Newsfeed
Building bridges with other faiths: Muslims with courage are more aware
Author: Heba Yosry
Publication Date: 4/9/2021
Source: Al-Arabiya
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke recently about issues relating to religious awareness. In a brave and clear demeanor, he further explained that “we are born Muslims and Non-Muslims through our ID cards, by inheritance.”
The president added that when all of us were younger we didn’t know whether we were following the right path or not, concluding that to do this successfully everyone needs to have the courage to question our beliefs until we reach the truth.
Coptic Christians singing on Cairo Metro spark controversy
Author: Mina Nader
Publication Date: 27/8/2021
Source: Jerusalem Post
Religion is a perilous subject in Egypt. A video of the Aghapy Coptic Choir singing on the Cairo Metro has gone viral and raised controversy over public expressions of faith and religious intolerance in Egypt.
The sight of the Coptic youth singing hymns has sparked a debate around public expression of faith even within the Coptic community and among secular Egyptians. Nabila Makram, the minister for emigration and Egyptian expatriates’ affairs, and a member of the Coptic Church, shared the video on her personal Facebook page to commemorate the Feast of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary.
Former culture minister supports removing religion from Egyptian national IDs
Author: Al-Masry Al-Youm
Publication Date: 12/9/2021
Source: Egypt Independent
Former Culture Minister Gaber Asfour expressed his support for removing the religion field on Egypt’s national ID cards.
Asfour stated on Thursday that future generations will be lost if the religion field continues to be present on the card, with regard to determining their identity.
On the “Rai Aam” (Public Opinion) program, presented by journalist Amr Abdel Hamid, the former minister asked: “Do you have to specify in the card that you are a civilian Muslim or a Salafi Muslim? This no longer happens, we are not in the time of Taliban.”
Armenian church in Malatya hosts first religious service since 1915 as a culture center
Author: Alin Ozinian
Publication Date: 2/9/2021
Source: Turkish Minute
The Surp Yerrortutyun (Holy Trinity) Armenian Church in Malatya, in east-central Turkey, on August 29 hosted its first religious service since the Armenian genocide of 1915.
Holy Trinity Church – built in the second half of the 18th century — was renovated by the Malatya Metropolitan Municipality and reopened as the Taşhoran Culture and Art Center. According to a statement released by the municipality, “From now on, the Armenian sanctuary will serve as a cultural center and the Armenian community will be allowed to hold liturgical, baptism and wedding ceremonies.”
The number of churches and ecclesiastical buildings "approved" by the Egyptian government rises to 1958
Publication Date: 24/8/2021
Source: Agenzia Fides
In July and August 2021, the Egyptian government confirmed that a further 76 churches and buildings owned by the church comply with the regulations for the construction of Christian houses of worship and the associated service buildings. This time the declaration concerned 27 Christian houses of worship and 49 associated buildings. The new list of retrospectively "approved" churches and church buildings was published in the Official Gazette and was approved by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on the basis of the review by the relevant government committee, which was used on an ad hoc basis to implement the retrospective building permits for Christian places of worship and associated buildings, which had been built in the past few decades without the necessary government and administrative permits.
Turkey’s Armenian Christian Minority Is Safeguarding Ancient Liturgy
Author: Christopher Sheklian
Publication Date: 14/9/2021
Source: Religion Unplugged
Every year for the Feast of the Ascension, all of the Armenian Apostolic Church clergy in Istanbul gather on the plaza outside the small brick chapel of Surp Pırgiç, Holy Savior, within the compound of the associated hospital. There, they conduct the ancient Armenian Antasdan rite, the Blessing of the Fields.
After 19 months of Pre-trial Detention, Patrick Zaki’s Trial Begins Tomorrow before Emergency Court
Publication Date: 13/9/2021
Source: Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
The undersigned organisations condemn the decision of the State Security Supreme Prosecution (SSSP) to indict Patrick Zaki, the researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), on charges of “spreading false news inside and outside of the country”, based on an opinion article published two years ago.
The first trial session will be held tomorrow, Tuesday September 14 2021, before the Mansoura II State Security Misdemeanors (emergency) Court. Zaki was indicted based on articles 80 (D), and 102 (bis) of the penal code.
How is Covid-19 affecting Christians in Syria?
Publication Date: 3/9/2021
Source: Open Doors Phillipines
The impact of Covid-19 and lockdown has particularly affected the church in Syria and Iraq. After a decade of conflict and persecution, as well as ongoing poverty, Christians in the Middle East are now disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic. Though the official figures suggest that Syria has seen a relatively small number of cases and fatalities, this number is likely to be much higher than has been reported.
Egyptian Christians Celebrate Coptic New Year Nayrouz Today
Publication Date: 11/9/2021
Source: Egyptian Streets
Today, the Coptic Orthodox community -one of several minorities in Egypt- celebrates the beginning of the year 1738 on the Coptic calendar, anno martyrum or AM (Latin for Era of the Martyrs). The Coptic New Year, Nayrouz, is celebrated on September 11 on the Gregorian calendar, except for the year preceding a leap year when it’s celebrated on September 12.
Not Russia’s fault that settlement process in Syria slackening
Publication Date: 30/8/2021
Source: TASS News Agency
According to Sergey Lavrov, Russia has helped Syria to preserve its statehood and to preserve Christianity in Syria
