Friday, November 13, 2009

How mosques suffocate churches in Egypt

A Christian "dreaming" of building a church in Egypt must adhere to the ten stringent conditions laid by the Ezaby Pasha along the Hamayouni decree(Ottoman Empire-laid rules for building Churches), and may even have to seek the consent of the street stall radish seller in the vicinity !!

Simply put, building of churches in Egypt is almost impossible.
Amongst the conditions of Ezaby Pasha is one which stipulates that the church may not to be built in the vicinity of a mosque, as "churches are houses of sin and shirk" !!. Mosques, however, may be built at will, adjacent to any church, suffocating the Church and the Churchgoers physically and mentally, and ironically, it is called "national unity" between Muslims and Christians with hollow slogans of "Long live Egypt", "Long live national unity", but you would be crazy to believe it works both ways and that building a church next to the mosque is considered "national unity" too!!.

It is common that you will see the Muslim call of prayer coming out of 6 loud speakers in a mosque directed at the adjacent church, just to annoy Christian worshipers during their prayers, specially during Sunday liturgy

Take for instance the Church of the martyr "Abu Kastor" in Berdanoha of Matai, an ancient church dating back to the second century AD where the Muslims built a new mosque adjacent to and facing the old church Martyr "Abu Kastor" was born in the town of Berdanoha in 195 A.D. SO, and the church is one of the most ancient churches in Egypt and the world. However, like other Coptic villages which suffer from the persecution by the majority, Muslims did not find any other a place to build a mosque except adjacent to an archaic Church, and they built one about a year ago and proceeded to install six loud speakers and directed them towards the "infidels" and their church !!. Another way of Jihad by "Noise" which result in stopping prayers at the Church with the speakers broadcasting the Koran continuously, especially when Christians go to church to attend Mass.

And the Copts have no right to express their indignation and rage, for as they would be considered traitors of the cause of "national unity ".... of course!!

It is worth mentioning that the Christians of the village have been applying to get a building permit to add a services building to the church for twenty years, but alas, the rule of "national unity" stood in the way.

This is Egypt, the country of faith and of worshipers, although it depends whom you worship.

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