To the Spirit all creatures turn in their need for sanctification; all living things seek him according to their ability. His breath empowers each to achieve its own natural end.
Saint Basil the Great
Monthly Archives: August 2013
Let us not be ashamed that he was born of a woman
A God who was not only God, and a man who was not simply man, was born of woman.
By being born he formed the gate of salvation from what had at one time been the way in for sin. Where in fact the serpent by exploiting human disobedience had infused his poison, there the Word entered through obedience and built a living temple. From the womb of a woman had come forth the original son of sin, Cain; and from the womb of a woman, without seed, there came into the light the Christ, the redeemer of the human race.
Let us not be ashamed that he was born of a woman. That birth was for us the beginning of salvation.
Saint Proclus of Constantinople, From ‘Homily on the Mother of God’
It’s so awesome that i’m posting it again. That and I just had a conversation with the maker of the video (He knows my wife) and he was insistant that everyone see it.
“…Orthodoxy I mean”
The answering of the question “What is Orthodoxy?” by Priests of Brahmavar Diocese of Indian Orthodox Church.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
The Night the Muslim Brotherhood Burned Egypt
It’s the evening of the 14th August 2013, the aftermath of the Muslim Brotherhood Rab’aa dispersal. Egypt is on fire, literally. It is the causatum of years’ long violent incitement against minorities, especially Christians, and with no surprise, it is mainly Christian churches and institutions which have been burned. One hundred and thirty two attacks on churches and Christian institutions or homes have thus far been documented, undeniable proof that the Muslim Brotherhood kept their promise that they will ‘burn Egypt if Morsi is not president’. It is not to be mistaken, however, that this was an unplanned, random series of events implemented by a small minority of angry Muslim Brotherhood supporters in the heat of the moment.For weeks the Muslim Brotherhood leaders have been brainwashing their followers that the Christians were responsible for the June 30 uprising (a mathematical and logical impossibility) whilst also vociferating insults and false accusations against the Coptic Pope Tawadros. Sixteen Egyptian human rights organisations condemned the language used by the Muslim Brotherhood, stating that they “strongly condemn the rhetoric employed by leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies which includes clear incitement to violence and religious hatred in order to achieve political gains, regardless of the grave repercussions of such rhetoric for peace in Egypt.”Days before their deleterious attacks, Islamists carefully marked any Christian stores with a black X and any Muslim ones with a red X. Unsurprisingly, it is the ones with the red X that are still standing. The results of these savage attacks were widespread, Churches all the way from Alexandria to Upper Egypt were burned, substantiation that these were carefully planned attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood. In El-Nazla, Christian neighbours recalled how the Islamists broke down the gate to the church, screaming ‘Allah Akbar’ and crying out the Muslim Brotherhood slogan that ‘Islam is the solution’. Sami Awad, a resident, said that “first they stole the valuable things and then they torched the place, whatever they couldn’t carry, they burned”.In Upper Egypt, a Muslim Brotherhood crowd attacked the al-Amir Tadros Coptic Church, they broke in, set the Church on fire and stood around it carrying Molotov cocktails and assault rifles. They then proceeded to attack and burn around three other churches, 20 Christian shops, 2 Christian schools, a Christian orphanage and a community centre. Police and security forces were absent for the duration of these attacks despite desperate calls for help from the community.At Mar Meena Coptic Church in Minia, a large crowd attacked the Church, Church clinic and services building. The security forces and police, again were absent. In Sohag, south of Egypt, a group of around 150 men marched towards St George Coptic Church chanting “Islamic, Islamic” (a common chant by those supporters of a purely Islamic state), before looting the Church and setting it on fire. It is also worth noting that in Egypt, Christians face many legal restrictions on the right to build and maintain Churches, regulations that Muslims don’t face. These restrictions are put in despite Coptic Christians being indigenous natives of Egypt, predating the arrival of Islam to Egypt by around six centuries.In Beni Suef, a Franciscan girl’s school and Church was attacked and burned. Nuns who were alone at the school frantically called the Priest, Father Boulos Fahmy, informing him that the school was being threatened. The mob that attacked the Church then forcefully took the nuns and paraded them through the nearby streets, encouraging verbal abuse towards them. In Dalga, a Christian resident recalled how a group of men forced their way into his house, shot his cousin twice (eventually killing him), the resident managed to climb to the roof, along with his mother, daughter-in-law and cousin’s wife where they were met with birdshots being fired from the mob below.At St Mary and Priest Ibram Monastery in Delga, the Sunday service was forced to be cancelled after Muslim Brotherhood supporters destroyed the monastery. This was the first time a service has been cancelled in this monastery in 1600 years.Other events included the shooting of a 10 year old girl as she left the Church, a Christian taxi driver who was killed for accidentally straying into a protest by Morsi supporters in Alexandria and the shooting of another man who was shot to death in Sohag. These examples are just a miniscule snapshot of the events that occurred on the 14th August, these savage attacks were seen all over Egypt, which begs the question, where was the Western media in reporting these deadly attacks? The inexcusable delay by Western media to cover these attacks is truly shocking, in no other situation has such widespread attacks on a minority been brushed aside by the media.In the Muslim world, a Christian is martyred every 5 minutes. A statistic worse than Christian persecution under Roman Emperors such as Diocletian and Nero. However, after all the years of persecutions, it is still the Christians that come out strong, showing no signs of retaliation or violence, rather, sending out a message of forgiveness, such as this sign on the Church put up after the Muslim Brotherhood burned it, reading “We Forgive”.
