Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Senior Islamic Scholar Reported to Prosecutor; Said Egyptian Churches Have Arms Arsenal

The Orthodox Church Info blog reports today (September 22, 2010) that Egyptian lawyer Nagub Gabriel has filed a report at the General Prosecutor's office against Mohamed Salim al-Awwa, a renowned Islamic scholar who alleges in an interview with al-Jazeera's Ahmed Mansour that Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Churches have large quantities of arms and are impenetrable to Egyptian security.

Gabriel demanded that legal measures be taken against al-Awwa and Mansour, saying the remarks are abusive to the Coptic community as a whole, and an attempt to propagate false claims that harm the position of Egypt's Christian population.

"My God, forgive those who abuse the church," said Pope Shenouda III, the head of Egypt's Orthodox Church, commenting on the remarks during his monthly sermon at the Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Alexandria.

The Pope added, "Those are baseless allegations. The state keeps a close watch on our foreign relations, and I seek strength from God alone."

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