Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Last Sunday, Pope Shenouda III inaugurated the first Coptic Orthodox Church in Hungary, in Budapest’s eighteenth district. The Pope presided over an evening service ceremony during which he anointed and consecrated the altar and the icons of the church which was named for the Holy Virgin and the Archangel Michael.

Explaining the broad meaning of the concept of

jihād in Islām, Muslim thinker Rajab al-Bannā quoted famous British writer Karen

Armstrong’s definition of it as "struggle and effort, not a synonym for holy war as Westerners define it."

Ahmad ‘Izz al-Dīn al-‘Arab wrote in a short article in al-Wafd that not only

did Muslims defend Islām but also secular Jews, like Uri Avnery, an Israeli writer and peace activist who

concluded, in an article published by an Israeli peace movement, that it is true that the Prophet Muhammad

supported the use of the sword in his wars against opposing forces. "But that was a political act, not a religious

one; basically a fight for territory, not for the spreading of the faith," Avnery explained.

"Jewish fundamentalism in Israel" by Israel Shahak and Norton Matsvenski provides information about the different extremist trends in Israel. Most dangerous among them is the Messiahani group when matters are related to both the internal and foreign policies of Israel. The Haredim is another extremist group. They forbid women singing, prevent them to get education. They put them in the same jungle as dogs and pigs.

The most important aspect of the new picture of the Holocaust is the involvement of Zionist and non-Zionist members of Jewish groups in a strong relation of cooperation with the Nazis. Some examples of this relation are the role played by members of Jewish councils which were under the authority of the Nazis. These roles stretched from cooperating with the Nazis in economic fields to approving all the Nazi demands including annihilation in exchange for protecting the interests of Jewish leaders.

In addition to holding historical value, Coptic monuments also hold religious and spiritual value, stories of saints and symbols of the Coptic Orthodox faith, which makes Coptic monuments no less valuable than the pharaonic ones. This becomes clear abroad with many countries competing to host exhibitions of Coptic monuments.

Coptic music becomes more and more known outside Egypt. Coptic music groups are frequently invited to sing outside Egypt.