Sometimes I get worried about my spiritual life, especially since my area of study (And God Willing my PhD also, next year/year after) is Church politics and the Canons.
But as my Spiritual Father puts it, “Someone has to do it.”
“.Orthodoxy I mean”
The answering of the question “What is Orthodoxy?” by Priests of Brahmavar Diocese of Indian Orthodox Church.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
The Panepirotic Federation of America (POA) strongly condemns the brutal attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the city of Premet in southern Albania on August 16 by hired government thugs who smashed icons and crosses and beat up worshippers trying to defend the only Christian house of worship in the city. “The attack on the Church of the Vergin Mary, on the morning after her feast day, revived ugly memories of past attempts by government agencies of outgoing Prime Minister Sali Berisha to harass, intimidate and brutalize ethnic Greek Orthodox communities in Albania,” said POA President Demetrios Koutoulas. “
The conduct of municipal authorities in Premet, with the obvious consent of the Berisha government, was outrageous and far from responsible behavior for a country seeking to enter the European Union.” He called on the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress to pressure the Albanian government to return the church to the Orthodox Christians of Premet who venerate it and whose ancestors built it.
The church served Orthodox Chrisitians in the area for decades until 1967 when Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha outlawed all religious worship in the country and it was turned into a cultural center. After the collapse of Communism in Albania in 1991 and the Orthodox Church was re-established in the country, it became a church once gain and used for worship until August 16 when security forces hired by the Mayor of Premet Gilberto Giatse moved into the church, beat up priests and worshipers, smashed icons and crosses and announced the municipality was reclaiming the building as a cultural center. The actions were immediately condemned by the Greek government, the Orthodox Church of Albania, political action groups representing ethnic Greeks in the country and human rights organizations in the region. Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos sent a demarche to Tirana protesting the actions of municipal authorities in Premet and calling for the return of the church. Archbishop Anstastasios, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Albania, called the brutal actions in Premet an attack not only on the Orthodox Church but also on Albania itself. “We are moved to ask if we find ourselves in 2013 where we enjoy democracy and have hopes of entering the European Union or if we are reliving the nightmare of 1967 when an atheistic party believed that it could uproot forever the religious faith of the Albanian people,” he said in a statement.
OMONIA, the political action group representing the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, disputed the claims of Premeti municipal authorities that they had court sanction to return the church to a cultural center. “A questionable court decision cannot be used as an excuse to desecrate in such a violent way an established holy site,” the group declared. KEAD and MEGA, two political parties in Albania supported by ethnic Greeks and Orthodox Christians in the country, also protested the attack on the Premeti Church.
Evangelos Doules, the president of KEAD and a member of the Albanian Parliament, said the attack reminds the world that Albania is the only country that declared war on God “turning into stables, warehouses and cultural centers the houses of worship of its religious communities.” Kristaq Kristaqis, the presdent of MEGA, said the violence against the Church of the Vergin in Premet “reflects the rage with which certain political groups in Albania view everything that is Greek or Orthodox.” Human rights groups in the region called on Albanian authorities to end the occupation of the church and find other space for a cultural center.
Panepirotic Federation Condemns Brutal Attack Against Greek Orthodox Christians in Albania
As violence peaked in Egypt in recent weeks, and rumors spread about an attack on an Armenian church, the Armenian Weekly contacted members of the Egyptian Armenian community for their interpretation of the events unfolding in the country.
