Coptic Christians and Muslims

1
EGYPT
Coptic Christians and Muslims
Cooperation on Community Concerns
in Egypt
By H. G. Bishop Youannes Director of BLESS
2
First of all,

• It is a great pleasure and honour for me to be
  among you. And I would like to express my many
  thanks for this kind invitation to give you a
  brief overview of BLESS development work in
  Egypt, with an emphasis on Christian - Islamic
  cooperation and dialogue.

• I also can hardly find words to express my
  profound appreciation to my friends of EED for
  their real cooperation and valuable partnership.

3
My presentation includes
I- An introduction about the socio-political
economic situation in Egypt.
II- Our biblical theological basis for
cooperation with people of other faith (Muslims).
III- BLESS work with an emphasis on
Christian-Islamic cooperation in the following
domains
a) Comprehensive Integrated development at
community level.
b) National development work in the field of
youth education.
c) BLESS role related to national concerns.
IV- Christian-Muslim dialogue in Egypt.
4
An introduction about the socio-political
economic situation in Egypt
I-
? Egypt is a holy land, that has been blessed
by a four-year visit by our Lord Jesus Christ.
? The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in
Egypt is an apostolic and traditional Church,
founded by Saint Mark the apostle in the 1st
century, and is deeply rooted in the authentic
Egyptian Culture.
? The Arab Muslims conquered Egypt in the 7th
century and since then, the Copts have
been experiencing living with Muslims in a
multi-faith context.
5
? Over most of these 13 centuries, the Church
faced persecution and suffering, particularly
during the time of Memluks and Ottoman Empire,
yet it could maintain the Christian faith
preserve the Egyptian Culture.
? It is worthnoting that the Copts in such
multi-faith context did not isolate themselves in
gettoes, but they were interacting with others
at all levels of social structures.

? In the last 3 decades, Egypt has
witnessed an increasing Islamic extremism
with its concomitant repercussions,
nevertheless the situation nowadays has
considerably improved, but still the Coptic
representation is fairly poor, for instance
6
? There are only 7 Christians in the 454-seat
Parialment and 2 Christians in the 32-member
Cabinet.
? It is seldom that Christians are appointed in
higher government positions as governors,
university Chancellors Deans, Ambassadors, etc

? Egypt today is a developing country suffering
from overpopulation about 73 millions
where Christians account for almost 12 millions.
7
? It faces many development challenges,
the most pressing of which is that almost 30
of the population lives under the poverty line
with more than 40 of children under the age of 5
years are suffering from malnutrition..
according to the Egyptian Demographic Health
Survey 2005
? Unemployment persists as a serious social
problem. Some national and international
reports indicate that unemployment is about 17
and to control unemployment, Egypt needs to
achieve a sustained real GDP growth rate at least
6 per year.
? The rate of literacy for the adult population
(15 years and above) has increased. Nevertheless
60 of the adult females and 36 of adult males
are still illiterate.

8
? As all of you realize, the Middle East
Region is a turbulent area. Even though the
situation in Egypt is relatively stable, the
Arab-Israeli conflict, the situation in Iraq
the current tragic situation in Lebanon have
its negative socio-political economic
repercussions on Egypt.

9
Biblical theological basis for cooperation with
people of other faith (Muslims)
II-
? The Coptic Orthodox Church as a national
Church has always set the national and social
concerns on its priorities throughout the
ages, and has been actively involved in the
society at large serving both Muslims and
Christians. And this is emanating from the
biblical and theological understanding deeply
rooted in the Church life regarding the
coexistence with others.
? A fact of faith love of God filling
our hearts is reflected in our love of
neighbour as, The Holy Bible says (( You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength, and
with all your mind, and your neighbour as
yourself )) (Luke 1027).
10
From the Christian perspective, the neighbour
is every human being irrespective of his race,
age, sex, religion, As said by our Lord
Jesus Christ when asked neighbour ?? , He answered by the parable
of the good Samaritan the foreigner who
showed mercy towards the person who fell
among thieves whilst the Priest and levite looked
and passed. (Luke 10).
? St. Paul says (( For he who loves another has
fulfilled the law )) (Rom. 138) (( through
love serve one another. For all the law is
fulfilled in one word, even in this You shall
love your neighbour as yourself )) (Gal 513,14).
11
? St. John in his 1st epistle says There is no
fear in love but perfect love casts out fear.
If someone says, I love God, and hates his
brother, he is a liar for he who does not love
his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen? And this commandment we
have from Him that he who loves God must
love his brother also (1 John 418,20,21).
? Actually, there are many verses on how
to coexist with others in love, openness
trust in a multi-faith society witnessing to our
Lord (Acts 18), who dwells in our hearts, not in
word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth (1
John 318) As our Lord Jesus Christ glory
be to Him said (( you are the salt of the
earth .. you are the light of the world ))
(Matt 513,14).. (( Let your light so shine
before men, they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven )) (Matt 516).

