Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Bashīr 'Īsá writes that the attack on the Church of the Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter in Alexandria is not different than the November attack at the Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad.

The author is surprised at what she sees as the double standard of Egyptians in reacting to religious incidents. 'Īsá says that Egyptians were very upset when a veiled women was killed in Germany by a mentally ill person, but he claims that they did not move when Christians were recently killed in Alexandria and elsewhere.

He adds that it is not appropriate to change the Egyptian constitution in order to pretend to fight terrorism or fitnah.

German Foreign Affairs Minister Guido Westerwelle made an unannounced visit to Iraq yesterday to discuss bilateral relations and the conditions of Christians in the country.

A source from the office of Usāmah al-Nujayfī, the head of parliament, told al-Sharq al-Awsat that following their meeting, al-Nujayfī said that the parliament discussed the conditions of Christians and put together a committee that issued orders that will hopefully help solve the issue. He added that the safety and security of Christians is top priority and that he refuses the idea of there being no Christians in Iraq.

The German Minister of Foreign Affairs announced that Westerwelle will be meeting with various leaders of Christian sects whose followers were killed in the Sayyidat al-Najāh Church massacre by al-Qā‘idah. During his meeting with Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Westerwelle expressed concern about violence against minorities in Iraq.

Westerwelle also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nūrī al-Mālikī, who confirmed that the Iraqi government is dedicated to keep Christians from immigrating. Samīr al-Nahāy of the Ministry of Immigrants said that said that the ministry is researching the situation and that Christians have been moving to other areas of Iraq and also to neighbouring countries.

Christian activist William Wirdā said that the parliamentary committee formed to solve the Christian condition has been ineffective due to internal conflicts. He said that studies show that over 400 families have moved from Baghdad to the Nineveh plains following threats by al-Qā‘idah.

Wirdā also said that he met with the British and French ambassadors to Baghdad and told them that Christians refuse the West’s invitations to bring them into their countries because that would not be a solution for the problem inside Iraq. Instead, he proposed that the West protect Christians inside Iraq.

A study conducted by the University of Hamburg in Germany has concluded that a serious potential for Islamist radicalization has developed amongst the Muslim community in Germany. Moreover, the lack of integration in society means that many Muslims have started to have a more fundamental religious orientation.

Interview: Cornelis Hulsman

The following article presents an interview between His Royal Highness Prince Hasan Ibn Talal of Jordan, and Drs. Cornelis Hulsman. Issues discussed include Christian emigration from the Arab world, reform, and political issues in the Middle East.

Dr. Tharwat Qādis talks about the salary increase for Anglican priests.

Almost a year ago, al-Fajr newspaper published an edited photo of the Grand Imām of the Azhar, Shaykh Sayyid Tantāwī, which depicted him wearing the garments of the Catholic Pope and holding his scepter. The grand imām considered the depiction insulting and filed a claim against the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and the journalist in whose article the photo was published. Christians considered the claim to be be an offense against Christianity, since the grand imām considered the cross and the religious vestments of the pope an insulting sign.

An evangelical priest known for her extreme defense of Islam wrote a book that discusses the debate about hijāb and Muslims’ rights in Western communities.

The author presents a series of three articles reviewing memoirs of Moroccan ‘Umar al-Nāsir – the pseudonym of a spy who infiltrated al-Qā‘idah in Afghanistan at the behest of European intelligence agencies.

Drs. Hulsman and Dr. Burslem provide a detailed report on Muslim-Christian relations based on a review of Dr. Hugh Goddard’s book, commenting on a number of issues including Western perceptions, mis-interpretations, and examples of recent incidents involving Muslims and Christians.

The author praises Pope Benedict XVI for courageously acknowledging the violations and sexual harassments committed by some Catholic clergymen in the United States and hopes that the pope will express his regret for what he said about Islam in 2006.