With its small, unfired mud brick houses the colour of the grey earth, and its narrow winding alleyways, the village of al-Udeisat in Luxor is typical of hundreds of other villages in Upper Egypt. And also typically, the Coptic community is concentrated in one end of the village, the church in the midst of their houses. The church is no typical feature though; many villages do not contain one. In fact, the mud brick church of Udeisat serves four other Coptic communities in neighbouring villages, in addition to the 8,000 strong community of Udeisat.
Story of a church
The Holy Virgin’s church of Udeisat is a classic case of Copt’s grievances over building churches. It was built"”unlicensed"”on an area of 400-square-metre piece of land in 1970, not as a church but as a house, after the Coptic community despaired of obtaining a license to build a church. Prayers were conducted irregularly, in secrecy, and as the time passed, the church became a fait accompli.
Throughout the 36 years since it was built, no amount of requests or pleas was able to bring legality to the church by licensing it. Copts continued to pray there on an irregular basis, and throughout the past eight years, were able to restore and renovate it, working secretly under the cover of night. With no dome or bell tower, the unlicensed church stood there, serving as a church but not looking like one, and acting as witness to an acrimonious situation where churches are concerned. Harsh argument
When President Hosni Mubarak issued a decree last December easing the restrictions on building, restoring, and renovating churches, the Coptic community"”including Udeisat’s"”began harbouring hopes of legalising unlicensed churches. Talks began between the Coptic Church and relevant officials, and the Church administrators were given to understand they could perform services at the churches until the official licenses were issued. Accordingly, Pope Shenouda III delegated his secretary Bishop You’annis to conduct Holy Mass at the Holy Virgin’s Church in Udeisat on Monday 16 January.
Urgent commitments, however, detained Bishop You’annis, so Father Sarabamon, priest of the nearest church at al-Towd, 20 km away, conducted instead Holy Mass at the Udeisat church on the morning of Tuesday 17 January. At noon that day, General Mohamed Nour, security chief of Luxor, came to the church, met Father Sarabamon, and asked to have a look at the ’guest house’. The priest answered that it was not a guest house but a church, and a harsh argument ensued, following which the security chief left in anger, promising to retaliate.
The onslaught
On Wednesday 18 January at around 7:00pm, the electric current was cut off the Coptic district in Udeisat. Minutes later, hordes of Muslims marched on the Coptic district chanting Islamic slogans and calling for jihad. Carrying torches, kerosene bottles, bludgeons, knives, and the like, they attacked Copts they met, and thus Kamal Shaker Megalaa, a 47-year-old farmer was hit on the head with an axe and was trodden in the stampede. He died on Friday morning of a fractured skull and several other fractures in different parts of his body. The Coptic youth ran to the church and fiercely defended it. The church thus suffered minor losses, but the palms in the courtyard were torched, and the animals which had been left there were killed. It was close to three hours later when the police and fire fighters arrived; the Coptic residents had already managed to keep the fire from spreading. Thirteen people were injured. A 10-year-old boy, Girgis Asaad Shahaat who lives opposite the church died of nervous shock after wit
nessing the events.
Thursday 19 January was Epiphany day in the Coptic Church.
The funeral
The prosecutor’s office of South Qena has issued orders to detain 23 men suspected of perpetrating the attack. Investigations into charges of murder, arson, destruction of property, looting, assault, and rioting are ongoing.
Pope Shenouda III expressed deep sorrow and utmost concern over the events. Watani visited Udeisat and attended the funeral of Megalaa and Girgis. Presiding over the ceremony were Bishop Hedra of Aswan, Bishop Boula of Gharbiya, Bishop You’annis and Bishop Irmiya of the Pope’s secretariat. Bishop You’annis conveyed Pope Shenouda’s condolences to the congregation and delivered a deeply moving sermon.
In the hands of God
Bishop You’annis said that the ’official opening’ of the Udeisat church which had been scheduled for Monday 16 January was delayed, and it appears that God had prepared another happy celebration in heaven, in which the opening was founded on the blood of the martyrs. Churches, he said, are not founded on bricks and mortar, but on their congregations and martyrs. He spoke very movingly about the everlasting joy awaiting the two martyrs of Udeisat in Heaven; his words had a soothing, calming effect on the mourners, and a climate of peace reigned.
Bishop You’annis reminded the congregation that the Bible assures justice. The 8th verse in the 5th chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastis says: "If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice ... marvel not at the matter, for He that is higher than the highest can see, and there be higher than they.” Never fear, he said, "we are in the hands of God, not man.”
The two coffins were later carried the to the cemetery in a procession of some 6,000 villagers chanting Kyrie Eleison.
