A president’s inauguration: joy and questions – June 2014
June 2014“Tahya Masr,” Arabic for “Long live Egypt” is the phrase I heard repeatedly as I stood in the long lines awaiting to cast my ballot for Egypt’s president. A statement fuelled by hope, driven by patriotism, and unashamedly declaring a clear intention to vote for El-Sisi, who chose “Tahya Masr” as a very clever campaign slogan. Three long election days […]
Relating to people of other faiths
May 2014Article 3 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Five things to avoid in our witness to people of other faiths. A Middle East Christian advises us. The world has gotten smaller. People of other faiths who used to live in faraway places now live next door to us. Ease of transport means more than ever that many of […]
Holy Fire – April 2014
April 2014It is Saturday afternoon. Crowds are waiting, eyes are anticipating, hearts are eager to receive the light or “the Holy Fire” as it has been traditionally called. We are in a place no other than the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem. You can barely find a room for one’s feet to step in. In fact, people seem to be on […]
Reliving the Passion – April 2014
“Ekhristos Anesti!” “Alithos Anesti!” These are words commonly heard in Egyptian Christian circles at this time: “Christ is risen!” we greet one another, “He is risen indeed!” we reply. Happy Easter! It’s a busy time for Christians in Egypt. Coptic Orthodox Christians, who make up about 90 per cent of the Christian population here, spend Passion Week, the last week […]
Watch your footprint – short-term overseas visits
March 2014Article 2 in our series: The Ethics of Global Engagement Short-term opportunities to be part of Christian projects abroad have multiplied in recent years. If carefully considered, they can be hugely beneficial. If not, they can leave damaging footprints on the Church and its community in sensitive countries. Our Middle East writer explains. What lasting impression will our trip leave […]
Mums make history – March 2014
March 2014March 21st is Mother’s Day in Egypt. It’s a big day everywhere in Egypt, marked by fun family gatherings at mum or grandma’s house, gifts, flowers, and songs celebrating mothers on national television. But what is Mother’s Day really all about? Curious about March 21st and where it originated, I dug a little into the history of Mother’s Day in […]
Miracles and Faith on the Bombed Streets of Baghdad
February 2014A SAT-7 crew filming on the streets of Baghdad heard startling testimonies from people living with the constant threat of terror attacks – and discovered that SAT-7 has a major presence in many people’s lives. A small filming crew from SAT-7 Egypt went to great personal risk when they stepped off the plane in Baghdad a few months ago. Public […]
Too great expectations – February 2014
February 2014Hello and greetings from Cairo, Egypt! Well, a lot has been going on in Egypt in the past three years. After 30 years of political stability, suddenly two major revolutions occurred ousting two presidents, and resulting in much political and social turmoil. I’d like to reflect on one of the major current happenings in Egypt, the upcoming presidential elections. But […]