On the feast of the glorious Resurrection of Christ last year, I wrote that it was the will of our Heavenly Father that “as we live the joy of the Resurrection, we carry in our hearts the pain of the brutal martyrdom of the 62-year-old Copt Nabil Habashi Salama.” Mr Salama was kidnapped earlier in 2021 from his home town of Bir al-Abd in North Sinai by Daesh, also known as Islamic State (IS); on 18 April 2021, the Islamic group’s site posted video footage showing the execution of Mr Salama.
This year too, we live the joy of the Resurrection of Christ as we attempt to find solace in the wonderfully elevating life story of Father Arsanius Wadid of Alexandria, who was martyred on 7 April 2022 at the hands of a lost soul who dealt him a deadly stab in the neck. Fr Arsanius had been accompanying a group of young men and women from his church, the church of the Holy Virgin and Mar-Boulos (St Paul) in Karmouz, for a day of leisure and spiritual activity on the beach in Alexandria; he was murdered after sunset as the group boarded microbuses to take them home.
Fr Arsanius deserves to be venerated; we have faith that he now basks in heavenly joy and glory with all the martyrs of Christianity throughout the ages. We pray that God may grant his family and Church, and all of us, the strength of faith that would allow us all to transcend the pain of earthly loss, and elevate our souls to the heavenly hymns welcoming the new comer to Heaven.
We felt comforted and redressed by the heartfelt sympathy and solidarity expressed by our fellow Muslims, and their overwhelming rejection of the strikes of hatred that target our nation’s unity. In such difficult times, we arm ourselves with expressive, memorable quotes that will always remain the pride of Egyptians one and all. Among these are Pope Shenouda III’s “Egypt is not a nation in which we live, it is a nation that lives within us.” Also Pope Tawadros II’s : “A nation without churches is better than churches without a nation.” This he said in the wake of the Muslim Brothers’ nationwide destruction and burning spree on 14 August 2013 against Coptic churches, institutions, businesses and homes which left some 84 churches in ruins [The churches were all repaired and restored by the Egyptian Armed Forces by January 2017]. Among the most expressive quotes posted on social media was: “We are 100 million Egyptians, we are all Muslims when needs be, and all Copts when needs be. Kill us all if you can … Long live Egypt with her vigilant people.” We draw comfort and solace from that spirit of love and wisdom as we live the joy of the Resurrection of Christ.
I extend my heartfelt wishes for a blessed Resurrection Feast to the shepherd of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, and to all archbishops, bishops and priests of the Church, and the Coptic congregation. I also extend my best wishes to the reverend heads of the various Churches in Egypt, and to their clergy and congregations. And I pray for the Lord to protect our nation from all harm.
Watani International
23 April 2022
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