Mother’s U.S. Citizenship May Disqualify Egyptian Candidate – NYTimes.com

Anti-American Egyptian Candidate May Be Tripped Up by Mother’s U.S. Ties
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK | Published: April 4, 2012

Mr. Abu Ismail said his mother had obtained a green card granting her legal permanent residence, but not citizenship, and the incongruous image of an anti-American Islamist seemingly unaware of the details of his mother’s life in California is already delighting Egyptian liberals. And if Mr. Abu Ismail is forced to leave the race, American diplomats apprehensive about the possible repercussions of his victory may also be pleased. But in practical political terms his departure may help unite a fractured Islamist vote.

Mother’s U.S. Citizenship May Disqualify Egyptian Candidate – NYTimes.com.

CAIRO — An ultraconservative Islamist whose denunciations of American power have helped propel him to the front of Egypt’s presidential race appears to have been tripped up by his own American connections.

The mother of the candidate, Sheik Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, became an American citizen before she died, according to California public records and a Los Angeles voter registration Web site. That would disqualify Mr. Abu Ismail from running for president under current Egyptian law. And his exit would again scramble the race to become the first president since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, setting the template for Egypt’s future leadership. Continue reading “Mother’s U.S. Citizenship May Disqualify Egyptian Candidate – NYTimes.com” →

To the victor in Egypts presidential race: a terrible economy – CSMonitor.com

To the victor in Egypts presidential race: a terrible economy – CSMonitor.com.

The Muslim Brotherhood has fronted a candidate. A former ally of Mubarak may even run. But whoever wins will start with less than half the foreign reserves Egypt had before the revolution.

By Dan Murphy, Staff writer / April 3, 2012

The Muslim Brotherhood, after months of denials of interest in the presidency, nominated one of its own for the presidency of Egypt this weekend. In Cairo yesterday, rumors were flying that Omar Suleiman, the retired general who emerged as one of Hosni Mubarak’s closest confidants in the final years of his rule, was priming for a run of his own.

But there’s one solid fact that will confront whoever wins the presidency and that won’t be addressed by the most brilliant and fair constitution in human history: Egypt’s economy is in really, really bad shape. Continue reading “To the victor in Egypts presidential race: a terrible economy – CSMonitor.com” →

Egypt’s Other Christian Churches

“Egypt is home to a number of Christian denominations, who differ from the Coptic Orthodox Church on some key issues”

The vast majority of Egyptian Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, but there are a number of other Christian denominations with significant numbers of followers in Egypt. Ahram Online takes a look at three of the largest.

The Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria Continue reading “Egypt’s Other Christian Churches” →

Why Pope Shenoudas Death Matters to Egyptian Protestants | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Fawzi Khalil is a pastor at Kasr el-Dobara Presbyterian Church, located near Tahrir Square. He believes no comparison should be made between Shenouda and his successor.

“God has determined the times and seasons, and appointed Shenouda in his wisdom,” said Khalil, whose church is the largest Protestant congregation in the Middle East. “God will not leave us as orphans, and in a few years we will speak of the new pope as was spoken of Joshua after Moses, and Elisha after Elijah. Our Lord will always raise new leaders.”

Click on link for full story – Why Pope Shenoudas Death Matters to Egyptian Protestants | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction.
The Coptic ‘pope of the Bible’ was controversial yet beloved.
Jayson Casper in Cairo | posted 3/19/2012 09:39AM

Pope Shenouda, the controversial yet beloved head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt, died Saturday after 40 years of leading and reforming the ancient Christian communion. His death complicates the uncertain position of Orthodox believers—who represent 90 percent of Egyptian Christians—now that Islamists have surged to leadership following Egypt’s revolution last January.

Coptic Protestants respected and appreciated the pope.

“Shenouda was a pope of the Bible,” said Ramez Atallah, head of the Bible Society of Egypt. “We are the fifth-largest Bible society in the world because [he] created a hunger for the Scriptures among Copts.” Continue reading “Why Pope Shenoudas Death Matters to Egyptian Protestants | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction” →

Pope Of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church Dies | Fox News

The big remaining question is with the absence of the charismatic pope, who will be able to fill the vacuum.

Pope Of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church Dies | Fox News.

CAIRO, Egypt — Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church who led Egypt’s Christian minority for 40 years during a time of increasing tensions with Muslims, has died. He was 88.

The state news agency MENA said Shenouda died Saturday after battling liver and lung problems from several years. A Coptic Church TV station ran a picture of the pope, with a running feed reading, “The Coptic Church prays to God that he rest in peace between the arms of saints.”

The patriarch, known in Arabic as Baba Shenouda, headed one of the most ancient churches in the world, which traced it founding to St. Mark, who is said to have brought Christianity to Egypt in the 1st Century during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero.

For Egypt’s estimated 10 million Coptic Christians, he was a religious thinker and a charismatic leader, known for his sense of humor — his smiling portrait was hung in many Coptic homes and shops.

Above all, many Copts saw him as the guardian of their minority living amid a majority Muslim population in this country of more than 80 million people.

Continue reading “Pope Of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Church Dies | Fox News” →