For the most part, the community had resented President Mohamed Morsi’s policies—concerned that religious polarization was being encouraged in the country, with Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, and their Islamist allies on one side, and moderate Muslims, Christians, and liberals on the other. So when tens of millions of Egyptians flooded the streets calling for an end to Morsi’s rule, many Armenians supported the demands of the protesters, some even joined the crowds.
In recent days, Armenians stood on the sidelines, witnessing the burning of—mostly Coptic—churches. Armenians still felt safe and, as our sources confirmed, they did not believe their lives or institutions were threatened or targeted, despite a recent incident in Cairo that endangered an Armenian church, and perhaps even lives.
“While police were dispersing the violent crowd at [Cairo’s] Ramses Square, some of the protesters hurled stones at the [St. Krikor Lousavorich] Church. As a result, the stained glass at the front of the church was affected minimally. Then, someone threw a Molotov cocktail. The bomb fell in the courtyard of the church, without any casualties or harm to the church,” a community leader* in Cairo told the Weekly.
“The Muslim Brotherhood knows very well what they are aiming at. They could have burnt the church earlier while marching to Ramses square. The incident happened later on, when they were dispersing. It wouldn’t be wise to exaggerate incidents we were not the targets of. Their targets are the Copts because they believe they were mainly responsible for toppling Morsi,” added the source.
An oral surgeon from Alexandria—Egypt’s second largest city that was once home to a vibrant Armenian community— assured that members of his community were safe. “Some people are being killed, a lot of churches are being burnt, but we, Armenians, are ok,” he said.
Armenians are remaining cautious, staying indoors whenever there is a threat of violence on the streets. An Egyptian-Armenian student said his family felt safe, since men in his neighborhood stood guard when mobs approached, despite that hours before the Armenian Weekly contacted him a protest by Morsi supporters outside his apartment building concluded with gunshots in the air.
Churches Ablaze
On August 14, Morsi supporters targeted Copts and Coptic institutions in the country, setting ablaze at least 50 churches, schools, and businesses, according to the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper. They included one of the oldest churches in Egypt, the Virgin Mary Church in Minya that dates back to the fourth century, as well as Greek, Baptist, Catholic, and Evangelical churches. The perpetrators threw Molotov cocktails and firebombs at these establishments.
On Aug. 21, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the attacks, and the authorities’ failure to protect minorities. HRW compiled a list of 42 churches that had been attacked, and noted the shooting death of two Copts, and the murder of one Muslim and one Copt—coworkers that had hid in the bathroom of an establishment as a mob set it on fire. Meanwhile in the city of Minya, residents reported that Coptic-owned stores had been marked with a black “X” before being attacked.
HRW also condemned the attacks on police officers and stations. Since Aug. 14, 100 police officers have been reportedly killed. HRW also noted two instances where policemen were executed—13 in one case and 15 mutilated in another.
However, the organization also criticized the failure of authorities to protect minorities. “For weeks, everyone could see these attacks coming, with Muslim Brotherhood members accusing Coptic Christians of a role in Mohammad Morsi’s ouster, but the authorities did little or nothing to prevent them,” said Joe Stork, acting Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Now dozens of churches are smoldering ruins, and Christians throughout the country are hiding in their homes, afraid for their very lives.”
According to analysts, the attacks against Copts are at a scale that was never seen before. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II has cancelled sermon for weeks in a row due to the looming threat of violence. In a public plea, Tawadros called on all Egyptians to refrain from violence, “I ask every Egyptian to preserve Egyptian blood and exercise self-restraint and stop any assault against anyone,” he was quoted by Al-Ahram as saying. Meanwhile, pro-Mosri protesters chanted slogans against Tawadros while attacking three churches, Coptic-owned businesses, two schools, and an orphanage in Minya city, reported HRW.
The violence directed at Copts is not an attack against Christians, but against the Egyptian nation, said our Armenian source in Cairo. And thus, Christians and moderate Muslims are united in their struggle against Islamist elements that are supported by the West, he added.
The response from the West—mainly the United States—seems to be an issue of concern for our Armenian sources. “Don’t listen to what the U.S. media is telling you about the Ikhwan [Brothers],” pleaded the student from Alexandria. “They’re not telling the truth. These people are terrorists. They are ready to kill anyone… they have burnt down and attacked churches all around Egypt, and still the U.S. and E.U. are protecting them. We, Armenians, are supporting the army and the police against Muslim Brotherhood terror,” he added.