12
? In the light of these biblical and
theological understanding and in response to
the social needs and challenges in the modern
age, the Coptic Orthodox Church established
the Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social
Services BLESS in 1962 to be the diakonal,
ecumenical and developmental arm of the
Church serving people particularly the poor
and marginalized irrespective of race, age,
sex or religion.
13
BLESS Work
III-
In the last decade, BLESS work can be classified
into the following
Ecumenical relations Department
Social welfare (Agapy) Program
Happy life Program
Best Life Program
Development Department
Assists the poorest of the poor in their
hardships, illnesses, disasters..
Targeting the physically and mentally disabled.
Dealing with drug addiction HIV/Aids.
Comprehensive Integrated Development at community
level
BLESS Role related to national concerns
National Development work
III.
I-
II.
In the field of
Community based development in 31 poor
communities
Youth
Education
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a) Comprehensive Integrated Development at
community level
Goal
Empowering people in the target communities to
discover develop their potentials in order to
meet their community needs for an abundant life
for all.
Strategies
? Empowering the local people (women
men) to effectively participate in the
development process, claim their rights and make
the best use of their local resources in order
to meet their various practical and
strategic needs social, cultural,
educational, health, economic, environmental,
agricultural, etc.
? Working with the whole community,
Muslims and Christians.
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? Networking with GOs NGOs.
? Enabling the local people to organize
themselves into a formal body, which ensures
community self-reliance.
Stages of work
1- Stage of selection of the target communities
according to certain criteria.
2- Stage of training of field worker
community volunteers.
3- Stage of assessment of needs and resources.
4- Stage of planning.
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5- Stage of Implementation through 7
programs 3 centers .
Community Organization Program
Coptic Center for Human Resource Development
CCHRD
Health Environment Program
Economic Program
Coptic Center for Social Studies CCSS
Rural Development Program
Child Program
Coptic Center for Public Relations CCPR
Education Program
Youth Program
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The structure of the development team
which is responsible for the implementation is
as follows
Health G.
Youth G.
. D. C. Member



Education G.
Economic G.
. F. W.
D.C.


Volunteers


The specialized group
Rural G.
Child G.
It is worthnoting that BLESS strategy is
to work in each community for a certain
number of years until the community has
become potentially sustainable then BLESS
gradually exits from it.
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Christian - Islamic cooperation at community level
? It is a real challenge for BLESS as a Church
organization to develop the entire poor
communities (Christians and Muslims).
? As a matter of fact, Christian - Islamic
cooperation in the development process passes
through the following phases
19
Phase I Skepticism
When BLESS initiates its development work in
the community, most of the Muslims usually
react with apprehension, caution, and mistrust
.. And often times rumors circulate that the
hidden goal of this work is evangelism.
Phase II breaking down the barrier of skepticism
? BLESS through public meetings and focus
group discussions
? Clarifies and explains the concepts of its
development work and the objectives it
aspires to achieve. ? Presents transparently
the criteria for selecting beneficiaries.
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? Having done that, BLESS starts to carry out
the development activities without any bias.
? In addition, BLESS builds bridges of
trust with community leaders and influencial key
persons.
As a result of these endeavours, the barrier of
skepticism starts breaking down gradually.
Phase III Clarity that development is the goal
As development work proceeds in the light of the
above mentioned concepts and criteria, it becomes
crystal clear that there is no hidden agenda,
but development is the goal, and hence the
majority of community members effectively
participates in their community development.
21
Phase IV Genuine cooperation
Where community members both Christians and
Muslims get together and cooperate in a
genuine way in the development process
discussing their community concerns
problems, advocating for their rights and
making the best use of their local resources.

