During the visit of the Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, we, the Egyptians, decided to support him in order to support our country against the evil forces and enemies of Egypt abroad. Egypt and the Middle East region are going through very critical situation that are no secret with too many political and economic challenges. Copts don’t need to receive any instructions from somebody to teach them how to take care of their homeland. They support their country knowing that change and building need time. Moreover, they have good understanding of the challenges that face their country at the moment. These challenges only need the Egyptian to unite and do their best to overcome their problems.

This weekend, I picked up Nelson Mandela s "Long Walk to Freedom" and reread parts of this well-thumbed tome. The last time I read it, the world was a very different place; this time, I found that its themes of social inequality, injustice, resilience and courage resonated in new ways. Perhaps because of my work with the International Rescue Committee, I found myself reflecting on another long walk to freedom -- that of strong women, like Sherine. Widowed before she was 20, pregnant and terrified of living under ISIS rule, in November, Sherine fled Mosul, Iraq. She wandered through desert, survived waves of fighting and dodged landmines -- all while searching for refuge to give birth.

Cast Away is an American epic survival drama film directed and co-produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, and Nick Searcy. The film depicts a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific and his attempts to survive on the island using remnants of his plane s cargo. Chuck Noland is a time-obsessed systems engineer, who travels worldwide resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots.While flying through a violent storm, his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Four years later, Chuck has adapted to the meager living conditions on the island, having become adept at spearing fish and making fires. Four years later he decided to save himself and find a way to return to his home by making a little boat.

As I am writing this article, I have to acknowledge I do not know anything about football! In my youth under president Gamal Abdel Nasser, this game a huge pot in which most people participated. We had two choices: to join the fans club, or to boycott. in both cases, we were following a scenario written by the regime. The great Egyptian writer Tawfiq al-Hakim once said: The era of pen has come to an end and the age of the foot has started! Another great writer called Abdul Rahman al-Sharqawi once left a meeting with us to listen to a game in the radio. I was astonished by what happened as I used to consider him a role model and a great writer. For me, Sharqawi was a leftist author of one of the finest novels. For half a century, the image of the writer, who neglected everyone and sat on the edge of a chair to listen to a football match, has been etched in my memory, engraved with a question: What is the secret of football?

Copts all over the world and especially in Australia, were so happy to watch the great celebration and opening of the highest Coptic lighthouse outside the Egyptian border (Eporo Tower) in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, in the presence of His Beatitude Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, and his partner in the apostolic service Abba Soriel, bishop of the Melbourne Diocese and his accompanying delegation. The celebration was also at tended by several members of the Parliament of the state of Melbourne, led by the Australian MP of Egyptian origins Peter Khalil and was covered by Egyptian and Australian media. Mrs. Nabila Makram, Egypt s minister of migration and the Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Khairat to the Australian Federal Capital of Cambra were part of the celebration which proves the Egyptian identity of the tower

In the movie (The Interpreter) Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter working at the United Nations in New York City. She was raised in the Republic of Matobo, a fictional African country, but also holds US citizenship. The U.N. is considering indicting Edmond Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), Matobo s president, to stand trial in the International Criminal Court. Kidman told the intelligence officer that her tribe believes that the only way to get rid of your sorrows is to save a soul. She explained that if one of their tribe is killed, they bring the murderer and tie him that he wouldn t be able to swim and then they throw him in the sea.

The bible tells us many stories about great people who made great mistakes like Esau sold his glory, his honor and his place with a lentil plate, and afterward he had a desperate life. It told us about Samson who lost his power and place among his people because he loved a strange woman. Another great man who was supposed to have a place among the noble apostles and men of God who will condemn the tribes of the twelve sons of Israel, but sold his master with money, it is Judas Iscariot. The lust for eating, the emotional relationship, and the money are three weapons of Satan to remove our names from the Book of Life and write it in the Book of Death. A priest told me about a girl who wanted to leave Christianity and get married to a Muslim man. The priest went to police station to try to change her mind, but she insulted him severely and so did the policemen. He went to the church and complained to St. Mary about the lost girl and the insults he received. Soon, he knew that the girl had an accident and died. He was so sad that she lost everything for nothing.

St. Peter in (Acts 3: 6) told a lame man who was born like this: I dont have money, but I give you what I have : stand up and walk. This happened after the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. In a short period of time, the man was expecting some food or material, but this response was conclusive and practical. St. Peter gave him what was greater than the material gifts, which is healing. The lame man entered into the temple and was seen by everybody making them wonder what happened! the people asked St. Peter how did they heal him? Its the power of Jesus Christ, he answered.

The terrorist attacks in Europe reached 124 attacks from 2014 to 2017, which led to the death and injury of 211 people. This raises questions about the power and influence of terrorist organizations and especially ISIS in Europe where the most powerful security agencies are working. Do we deal with a situation of security or civilization? Last Wednesday, six French soldiers have been injured after a car slammed into them before speeding off in a suspected terror attack in Paris. This came days after a failure stab to kill attempt in France as well as several terrorist attacks in France killing dozens of people including children.

No one can deny the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the 1952 revolution by the free officers who belong to the Muslim Brotherhood. This revolution was used to propagate the Wahhabi ideology in Egypt by developing Al-Azhar and establishing Al-Azhar university where the study was limited to Muslims only. Moreover, the Saudi Arabia opened its doors to the Egyptian workers where they absorbed the cultural backwardness of Wahhabism and spread Hijab, Naqab, beard and jilbab. After the revolution of June 30, Egyptian government has been seeking the blessings of the clerics and worked hard to fight and resist terrorism but due to the failure of the law and the police to face terrorism the National Council to combat terrorism and extremism was established. However, the membership of the church in this council raises many questions concerning the role of the church in terrorism. I believe this membership only aims to use the approval of the church on its decisions and promote this before the whole world. Yet, this can embarrass His Holiness Pope Twadros II and the church before its congregation, especially in the Diaspora.

