Dear friends,

 

This Sunday is Easter in the Coptic Orthodox tradition and thus I would like to wish all Orthodox a blessed Easter!

 

I am very grateful for the 22 readers of Arab-West Report who have so far responded with a total of 1120 Euro in donations. It is a good start to reach the 10,000 Euro needed to keep Hosam Dergham and Jenna Ferrecchia with Arab-West Report.

 

We encourage the rest of our subscribers to click here to donate even just 10 Euro to Arab West Report to help keep Hosam and Jenna, who are currently engaged in full-time work that is vital to the core mission of our operation.

 

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AWR Managing Director Hany Labib and his team have completed a book on Article 2 of the Egyptian constitution, which stipulates that Sharia is the source of legislation for Egyptian law. The subject is extremely important, given the current political discussions in Egypt.  Many liberals want to see the reference to this article disappear from the constitution, while Islamists of course disagree.  But in reality, the most important question is not whether the article is in the constitution, but rather but how it would be applied. The book will be launched in Cairo on April 24-25. It will be available in Arabic, but we plan to soon have an English translation.

 

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Meanwhile, the Commission of the Bishop’s Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) in Brussels has invited me to speak at a conference on Christians in the Middle East and North Africa on May 9. The Church and Society Commission of CEC and COMECE requested that the Eureopean Union more clearly monitor violations of freedom of religion, both within the EU and throughout the world.  

 

COMECE invited representatives of Open Doors, Kirche in Not, and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, as well as representatives from Tunisia, Egypt (Arab-West Report), Libya, Syria and Jerusalem. Several members of parliament are expected to be present. It is possible for speakers to take guests to this conference.

 

This seminar will be both important and timely, since large scale Christian emigration is rapidly reducing the proportion of Christians in many countries of the Middle East. It will also be an interesting discussion because the opinions of Arab-West Report may not match up with those of other speakers, some of whom have a more one-sided, inflammatory, and inaccurate view of such issues. 

 

It is true that all Egyptians are suffering through a difficult transition period. However, the issue is not persecution as often portrayed in the media, but one of an absent Egyptian government and an absence of the rule of law. This has resulted in large numbers of churches, mosques, houses and other structures being built without government permits. It has also resulted in large scale robbery of pharaonic excavation locations, thuggery and other theft. Of course, this affects Christians -- but not only Christians. It is of the utmost importance - for all Egyptians - that the rule of law is restored as soon as possible.

 

We find it highly disturbing that so many people paint relations between Egyptian Muslims and Christians with such black and white strokes. Many of the so-called "experts" with such views do not have - and have not ever - lived in Egypt. Arab West Report has spent many hours responding to the reports of such "experts," which often grossly represent the facts, and are frequently based on very selective research and disputed second-hand stories.

 

The problem with many such advocates, many of whom are well-intentioned, is that they are ideologues, who often select only those facts that support their preconceived notions of Muslim-Christian relations. Instead, they should be here in Egypt, systematically checking stories and documenting them, regardless of whether the information they find suits a particular ideology. This would lead to careful, nuanced interpretations instead of sweeping conclusions and generalizations. 

 

I remain confident that Europe can play a positive role in developing Middle Eastern and North African countries. But before it can do so, Europeans must first understand the dynamics taking place in these various countries. And it is this that we will discuss on May 9 in Brussels.  It is therefore good COMECE has taken the initiative to organize this conference for which they have invited representatives from different countries to present their testimonies. Please inform me if you would like to attend, and I will present your request to COMECE.

 

With best wishes,

 

Cornelis Hulsman,

Editor-in-chief of Arab-West Report