The oral surgeon from Alexandria agreed, “Most of this trouble comes from the West backing the Muslim Brothers,” he said.
Morsi ‘Became a Dictator’
Over 30 million Egyptians flooded the streets demanding the resignation of Morsi on June 30. Protesters waved signs that read “Erhal ya Morsi” (Leave Morsi). Some local Armenians joined the protests, in solidarity with neighbors and friends and in fear of the future under Morsi.
The Rebel (also known as Tamarod) petition, which called for early presidential elections, reportedly garnered 22 million signatures that were authenticated through national ID numbers.
Protestors sought the army’s protection and support. On July 3, Morsi was deposed and power was entrusted with the Constitutional Court to run matters until a new government transitioned to power. Since then, around 900 people have been killed, including 100 police officers, and hundreds of Morsi supporters. Violence escalated when the army dispersed two pro-Mosri protests in Cairo that ended in bloodshed. In recent days, a number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders were arrested.
Our source in Cairo held that the protests and uprisings that led to Morsi’s removal from power were the result of a popular will, “a revolution against a fascist regime that harbored terrorists.” He also rejected the notion that Morsi’s removal amounted to a military coup.
In his view, the army—under the command of Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, simply backed the will of the majority of Egyptians—the estimated 30 million protesters that poured onto the streets of Egypt almost two months ago—just as it had done in January 2011, when protesters demanded the resignation of then-President Hosni Mubarak.
“Why didn’t anyone call [Mubarak’s ousting] a coup? We are talking about ten times that crowd. The military helped [protesters] in that first uprising. Contrary to [reports by] the Western press, the military is the most stable element in the country,” he argued. “[Morsi’s government] was driving the country to hell.”
Those who called for the resignation of Morsi had much to blame on the new government— including intimidation and threats (even against elected officials), economic hardship, deteriorating security, political failures, and a drop in the standard of living. Morsi came to be viewed as a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, an entity whose interests differed from those of the majority of Egyptians’, and whose agenda seemed cynical and dark, marked by greed for power and control.
“[Morsi] failed to provide Egyptians their basic needs. Instead of achieving what Egyptians had called for in the January 25 revolution—‘Bread, Freedom, Social Justice and human dignity’— Morsi and the Muslim Brothers invested the past year in taking control, implanting their men everywhere,” said the source, “[Morsi] became a dictator.”
Among the main grievances of the protesters was Morsi’s move to issue a controversial constitutional declaration in Nov. 2012, concentrating more power in the hands of the President by exempting presidential decrees from judicial review.
In addition, religion seemed to increasingly be the order of the day. The new government made it legal for political parties to be formed based on religion. Religious television channels were established that allegedly aired programs that called for violence and attempted to polarize the country based on religion. The new government also allegedly prepared a list of journalists, activists, intellectuals, judges and politicians to be arrested.
“Unfortunately, President Morsi was nothing but the Muslim Brothers’ representative in the presidential palace,” said the source. “They used religion to seek power and remain in power. They opposed all factions in Egypt: intellectuals, Christians, the Azhar institution, the opposition, and even the Salafists—the largest Islamist faction— who had been their ally,” he added.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by the Islamic scholar Hassan al-Banna. The organization is active in most Arab states. The Brotherhood, which has renounced violence, aims to lead society through the Koran. In recent weeks some in the organization had blamed Copts and “the church” for participating in Morsi’s ouster and threatened “reaction,” while others had urged their followers to refrain from attacking Copts or Coptic establishments, according to HRW.
U.S. Reaction
Currently, the Obama administration is considering whether to cut military aid to Egypt, and has delayed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to the country. But Obama’s government has also refrained from calling Morsi’s ouster a coup.
“My sense … with Egypt is that the aid itself may not reverse what the interim government does,” said Obama during an interview on CNN on Aug. 23. “But I think what most Americans would say is that we have to be very careful about being seen as aiding and abetting actions that we think run contrary to our values and our ideals.”
Obama also said that there is “no doubt that we can’t return to business as usual, given what’s happened… There was a space right after Mr. Morsi was removed in which we did a lot of heavy lifting and a lot of diplomatic work to try to encourage the military to move in a path of reconciliation… They did not take that opportunity.”
However, there are those in Washington who espouse a different view. In early July, The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and its ranking Democrat released a joint statement urging support for the Egyptian army. The statement by Reps. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) contended that Morsi’s government failed to pursue “real democracy.”
