CAIRO,
December 28, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The United States is planning
to invite Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi and
Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark Diocese
for meetings with expatriate Egyptians to communicate with them, a
source has revealed.
"A
delegation of expatriate Egyptian Copts in the US met with Sheikh
Tantawi to inform him with (US Assistant Secretary Dina) Powell's plan
to host the meetings to promote communication with Egyptian Muslims
and Copts abroad," the source told IslamOnline.net Tuesday,
December 27.
Sheikh
Tantawi accepted the invitation during a meeting with the delegation
Monday, December 26, the source added.
"He
(Tantawi) said he was ready to accept the US invitation to boost the
Muslim-Christian dialogue and enhance cooperation between Muslims and
Copts in Egypt and elsewhere."
A
conference was held by expatriate Egyptian Copts last month to discuss
what they said "grave violations against the Egyptian
Copts".
The
meeting drew rebukes from Egyptian Coptic church and Christian
leaders, saying the country's woes should be discussed at home not
abroad.
Christians
in Egypt, according to official statistics, amount to 3.5% of the 70
million population.
However,
Christian sources estimate the number at 10 millions or 15% of the
population.
"Free-Will
Muslims"
This
comes after various reports on rising sectarian tension between
Muslims and Christians in Egypt as well as claims of forcing Christian
women into embracing Islam.
Latest
of these reports was the case of two Christian females – Marian and
Christeen Nader – whose family alleged they were kidnapped and
forced into embracing Islam.
But
Egypt's independent weekly Elosboa published Monday what it
said the content of a CD sent by the two Christian females.
The
two females said in the CD that they embraced Islam and married two
Muslim men with their free will, denying claims they were abducted and
forced to become Muslims.
They
also said they were ready to appear on the TV screen to refute claims
they were forced to embrace Islam, calling on Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak to intervene to protect them against the security forces'
chase.
Refuted
Claims
Sheikh
Abdullah Mujawir of Al-Azhar fatwa committee also refuted claims of
forcing the two Christian women into Islam.
"Nobody
has forced Marian and Christeen or any other Coptic citizen to embrace
Islam," he was quoted as saying by Al-Masri Al-Youm daily.
"When
anybody wants to revert to Islam, we ask him why he chooses to embrace
the Islamic faith and make sure that he has embraced Islam with full
conviction."
To
address Christian concerns, the Egyptian authorities often insist that
potential converts discuss their motives with priests before their
decision becomes irrevocable.
In
December, 2004, a priest's wife in northwest of Cairo embraced Islam,
triggering a sit-in and clashes with police at Cairo's main cathedral.
Following
violent protests, the Egyptian authorities returned the priest's wife
to Christian leaders who “gave her advice” in a secluded location.
The
problem was solved by declaring that the woman had abandoned her
conversion bid and returned to Christianity.
The
Egyptian authorities' handling of the case prompted criticisms from
intellectuals and independent newspapers who decried the delivery of
the woman, against her will, to Christian religious men to pressure
her into returning to a religion she had voluntarily abandoned.
They
further warned the incident represented a dangerous infringement of a
citizen's human rights and it could lead to the undermining of the
state's authority by sending wrong signals that “blackmail and
pressure” could replace the rule of law.