Dr. Magdy Yaccoub is a modest loving man who is a rare heart surgeon. He gave lessons in love without preaching as Saint Teresa did. His loving heart served the people using little science and much love making him an ambassador to Christ in the work of mercy in the developing and poor countries. He established centers in several countries to treat children and to spread the love of Jesus Christ among the nations. He knows how to follow that voice of Jesus Christ that calls us to be merciful and holy (Luke 6:36) (1 Peter 1:16). Being saints is not limited to working miracles, but also to show mercy and love. Therefore, the name of Dr. Magyd Yacoub may be remembered one day as the saint of mercy.

When the Egyptian constitution decided to give a positive discrimination to the Copts, the Coptic MPs should have defended the Copts and demanded their needs. Yet, those MPs failed to represent the Copts and claim their rights. The very first law that they should have cared about was the unified law of houses of worship. But they failed to pass a respectful law to protect the Copts. Instead, it became a law to prevent the Copts from building houses of worship or open the already existing closed ones.

Peace is more important than food for the world and our lives since the bible says: Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. (Proverbs 17:1) Pope Tawadros in his sermon about peace said that sin makes us lose our peace, and this first happened to Adam and Eve. In the Old Testament, Cain killed Abel and lost his peace. This is the way the world loses peace ever since. Therefore, we have to seek peace in our hearts first and then our homes, churches and community.

The blood of the innocent martyrs of the Egyptian armed forces is so precious, but it is shed in Sinai by the terrorists. The soldiers are willing to sacrifice their souls for their country, but there is a big evil plan targeting them in North Sinai. They face armed militants supported by intelligence of foreign countries and organizations that have taken Sinai as the scene of their battles. The brutal terrorist attack on July 7th, 2017, that targeted our soldiers in North Sinai led to the death and injury of dozens of our brave men. There were about 150 terrorists who used guns and anti-aircraft missiles and explosives. They wore clothes similar to the Egyptian army. I wonder: how did they get all the equipments and how did they cross the border with Gaza? Where did they go after the attack?

When we hear the word Copts, we think of Egypt. Copts have a long history plagued by blood and oppression after they embraced Christianity in Egypt. The Christians in Egypt were called Copts as they belong to the land of Egypt as the word Copts means the people of Egypt. With the entry of Islam in Egypt, Christians were called Copts against Muslims. Now, they represent the largest minority in the Middle East and the largest Christian community in the region. Copts are estimated at 8 million Copts in Egypt and about 2 million Copts all over the world (most of them live in the United States). Copts had their own language which is one of the oldest.

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. These are the words of St. Paul to pave the way before a successful man as described by Pope Tawadros II in his sermon last Wednesday. God is the core of our joy since he grants us the salvation of sin. Jesus Christ is the way to this salvation, thus we should always rejoice in him who blesses our way, health, ministry, work and family. We shouldn’t allow anybody to take away such joy. He called us to become complete in our relationship with the church and its sacraments and ministry. The church is the best way to save our children from the world and fill them with the holy spirit.

I send this message to the Copts of Egypt who face at the moment the same prosecution experienced by our fathers the saints of the first church. Dear brothers, you have been baptized which means you have died with Christ, buried, and resurrected with him. “Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12). Therefore, we can’t fear death since we already died with Christ and shall live with him forever. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

I know that there is still a controversy over the statements of Sheikh Salem Abdul Jalil, especially after he confirmed today on CNN that he did not apologize for saying that the Christian faith is corrupt. I suffered from depression and grief, not only because my faith was insulted, but because I cannot bear to hear more explosions of terrorist attacks against more churches. God indeed has chosen the righteous people to be His martyrs. Few years ago, I watched Professor called Ahmed Abdo Maher attacking our faith, but today he denounces hatred and sedition. Therefore, I feel God hand is working.

I was in Alexandria at the time of the terrorist bombings that targeted the Church of St. George in Tanta and St. Mark Cathedral in Alexandria on Palm Sunday. I was with my wife on our way to the Cathedral of St. Mark to deliver a letter to His Holiness Pope Tawadros in order to hold an interview with him for Fountain of Love magazine on the occasion of his visit to Australia in August. We were only a few meters away from the terrorists when we heard the sound of a loud explosion accompanied by the sound of broken glass and people screaming. The place was full of chaos as police were evacuating the area.

Many times did the media, intellectuals and clerics repeated the phrase “Terrorism has no religion”. The truth is: “Terrorism has an ideology made from wrong interpretation of religious texts. Many people claim that terrorism has no religion and forget about its religious origin that enables the terrorists to kill police men and soldiers who protect this country in addition to innocent Coptic citizens. Nowadays, terrorism all over the world decided to have certain rules and ideology. Terrorists depend on religious texts and mix them with extremism and hatred to make new religion. We are now witnessing bloody terrorism and political violence confined to a great ideology. Intellectual terrorism and bloody terrorism are two sides of one coin that is sweeping the world. Therefore, we have to search for the reasons for such phenomena.

I would like to thank Mr. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for inviting His Holiness Pope Francis of Rome to bless the land of Egypt and its people. I also thank His Holiness Pope Francis for his visit. Moreover, I would like to thank those who contributed to the success of this event, especially the organizers and the Egyptian armed forces and police. The Egyptian people have welcomed the Pope and attended the divine Liturgy. Millions of Egyptians and people around the world watched the visit and the speech of the Pope that was full of love and tolerance, calling for peace and renouncing the violence and terrorism.