A Sense of Belonging

Ramadan Diversity

Today is the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. In order to help our Western friends understand this month, here are a few stories that reveal a wide scope of Ramadan diversity. It may be surprising to some that in Egypt, many churches host iftar, the fast-breaking meal at sunset. I attended two, which … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Qatar Continues

God, Since last week there has been much written but little resolved. Qatar and the Gulf allies have traded accusations and attempted mediation. But now a line in the sand has been drawn. A list of demands has been issued. Egypt, joining Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and others, have given Qatar ten … Continue reading →

Should Christians Join Muslims in Breaking Ramadan’s Daily Fast?

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on June 22, 2017. For most American Christians, Ramadan is a novelty; something heard of, but rarely seen. For Middle Eastern Christians, it is everywhere. For some, it is an annoyance. The month-long fast from sunrise to sunset can make for a cranky Muslim neighbor. Productivity tends … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Saudi Islands

God, Perhaps the story is over, perhaps the judiciary will still have a role. But two contested islands in the Red Sea have been ceded by Egypt to Saudi Arabia, after parliament ratified the president’s decision. It was an unpopular vote; proponents insist it was the right one. At issue is original ownership. Egypt has … Continue reading →

How the Egyptian Church Secures Itself

This article was first published at TIMEP. This past Palm Sunday two suicide bombers killed over 45 people at two churches in northern Egypt. One made his way all the way to the altar at St. George’s Cathedral in the Nile Delta city of Tanta, while the other was stopped at the gate outside St. … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Qatar

God, The Gulf has had enough. So has Egypt. So have others. Some hedge their bets. Some play both sides. But it is a crisis, God. The tiny nation has been called out for supporting terrorism, within a region that is full of it, but usually sticks to innuendo. It also happens to host the … Continue reading →

Will the Ambush of a Church Retreat Ambush Also Coptic Faith?

This article was first published at Providence Magazine. As word spread that 28 Coptic Christians were killed by terrorists, ambushed on their way to a church retreat in Upper Egypt, it was a little while before the realization hit: I was on a church retreat in the Delta. Being in the opposite direction offered no … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Continuation

God, To some degree, dramatic events were more of the same. For good or for ill, some may well carry forward, some must irrevocably stop. Judge rightly, God, and guide Egypt to your judgment. Coptic families were gunned down on an outing to a monastery. Websites were blocked in a dispute over content and orientation. … Continue reading →

Righteous Anger: Egypt’s Christians Respond to ISIS

This article was originally published at Christianity Today, on June 1. They couldn’t even wash their dead. Thirty Coptic Christians were gunned down by ISIS, ambushed in a church bus on a weekend outing to a popular monastery in the Egyptian desert. Their families gathered to receive their loved ones in a local hospital, but … Continue reading →

A Coptic Poem to ISIS

After the latest atrocity against the Copts perpetrated by the Islamic State – killing 30 in an ambush of a church outing to visit a monastery – the following poem was circulated on social media. It is entitled ‘A Message to ISIS’, written by Kiro al-Masry. The translation is mine and the Arabic original is … Continue reading →

Terrorists Kill 26 on Church Bus Trip to Popular Monastery

This article was first published at Christianity Today, on May 26, 2017. Terrorists ambushed a Coptic church bus trip on Friday near Minya in Upper Egypt, killing at least 26 and injuring 25, including many children. Egypt’s interior ministry reported that three 4×4 vehicles of 8 to 10 gunmen dressed in military uniforms opened fire … Continue reading →

Art after Terror: Meet the Egyptian Church that Welcomes Muslims

This article was first published at The Media Project. Two weeks after the Palm Sunday suicide bombing in Alexandria, security at the St. Mark’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral was tight. Police cordon, metal detector, bags checked – even eyeglasses needed to be removed. But inside, tucked away behind the expectant bustle, volunteer leaders circled with hands together … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Old Things

God, So much in Egypt is old. Some gets preserved. Some gets restored. All is its heritage. Honor and judge appropriately. Over the past few weeks many Pharaonic artefacts have been discovered. Mummies, statues, funerary cartouches. Let Egypt celebrate, God, and the world with her. Some are inspiring, some are mishandled. Help archaeology support the … Continue reading →

Islam and the Bigotry of Conviction

The Muslim World (TMW) is one of the leading academic journals covering Islam worldwide. Strange it would call its own history “bigoted”. It was founded in 1911 by Samuel Zwemer, a founding father of Protestant missions in engagement with the oft-rival monotheistic faith. Now published by Hartford Seminary, like much of the Protestant mainline its … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Azhar Blasphemy

God, The Azhar defends Islam. The state defends the law. You defend your name. Together, may Egypt find its way. The grand imam fired the Azhar University president for calling a prominent critic an infidel. The minister of endowments censured a preacher for calling Christians unbelievers. The critic had been convicted of blasphemy, later pardoned. … Continue reading →

Pope Francis, Islam, and Peace-Building

This interview was first published at Informed Comment. Dr. Kamal Boraiqa is a lecturer at al-Azhar University and a member of al-Azhar Center for Dialogue, the al-Azhar Observer for Combating Extremism, and the Egyptian Family House. With a PhD from al-Azhar in Islamic Studies, he has served as an imam at the Santa Rosa Islamic … Continue reading →

Interview: Pilgrim Radio and Coptic Forgiveness

I knew Hamilton existed, but very little beyond this. My editor’s linking to ‘unimaginable‘ may have helped the article go viral. It was already a compelling story. Forgiveness offered by the widow of the Coptic doorman who save the lives of dozens, intervening against a suicide bomber. It was a morbid type of fun to … Continue reading →

Copts Pick Up the Pieces: An Interview with Bishop Thomas

A condensed version of this interview was first published at The Media Project on May 4, 2017. Coptic Christians, the Middle East’s largest Christian community, account for roughly ten percent of Egypt’s population and have endured generations of exclusion and restrictions. Their struggles for equality have been aggravated by a series of gruesome and deadly … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Judges, Tribes

God, Two feuds escalated this week. One reached a preliminary conclusion, the other a concerning jolt. It may not be proper to pray mend the fences, but rather in wisdom to put all things right. After months of debate and clear judicial opposition, the president signed a parliament-ratified bill to select the chief judge of … Continue reading →

Is Sufism the Answer to Extremism in Egypt?

This article was first published at al-Monitor. If the Egyptian government wants to combat the spread of radical religious ideology, it would do well to return to its Muslim roots. At a conference held at the headquarters of the Azamiyah Order in Cairo on April 21, which Al-Monitor attended, presenters argued that Sufi Islam is the … Continue reading →