Bishops speak out about recent events in Egypt
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said, 'What happened in Egypt on May 8 shows even more clearly that there is a worrying extremist radical Islamist element to the unrest in the Arab and Islamic world at this time. This will affect not only Christians but secular and moderately-minded Muslims as well - and may affect the future political shape of the Middle East. Since the revolution, all credible observers say the attacks on Christians have increased markedly at the hands of Wahhabi-Salafi groups. Their agenda is an Islamic state built on their extreme beliefs. The West is also vulnerable to this kind of extremism.'
The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis, Bishop of the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt, also expresses his concern at inter-religious tensions in Egypt in a statement which you can download here.
Note:
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali has just returned from Iraq. He warns about the dangers of resurgent Islam amid the turmoil in the Middle East in current articles in The Times and Standpoint magazine.
In Standpoint he warns that the struggle for democracy may enable some groups to further a pan-Islamic agenda that is hostile to other faiths. Democracy, he believes, must be accompanied by guarantees of liberty - extending to women, non-Muslims and members of minority Muslim groups.
He writes in Standpoint:
‘In Egypt, which has the largest population of Christians in the Middle East, it is very important that the gains made in the last century or so of equal citizenship are not eroded and the community is not returned to its ancient dhimma status. The gains of the revolution must include, in addition to democracy, the equality of all before the law, one law for all and the incorporation of fundamental freedoms within the constitution.’
The Standpoint article can be read in full
here