Three Events at the Same Time

[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.
􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿􀀿