Egypt, government promotes Christian itineraries
Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab (R) and Pope Tawadros II (L) of Alexandria at the ceremony for the recent reopening of the Hanging Church, in Old Cairo.CAIRO -- Ibrahim Mahlab's government is underscoring Egypt's Christian identity in a bid to relaunch Egypt's religious tourism. The message emerging from Tuesday night's inaguration cerimony , attended by Egyptian Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou and by the Coptic Orthodox Patriarch, is the promotion of itineraries linked to the presence of the Holy Family in Egypt. The government and religious authorities agree: "We need peace and security in Egypt", both premier Mahlab and the Coptic patriarch Tawadros II said, while talking about the Coptic quarter of Cairo, "a symbol of the country's identity", Mahlab added, where next to churches you can find other places of worship for other monotheistic religions, such as the Jewish and the Muslim one. It's a place "that speaks by itself" underlined Mahlab "of dialogue, peace and security" , the essence of Egypt. A country where, according to tradition, "also Jesus found peace and safety".