Here are two success stories as an
examples for Christian Islamic cooperation at
community level
22
1- A Muslim woman became an active volunteer
in Daraw (a community 930 km south of
Cairo)
? Hanan Mohamed Mahmoud an average villager in
Daraw was suffering from a chest disease.
Also her husband health condition was not
well. They were living almost below poverty line.
? The development committee paid her and her
family a visit during which she got motivated
to start a cattle raising project that
entails no much physical efforts.
? She started the project, and as time passed on
the project prospered and made profit. Hanan
and her husbands life have changed.
23
? Emanating from such change, she became an
active volunteer in the health group. Hanan
currently teaches at health education classes
and speaks in the community meetings about
cleanliness.
? It was very good that a Muslim women became
an active volunteer.
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2- Abu-Hamra a model village
? Abu-Hamra is a small village in Lower
Egypt (205 kms north of Cairo).
? BLESS development work in Abu-Hamra left a very
positive impact in terms of
? Mobilization of community members to be
involved in development activities, particularly
women ? Developing good relationship between
Christians and Muslims.
? As a consequence, the head of the municipality
selected this village as a model one in the year
2005.
25
The local newspaper has published an
article highlighting the selection of this
village as a model one, BLESS role in its
development and the distinguished relationship
between Christians and Muslims.
26
Before I move on to the next topic, I would like
to draw your attention that the phases
through which the development process passes do
not run as smooth as expected but differ
from community to community in terms of
? The pace of work. ? The number of
hindrances (mostly fanaticism).
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b) Development work at National level
In addition to the Comprehensive Integrated
Development at community level, BLESS
Development Department is also active at
national level in the areas of Education and
Youth.
A) Education
BLESS carries out a number of literacy classes in
about 400 communities across the country
serving both Christians and Muslims.
B) Youth
? BLESS through Youth Program aims at
empowering Coptic Youth to be active members in
their Church as well as good Egyptian citizens.
28
? Youth Program undertakes a number of
activities nation wide, among which there
is a group called National Participation
Group. It is concerned with holding
seminars between key Muslim thinkers and
Christian Youth aiming at encouraging the Youth
to be active participants in political and
public life.
? In addition, Youth Program in
collaboration with Coptic Center for Social
Studies organizes forums for Christian-Islamic
dialogue.
29
c) BLESS Role related to National Concerns
BLESS (representing the Coptic Orthodox Church)
plays an active role related to National
Concerns it participates effectively in a
number of National platforms and meetings
expressing a Christian perspective on these
issues, for instance
1- Being part of national coalitions and
networks. e.g.
FGM task force. Convention of Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination Against Women
CEDAW. Child rights coalition (UNICEF).
National Council for NGOs.
30
2- Sharing in seminars and meetings on family
planning, drug addiction, secure environment,
globalization,
3- BLESS has contributed to formulate the
National Population Development Strategy
PDS (2002-2017), led by the Ministry of
Health Population.
4- The Bishop of BLESS is a board member
of the National Council of Population, which
is composed of 12 top officials, headed
by the Minister of health and population.
5- The Bishop of BLESS a number of BLESS
senior staff are actively involved in the UN
Program for combating HIV/Aids. Moreover, the
Bishop 6 other Church leaders from the
Middle East Region wrote a book entitled The
role of the Christian leaders in combating
HIV/Aids.
31
6- Some BLESS senior staff partake on a regular
basis in the activities of the National
Council for Childhood Motherhood (NCCM). It
is worthnoting that the director of Coptic Center
for Social Studies is one of the consultants of
the council.
7- CCSS/BLESS has collaborated with Ministry of
Health, El AWKAF Ministry (Ministry of mosques
and endowment affairs) and UNFPA to organize an
annual program entitled Raising the advocacy
skills of religious leaders in the area of
womens rights in reproductive health. The
program has targeted 560 religious leaders
(280 Priests and 280 Sheikhs) all over
Egypt. CCSS/BLESS has taken part in developing
Christian and Gender perspectives of the
curriculum and has undertaken the training
process.
32
Among the good impacts of this program are
Encouraging the Religious leaders to speak
up openly about what was considered
before a taboo specially issues of FGM, early
marriage, and family planning.
Furthering the mutual understanding
between Christian side and Islamic side
some Sheikhs following the end of the program
stated now we understood Christianity better,
and some Priests said the same about Islam.

