The Archangel Michael Church in Imbaba, Cairo, was recently the scene of a motion rarely witnessed in Egypt. A reconciliation session held there put an end to a feud dating back to 1989 between the two Coptic families of Matta Wahba and Ghattas Mikhail, who both hail from the village of Deir Tassa in Assiut, Upper Egypt. Back then Matta Wahba Sr. was killed by a younger member of the Mikhails during a fight between both families.
The Wahbas refused to receive condolences for their dead member, a move which indicated they had vowed to take revenge. Only when they succeed in taking the life of a Mikhail for the life of their victim would they be able to raise their heads high in honour and receive formal condolences for the Wahba who died.
A dead man
But 19 years passed and this did not happen. The families left their birthplace and moved to Cairo in search for better livelihood. They became big traders in the district of Imbaba. Then last Christmas, during the feast celebrations, a quarrel broke between children from the two families. Upon investigating the matter, the police found out about the vendetta. Both families being Coptic, the police contacted the Church and asked for its help to put an end to the feud which threatened to escalate. The Church readily took the matter in its hands and intervened. Father Mikhail of the Archangel Michael’s church and Anba Aghathon, Bishop of al-Edwa and Maghagha in Minya, Upper Egypt, who is remotely related to the two families, were instrumental in bringing the vendetta to an end.
It is customary in order to peacefully end a vendetta for the killer to call for a meeting of the two families and the village elders—usually held in the village square. When all are present he approaches the family of the victim, carrying a shroud and leading a lamb. This signifies that he considers himself a dead man awaiting burial unless they decide to pardon him. He spreads the shroud on the earth and lies on it, with the lamb beside him. The man who was in charge of revenging the dead approaches, carrying a knife, and aims it at the lying man but kills the lamb instead.
In some very few cases a victim’s family may agree to end a vendetta for a sum of ransom money to redeem the killer.
But none of the above scenarios were enacted in the Imbaba case since the 19-year-long feud was ended through the intervention of Anba Aghathon, who said the final touch to the settlement was the blessing of Pope Shenouda III.
Condolences, congratulations
The reconciliation was followed by a ceremony in a large tent set up to receive condolences for Wahba’s death, and attended by 3,000 residents of Imbaba, which is home to a large number of people who originally come from Upper Egypt. Once this was over congratulations were due, and the same tent served as scene of a feast, with ululations ringing in the air. Anba Agathon was on hand to share in the rejoicing, and was joined by Imbaba’s MPs and the leading figures in the local council of Imbaba.
Maher Wahba said his family approved the settlement without any stipulation at the urging of Father Mikhail, priest of the Archangel Mikhail Church. Henceforth, Wahba said, “We will exchange visits.”
For his part Sami Hishmat of the Mikhail family said: “Today we are celebrating peace, and we hope there will be no enmity between the two families again.”
Following the ceremony of reconciliation; the two families donated a large icon of “The Last Supper” to Deir Tassa. On it were inscribed their joint names.