The official spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada, Judge Maged Riyad, denied rumours that the Church was organising protests against the Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi while on his visit to the US this week
The official spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada, Judge Maged Riyad, denied rumours that the Church was organising protests against the Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi while on his visit to the US this week.
The Church, Mr Riyad said, condemns such rumours which aim at sowing division among Egypt’s Copts and Muslims. It prays for President Mursi, and it believes in the free expression of opinion in a civilised, Christian manner, he said.
Coincidentally, the bishops of the Coptic Orthodox Church outside Egypt have sent President Mursi a letter demanding that he should preserve national unity and halt attempts to implicate Coptic bishops outside Egypt in the production of the rogue film The Innocence of Muslims which incensed Muslims all over the world. They strongly rejected that the patriotism of any of them should be brought into question. The Coptic Church, the bishops wrote, from Day One roundly denounced the film.
The letter was signed by Bishop of Ireland Anba Anthony; Anba Barnaba Bishop of Torino and Rome; Anba David, Bishop-General in The US; Anba Michael of Virginia; Anba Abakir of Scandinavia; Anba Angaelos of Stevenage, UK; Anba Demian, Bishop-General of Germany; and Anba Youssef of south US.
WATANI International
23 September 2012