Arab West Report Egyptian press summaries and media research for dialogue

Presidential candidate Ahmad Shafīq said Christians are full partners in the nation, pledging if he won the elections, he would choose a highly-efficient Christian woman as vice president to cover religion and sex in the same time. [Ashraf Sharaf and Sarhān Sinnārah, al-Akhbār, May 16, p. 5] Read text in Arabic

Public business sector company Benzion said it is currently negotiating with some U.S. companies to export a photo of deceased Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III in his last farewell. [Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Ātī, al-Misrī al-Yawm, May 12, p. 20] Read original text in Arabic

Presidential candidate Husām Khayr Allāh said if he won the elections, he would set up a ministry for Coptic religious affairs to regulate the building of churches and other pending issues suffered by Copts in Egypt. [‘Amr Jalāl and Mukhlis ‘Abd al-Haī, al-Akhbār, May 10, p. 5] Read text in Arabic

The bay'ah, or pledge of allegiance, inside the Muslim Brotherhood is not just a traditional ritual but rather a covenant and commitment. One of the most important means of going up the ladder of ranks in the group, the oath is not easy to be broken. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Misrī al-Yawm, May 8, p. 16] Read original text in Arabic

A conference on president election criteria held by several Coptic organizations on Sunday (May 6) was marred by splits and squabbles after Dr. Sharīf Dūs, Chairman of the General Coptic Organization in Egypt (GCOE), expressed support for presidential candidate ‘Abd al-Mun’im Abū al-Futūh. [‘Abd al-Wahāb Sha’bān, al-Wafd, May 7, p. 1] read text in Arabic

The Coptic Orthodox Church Guards Coalition denounced the protests in al-Tahrīr and al-‘Abbāssīyah, adding proponents of those protest calls “seek the division of the nation into factions fighting one another”. [Ghādah ‘Abd al-Hāfiz, al-Misrī al-Yawm, May 5, p. 6] Read original text in Arabic

Azhar scholars said that attacking public property, intimidating citizens and killing soldiers and workers are all against Islam and their perpetrators must be punished. [Dīyā’ Abū al-Safā, al-Akhbār, May 6, p. 6] Read original text in Arabic

Anti-riot police forces reinforced presence around the Saint Mark Cathedral in the Cairo district of al-‘Abbāssīyah, where renewed clashes erupted between protesters and thugs on Wednesday (May 2) as nine armored vehicles parked outside the cathedral that closed its gates. [‘Imān Ibrāhīm and Muhammad Fathī, al-Jumhūrīyah, May 3, p. 5] Read text in Arabic

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.

Salafī preacher Shaykh Muhammad Hassān called on the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and Salafists to stretch a cooperating hand to liberals and Copts in order to protect the nation, adding no faction should work on blackballing others. [‘Umar ‘Abd al-Jawwād, al-Jumhūrīyah, April 18, p. 3] Read text in Arabic