Egypt: Jihadi suspects in attacks on Christians die in firefight

Egypt: Jihadi suspects in attacks on Christians die in firefight

by WorldTribune Staff, August 11, 2017 Three jihadists who were suspects in terrorist attacks against Egypt’s Coptic Christian community were killed in a shootout with Egyptian security forces on Aug. 8, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said. One security officer also died in the firefight in Qena. The Interior Ministry said the shootout took place after a […]

For Islamists, Christmas was for celebrating steady advances against a hated faith

For Islamists, Christmas was for celebrating steady advances against a hated faith

by WorldTribune Staff, December 26, 2016 For many Islamists in 2016, the Christmas spirit included issuing death threats against Egypt’s Coptic Christians and ridding the Middle East of a once dominant spiritual and cultural community. “Every day we hear and see some radical Muslim clerics speaking strongly against Christians,” said Christian leader Samir Qumsieh of […]

Egypt’s Sisi: Christian woman’s attackers will face justice

Egypt’s Sisi: Christian woman’s attackers will face justice

by WorldTribune Staff, May 30, 2016 Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Sisi said the Muslim men who attacked, stripped naked and paraded a 70-year-old Christian woman through the streets will face justice. The woman was attacked in her village south of Cairo after rumors spread that her son had an affair with a Muslim woman. “They […]

Sisi at Christmas mass: Diversity in traditions are part of ‘God’s norms of life’

Sisi at Christmas mass: Diversity in traditions are part of ‘God’s norms of life’

Special to WorldTribune.com Egyptian President Abdul Fatah Sisi on Jan. 6 apologized for the torching of Christian churches during the Morsi regime and vowed “the churches will be fully restored this year.” Sisi made the remarks as he, for the second consecutive year, attended the Coptic Christmas mass at Saint Mark’s Orthodox Cathedral. Last year, […]

Egypt: Heated rhetoric plus uninformed ‘analysis’ equals confused policy

Egypt: Heated rhetoric plus uninformed ‘analysis’ equals confused policy

Sol W. Sanders   It’s impossible to tell whether it is infection from the hysterical Mideast Arabic and English commentaries on radio and TV. Or does the twaddle result from misunderstanding the complexity of the issues? Whatever, our talking heads are befuddled more than usually about events in Egypt. And they are lending further confusion […]

Technology trumps ideology in Egypt: Time for decompression and dialogue

Technology trumps ideology in Egypt: Time for decompression and dialogue

John J. Metzler BENNINGTON, VT — Tumultuous events have swept Egypt as a passionate, but polarized, population took to the streets to press for political change or to support the elected but increasingly authoritarian rule of President Mohammed Morsi. The culmination of the protests came with a massive turnout of millions of anti-Morsi Egyptians in […]

After Arab Spring, Easter hope but mainly fear

After Arab Spring, Easter hope but mainly fear

John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — The winds of change continue to swirl throughout the Middle East as the region enters the third year of the socio/political phenomenon optimistically dubbed as the Arab Spring. While political scientists debate the ebb and flow of freedoms and anarchy in the region ranging from Egypt to Libya and […]

Loud and clear signals from Egypt: Rules of its game with West have changed

Loud and clear signals from Egypt: Rules of its game with West have changed

John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — When the government of erstwhile U.S. ally Egypt shut down seventeen Western pro-democracy groups, trashed their Cairo offices, and slapped travel bans on some of their staff, political relations between Washington and Cairo hit a new and unexpected low. Just a year after a tumultuous political uprising topped the […]