Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Bishop Marqus of Shubrā al-Khaymah and Dr. Safwat al-Bayādī, head of the Coptic Evangelical Church in Egypt are visiting Saudi Arabia with the official delegation to improve bilateral relations between the two countries after the recent crisis. This is considered a first of its kind visit for the Egyptian church representatives to Saudi Arabia.

Arab West Report will reveal more details about the visit later.

Muhammad Mursī, the chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, and Dr. Muhammad Sa‘d al-Katātnī, Secretary-General of the party, met Saudi Arabia’s ambassador

who confirmed that Saudi Arabia is prepared to play a big role in the development process, both economically and politically, in this critical transitional phase.

Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III welcomed Saudi Arabia's Ambassador in Cairo Ahmad 'Abd al-'Azīz Qatān in the Papal See.

Dr. Radwān al-Sayyid, a Lebanese Thinker, writes about two publications of Al-Mesbar Studies and Research Centre that talks about religious institution, fatwás, and religious education.

Attention toward fatwás and their consequences has recently increased in the Islamic world.

From al-Sayyid's point of view, tension and accusations increased between Muslims and the West after America began to assume that religious schools in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were the source of extremism and terrorists.

However, Al-Sayyid added, "As much as they were extremists in their call, we were radical for refusing it."

Bishop Yūhannā Qultah, deputy of the Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church in Cairo points out the significance of inter-religious dialogue as a divine issue that leads to a better reality.

An International Dialogue Conference is to be held in Madrid, July 16 – 18.

The article chronicles the appearance of famous dā‘iyahs in Egypt and covers the on-going struggle between the new dā‘iyahs and Salafis to take over the status of the publicly-adored dā‘iyah. The absence of an effective role of the Azhar is also questioned.

Watani interviewed the Islamic scholar Jamal al-Bannā about his views concerning; the church, his opinion that religions do not contradict each other and his explanations for the growing extremism in Egyptian society.

Wā’il Lutfī discusses the fatwà issued by Dr. Muhammad Shawqī al-Fanjarī about zakāh for oil production.

This article deals with press freedom reports. The author explains that these reports gain credibility when issued by independent bodies. He points out that the Federation of Arab Journalists and the Supreme Council of Press are not independent; hence, their reports are not reliable.