I wished I could continue narrating what happened
with the group of al-Tahrir al-Islami party… those who contemplated and
committed the crime that took place in the military technical college… as I have
promised that I will tell you some facts that happened in the appeal prison in
Cairo on May, 1977… when they tried to nail me because I gave my opinion about
them holding Fridays’ prayers for themselves alone away from the rest of the people
in the prison mosque… after I told what happened in Abu Za’abal prison when
they destroyed the cell where they used to stay just because we were supposed
to replace them as to prison orders…
In my opinion, the most important in these stories
is the signification that lies in them as it hints at the ideological
foundation most islamist terrorist believe in… those twisted foundations that many
still believe in until now… while some of them exist in heritage books that are
being taught in curricula of al-Azhar schools.
I wished… however, the debate running regarding
Pope Tawadros II’s visit to Jerusalem has provoked me to postpone the issue of
those islamists… and to directly discuss this visit… Days ago, The Egyptian
Orthodox Church has issued a statement declaring the reason and goal behind the
visit… also, it was keen to refute any attempts to politicize what happened… However,
those who stood against such visit did politicized the whole matter… and those
who were with it went far in doing the same thing… to the extent that my
colleague Newton made use of the whole thing to damn all Arab nationalists and
all those who stand against normalization of relations with the Zionists… then
he expressed his pity for pioneers like Lutfi al-Kholi, Muhammed Saied Ahmed
and Salah Basiouni who were subjected to unfair campaigns… to the rest of his
article published in Almasry alyoum newspaper on November 29th, 2015.
He forgot to list the name of the late Mr. Ali
Salem – may he rest in peace – whom I used to be a close friend to… but later
he became a close friend to Newton and Jihan Sadat! I’m not about to reply to
what Newton said because I believe when dispute turns into some kind of “phobia”…
then it’s useless… and in this case, it’s better to let it go and discuss other
useful stuff instead! but, if I can write anything… I’d say that Salah
el-Kholi, Salah Basiouni, Ali Salem and others … all represent a cohesive ideology
regarding what we’re talking about… not including Muhammed Saied Ahmed in such
group… and there are many details to tell about this but now is not the time… Also,
Mr. Lutfi el-Kholi and ambassador Salah Basiouni were not subjected at all to
any harassment or suffering due to what they did unlike Ali Salem with whom I have
a very important story to tell regarding our subject… relatively long years
ago, we met in an interview hosted by “Orbit” channels and conducted by Gamal
Anayet to debate over the question saying: Can an intellectual change his ideological
stances… how? And when? I may tell part of this story later!
I doubt… no, I am sure… those who tackled Pope
Tawadros II’s visit to Jerusalem might know anything about the Egyptian Church…
how it was established… its history… the theological and sociological backbone
ideology! As the Pope has no farms that give high production to gain more
profits… he also has no projects, either productive or consuming, that require
searching for expertise and connections to develop them or gain more money… Pope
Tawadros II was decisive, both theoretically and ideologically, about the
target behind his visit… as he refused to go to Ramallah where Palestinian
leadership is… he also refused to go the other side… moreover;
the statement issued by the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral has affirmed the Church is committed to what Pope Shenouda III has declared and asserted before... So, what is the problem and what is wrong with that?
As to me, I have known the late Coptic bishop of
Jerusalem when he was named father Sedrak in the Monastery of Saint Pishoy… I used
to visit him there and I was allowed to stay and delve to the most sacred places
inside… I also knew bishop father Serapion, bishop of New York when he was
responsible for the social services and in charge of the Coptic Centre for
studies where we used to attend seminars, lectures and activities that were all
beneficial and useful to the nation… he was one of those who participated in
prayers held on Jerusalem’ late bishop… and if I had the chance, I’d have been
myself with Pope Tawadros II to Jerusalem to attend the funeral of my dear
friend bishop of Jerusalem whom I knew and was generous to me while he was
still in the Monastery of Saint Pishoy!
So what is wrong if the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch
of the See of St. Mark went to bury one of the most distinguished bishops of the
church… knowing that he was his friend and monastic-lifetime companion… he went
to hold prayers over him and bid him last farewell and then come back… not
turning right or left… not shaking hands or saying hi to anyone… not holding a
press conference; meaning he hasn’t talked or said a single word?!
Now, let me ask… how many of those who rejected
going to Jerusalem or occupied Palestine have refused to go to Septa and Melilla
and to Spain; the country that occupies them… or even refused to go to the city
of Iskenderuna
and to Turkey; again the country that occupies it… or to Iran that occupies some
Arab islands in the Persian Gulf?!
I know many will be mad at me for what I say… but I’m
here recording a stance that is definitely not like that of Newton, el-Kholi,
Basiouni, Salem or any other of those who have adopted an idea that separates
between the origin, essence and context of the Zionist movement along with its
terrorist movements, groups, persons and leaders who are more terrorist and
bloody that al-Baghdadi, Bin Laden, al-Zawahri, al-Shater and others, in
addition to the racist colonial occupation for Palestine that followed later…
and their commercial and political interests which they claim represent the interests
of Egypt and its people.
My stance here is that generalization is incorrect
and inacceptable… and that making hasty judgments and condemning the Pope’s
stance is inacceptable and unethical too… because the stance of the Egyptian
national Orthodox Church has never changed either theology-wise or historically
towards the responsibility of the Jews about the pains of Glorified Jesus… it
has never changed as well ideologically towards the issue of “Jews as the
chosen people”… and regarding the common unified national stance, the Egyptian
Church still connects the Pope’s visit to Jerusalem with that of al-Azhar grand
Imam.
I wish those gentlemen who have detained Pope
Tawadros II’s visit and compared it to the stance adopted by his predecessor
Pope Shenouda III can tell me about a real practical resisting act against the Zionist
entity as an action supporting the fighting one… because I believe real
resistance is about building Egypt, the strong state by science, research and
production and to tighten social cohesion… in addition to other endless stuff enjoying
higher priority.
This article was published in Almasry alyoum
newspaper on December 1, 2015.
To see the original article, go to:
#almasry_alyoum #ahmed_elgammal #Egyptian_church
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