33
And now my distinguished audience kindly let me
move to another important topic
Christian - Muslim dialogue in Egypt
IV-
There are four types of dialogue that are
being practiced in Egypt
1- Dialogue of Life
? Dialogue is a way of life and coexisting in the
Egyptian society where Copts and Muslims live as
neighbors, striving and working together in
response to their day-to-day common problems and
challenges.
34
?Throughout the history, Egyptian Muslims and
Christians struggled to get the independence, and
build the modern state with civil constitution.
The Civil constitution that grants equal
citizenship rights for all Egyptians is the real
product of the dialogue of life in Egypt.
? Furthermore, Dialogue of life has always been
the safeguard for security of the Egyptian
society in the moment of sectarian strife.
35
2- Official dialogue
? It brings together the Christian and Muslim
religious leaders (H.H Pope Shenouda III Pope of
Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
and Sheikh of El-Azhar, as well as the Bishops
and Sheikhs) in official conferences and
festivals frequently with the aim of enhancing
the relations at the institutional level.
Participants in such dialogue usually highlight
the common values and principles of both
religions. However, they do not open a discussion
on the dogmatic, or thorny issues.
3- Dialogue on common concerns
? The Christian and Muslim leaders have often
been involved in a dialogue on common concerns
to develop
36
common religious values principles, and set up
practical strategies to change people's attitudes
towards positive social transformation.
? Such interfaith dialogue acquires a great
meaning when it is closely associated with the
human dignity and well being for marginalized
people.
4- Intellectual dialogue
? Responding to the sectarian strife that took
place since the seventies BLESS has taken the
initiative to open a dialogue with moderate
Islamic thinkers as well as all the cultural and
political orientation in order to rebuild the
bridges between the Coptic youth and the society,
and defend the historical achievement of equal
citizenship rights.
37
? This Intellectual dialogue was concerned with
analyzing the socio- political causes of
sectarian strike, proposing strategic
solutions and deepening the mutual understanding
between Copts and Muslims.
? Recently, the intellectual dialogue has been
concerned with national integration, dialogue
among civilizations versus clashes, and social
political reform in Egypt.


38
Present challenges for Christian-Muslim dialogue
1- More than ever before, the relations between
Egyptian Muslims and Copts - even in small
villages- are significantly affected by the
propagation of the global discourse on the
confrontation between Christianity (or the west
namely America) and Islam.
Muslim activists in the dialogue always attempt
to justify Islam and Muslims from the violence
terrorist attacks. This defensive situation
threatens the viability of the Christian Muslim
dialogue to reach a common understanding of the
mutual challenges and problems.
2- The Islamic extremists (mainly Muslim
Brotherhood) resist the moderate interpretation
of Islam. Those extremists have an ambiguous
political agenda not only
39
towards Copts, as equal citizens, but also
towards the established principal of modern
state in terms of democracy, freedom of
expression, womens rights ..etc.
3- The appearance of a group in America referred
to as Christian Zionists with a political and
social power in the American society has provoked
the religious Islamic extremists in the Middle
East.
4- Turning inwards to a secure religious circle
versus integration in common civil society
entities
It is a complex social phenomenon that a great
number of Muslims and Copts is going back to
their religious communities for more practicing
of social life rather than spiritual duties.
Actually this phenomenon represents a real
obstacle to the day-to-day dialogue of life.

40
To close
I do call you, ladies and gentlemen to do
your best in

• Supporting the development work for all the
  needy, who are Gods brethren.

• Supporting the human rights for all the
  marginalized people.

• Supporting the freedom and democracy all over
  the world.

• Supporting the justice and peace all over the
  world, especially in the Middle East our region.

Thank you very much for your attention. And I
look forward for your valuable comments and
questions.