Coptic organizations welcome MB Chairman’s initiative for a dialogue with Coptic youth

Coptic organizations welcome MB Chairman’s initiative for a dialogue with Coptic youth

 Three groups representing Egyptian Christian youth have agreed on the initiative of the Brotherhood Chairman Mohammed Badi, to hold meetings with Coptic activists to clarify MB position on various issues, and calm down fears of Egyptian Christians toward Brotherhood takeover and the current political developments.
 
“A handful of Coptic orthodox organizations held a series of meetings on Monday aimed at crystallizing a unified stance on the Brotherhood initiative, which is the first of its kind since Imam Hassan al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood in the city of Ismailia in 1929”, the official MENA news agency said.
 
The three organizations are: Christian Youth Union (CYU), International Federation of Christian students, and national council of Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA); where the latter agreed to host the first meeting between the two sides at its headquarters in El Gomhoria St., Downtown (Cairo), at the request of Christian youth.
 
Engineer Samy Armia, director of the Public Authority for the YMCA, said he agreed in principle to host such meeting at the Assembly, at the request of Coptic youth, but that he would work to pass a resolution from the governing council after consultation with other officials later in the day.
 
He noted that YMCA will work to organize meetings through contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood to the success of the initiative described as a “historic” and unprecedented in the relationship between the Brotherhood and groups representing Coptic youth.
 
Mohamed Badie, supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, has made a personal call to Pope Shenouda in which he told him that he would like to meet up with Coptic youth to try and address their fears about the role the Brotherhood will play in Egypt’s future.
 
Essam El-Erian, a member of the group’s Guidance Bureau, has unveiled that Badie put his initiative after Egypt’s Pope Shenouda phoned Dr. Mohammed Badie leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, thanking him for the telegram which he sent relaying warm wishes and checking on his health, and safe return to Egypt.
 
Political activist Magdy al-Ishneeny said one of the key important factors of beginning a real dialogue between Brothers and Coptic youth is to abandon conventional images that combine Muslim Sheikh and Coptic Priest while trading warming words of love and brethren that has been unable to resolve chronic problems in Egypt.
 
“The spirit of national unity created by the January 25 Revolution, in which the Egyptians; Muslims and Christians shared in impose on Coptic youth demand the church that it’s role is confined only to pastoral care for Christians and move away from political tutelage”, he said, adding we welcome the MB initiative, and we will make every effort to make it a success from a political not religious standpoint.
 
Egyptian Church on Monday welcomed the initiative of the Bishop of Helwan and Maasara Anba Basanti in which he said: “We welcome all efforts to spread love and peace all over the world, especially in our beloved country Egypt”.