it is not
true what was mentioned (to
provoke) in one of the newspapers
that the place changed to be the
Cathedral and that the raging
youth were brought from Abou El
Mattamir on there funeral time!
The funeral was held on Sunday 5-
12 and demonstrations started on
Friday. And Mr. Said Sonbol's
family was the one who requested
that the funeral be held in the
Grand Cathedral.
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
􀂙 After the funeral, HH the Pope
received in his office Dr. Osama El
Baz and Dr. Mustafa El Fiqi and
explained to them the seriousness
of the situation in that the priest's
wife is not just an ordinary woman
but she is considered as a spiritual
mother to Christians in this church.
And that what is being said about
her conversion to Islam is too
provocative to people. And that
among the shouts there was the
phrase: (They took the priest's
wife and tomorrow they will take
my wife). And how this indicates
how insecure people feel about
their houses and wives. Also HH
explained that this subject is not
just an individual incident but it
has to do with a woman who has a
certain specialty that affects the
public opinion…
And during this visit there was
a phone call between HH the Pope
and HE Dr. Nazif the Prime
Minister. And HH the Pope said
that there are problems that
needs speed in resolving
because slowness in resolving
them might complicate them
and spread them more.
And when Dr. Osama El Baz
went out of the meeting, he
himself got to know the
demonstrating youths thinking and
opinion so that he takes a
comprehensive picture about the
situation and the public feelings…
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
􀂙 What increased the tension
was the huge police crowd
surrounding the Cathedral.
Some said that there were more
than fifty Central Security Forces
Cars and police forces among
which there were high ranks to the
extent that some Copts outside the
Cathedral were worried about HH
the Pope himself when they saw in
the media the Cathedral
surrounded by this huge number of
policemen. And they called by
telephone to assure HH safety.
􀂙 Policemen acted slowly in
solving this issue and it was known
that the priest's wife was at their
possession. Not only did they not
solve it at Abou El Mattamir and
not in Cairo before Mr. Said
Sonbol's funeral nor after it. This
caused the tension to go on
without any interference to solve
the problem.
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

[Peace4All]

􀂙 And on Sun. 5/12, the Pope traveled to Syria to
chair the previously scheduled Middle East Council of
Churches which was convened in Damascus. And on
his flight back on Tues. evening, HH read the News
item published in Al Ahram Newspaper about a
Priest's wife having converted to Islam and being
married to a Muslim engineer!!
􀂙 The Pope arrived at the Patriarchate at about
23:00 hrs. And started His communications to resolve
the matter so that the Patriarchate would take a
chance to sit with the Priest's wife as the Security
Officials did for they had plenty of opportunities to
contact her, the Islamic Influence did also had plenty
of opportunities to contact her and also did her boss
at work…
􀂙 President Mubarak's reaction was in a co
operative way to resolve the matter in spite of
his travel outside the country. Communication
were carried on with Dr. Zakareya Azmy till more
than two hours after midnight to set a place where
the Priest's wife will come for the Fathers to sit with
her… security forces set a condition that it should not
be at a Churchly area, nor a convent, nor a house of
devotion, nor…, nor….
Finally, it was agreed upon a Villa affiliated to us
which is surrounded by a yard and a fence with no
objection of the presence of some devoted Sisters
with her. She was to be brought to us on Wed.
morning. Security forces investigated the place and
agreed upon it.
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
􀂙 And on the morning, HG Bishop Youanes
contacted the Head of the National Security who said
to him that she will be brought to us at that villa
between 12:00 and 13:00 hrs, which didn't happen
and they said that they sent her for medical
examination and that she was on the way.
􀂙 And the time 14:00 came, then it was 15:00 and
16:00 and nothing took place. The time of the Pope's
weekly Sermon approached, it is a meeting which is
attended by thousands of the congregation. How
would the Pope confront the people? How would He
answer the furious angry youth? Would He tell them
that the problem had been resolved when it wasn't?
Would He tell them that the Priest's wife had been
brought to us while she hadn't? And what if some of
the intruders sneaked into the meeting and cheered
with hostility?!
Finally, at 16:40 HH the Pope left the Papal
residence heading to the Monastery. And while in His
car after an hour of traveling, and at 17:40 He
received a Tel. call that the woman reached the villa!
So what was the point behind delaying
things till after the Pope had traveled, as
delaying things till Mr. Said Sonbol's Funeral
took place?!
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
What is left to be said is that the villa to
which the Priest's wife reached, was surrounded
by almost ten Central Security Police Forces
wagons, with a group of supreme Police Force
Officers. It was then obvious to the whole
neighborhood that there was something unusual
going on.
When the woman arrived, she was not completely
sober for a period of two days, and then she started
to talk…
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

[Peace4All]

After the Pope had left, the Police started
attacking the gathering youth, they started
beating them and provoking them to react
accordingly…
We have the whole situation recorded on
photographs and video tapes. They went up the
roof of the Botroseya Church; they broke up the roof
tiles and hit the gathering youth. One of the Rev
Fathers had his forehead injured and had some
stitches and another one was also injured with lots of
the youths. They then stirred things up by causing
injuries to some of them!!
They arrested some youths from the street
and presented them to the prosecution Office.
They were put into custody for 15 days subject to
renewal. And as a major evidence that they are from
the street is that the Police didn't enter the
Patriarchate's yard to arrest anyone, as it is an
inviolable area, so all the youth who are in custody
were present in the street.
I will give an example: a Youngman who came to
attend the Pope's meeting as usual on every Wed.
evening, he was told that the meeting was canceled
as the Pope traveled, so he went out to return home,
they then arrested him and became one of those who
are in custody though he had nothing to do with the
gathering of people. There are many more examples.
Some of them are students in universities who have
forthcoming exams, they are in custody and their
educational life is at risk.
From our side, we reported to the Attorney
General about our sons' injuries, and the damages
which occurred at the Patriarchate, all that is
illustrated with photos and documents. The Attorney
General promised to set the students free.
We are inquiring, why such raising up of
events by Police forces takes place? Who
benefits from all that? Is this a way to resolve a
situation or to complicate it?!
And what made things worse is some
Newspapers which published news items in a
way which agitates the situation and on the
other hand affects the National Unity. Though
those who wrote didn't investigate the matter from
both sides, they didn't take into consideration the
reactions and the influence of what they write on the
public opinion and its consequences…
􀀿 􀀿 􀀿
No one wrote about the incidences in Samalut in
a way which makes the Copts feel that there is
someone who feels what they are in and is affected
by the assaults they were subject to and who take
their feelings into consideration…
No one wrote defending the incidences in Assuit
or the complaints by Copts, only one of the University
Professors in Assuit did so in the Watany Newspaper.
We are brothers to you in this country, and we
expected you'd be there beside us in our pain, not
attacking…
As for the Priest's wife, she is still Christian. She
uttered aloud the Orthodox Creed, she prayed with
the Rev. Fathers and the devoted Sisters, she sang
the Praise and prayed the Prime and finally she is
back to us (look p. 6). That is because she was away
from the Security force pressure and from the
religious influence which is against her faith.
We still have the incidences of setting s,
robbery and assaults in one of the villages in
Samalut, in which law suits are filed seeking legal
remedy.
And we still have the incidences in Assuit and the
sufferings of the Copts with no interference of anyone
to solve their problems.
Anyway, the story hasn't finished yet, and we are
waiting for resolutions.
􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