“The decision by the Egyptian military to take state authority out of the hands of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood government marks another sharp turning point in Egypt’s incomplete revolution. What the Brotherhood neglected to understand is that democracy means more than simply holding elections. Real democracy requires inclusiveness, compromise, respect for human and minority rights, and a commitment to the rule of law. Morsi and his inner circle did not embrace any of these principles and instead chose to consolidate power and rule by fiat. As a result the Egyptian people and their economy suffered greatly,” read the Royce/Engel statement, adding, “We encourage the military to exercise extreme caution moving forward and support sound democratic institutions through which the people and future governments can flourish.”
Egypt and the Armenian Genocide
Recent reports claimed Egyptian interim President Adly Mansoor announced on Twitter that Egypt would sign the “U.N. declaration on the Armenian Genocide.” The story went viral despite the fact that such a declaration does not exist. It is also unlikely that the Twitter account actually belongs to Mansoor.
However, as relations between Egypt and Turkey are deteriorating, with both countries withdrawing their ambassadors, Egyptians have been increasingly more vocal about the events that took place at the turn of the 20th century. Turkey’s staunch support for the Muslim Brothers—both the Justice and Development (AK) Party and the Brotherhood are two apples from the same tree (as is the case with the Syrian opposition, supported by the Brotherhood)—has given rise to anti-Erdogan sentiments among those who opposed Morsi. Most recently, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel for being behind Morsi’s ouster. And thus, Egyptian-Armenians do hold hope that the country might officially recognize the Genocide.
“Egypt has started a campaign against Turkey, systematically exposing the issue of the Armenian genocide among other topics. The media, intellectuals, and politicians are raising this issue on every occasion. Human rights organizations are asking the Egyptian government to recognize the Genocide… Everybody seems to be concerned about the Armenian Genocide, in every talk show someone is bound to talk about it,” said our Cairo source, adding, “Even the publicity going on about genocide is a victory in its own.”
Armenians in Egypt
Starting in the 11th century, Armenians have brought their contributions to Egyptian history, holding important positions including the role of vizier. Egypt’s first Prime Minister (1878) was an Armenian by the name of Nubar Pasha, who held that post three times during his career. At the turn of the 20th century, Egypt’s wealthy Armenian community helped organize and support the post-genocide communities in the area.
However, many Armenians emigrated after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 led by Muhammad Neguib (first President of Egypt) and Gamal Abdel Nasser (second President of Egypt). Once numbered at 50,000, today’s Egyptian-Armenian population is estimated to be between 6,000 and 8,000.
Note: Sources for this article have asked to not be identified due to safety concerns.
An anti-Armenian diaspora association that “battles unfounded Armenian claims,” has announced that it will be placing flowers in front of the Akdamar Church, in commemoration of Turks killed in 1918.
The move is intended to counter a baptism ritual planned by Armenians in the same historic church in the southeastern province of Van. The baptism ceremony will be held in the recently restored ancient church during an annual Divine Liturgy on Sept. 8.
Many Armenians in Turkey and from overseas flock to the 10th century Church of the Holy Cross on the tiny island of Akdamar (Akhtamar in Armenian) in Lake Van to attend the ceremony, which has been held every year since 2010. Turkish authorities restored the church between 2005 and 2007 before opening it as a museum, where the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in 2010 for the first time in 95 years.
This year, a baptism ceremony will also take place during mass at around 11 a.m. on Sept. 8 in the historical church, said Muzaffer Aktuğ, head of the Van Culture and Tourism Directorate, according to Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos.
Aktuğ said they expected more people to attend this year’s service due to the ongoing peace process.
Today the Armenian community in Turkey, which numbers around 70,000, is concentrated in Istanbul.
Neighbors Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations and a move toward reconciliation launched in 2009 petered out without results.
On August 30, 2013, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon and the members of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, issued a statement calling for prayers for all who are suffering in the crisis currently gripping Egypt, and especially that nation’s minority Christian community.
The complete text follows.
STATEMENT OF THE HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA
Concerning the Conflict in Egypt and its Christian community
It is with deep concern that we have witnessed the mounting difficulties and sorrows suffered by Christians and non-Christians alike across the Middle East, and especially in Egypt and Syria. Of special concern is the plight of the Coptic community in Egypt. The situation in that land is indeed a complex one—one for which we offer prayers on behalf of all people of good will, Christian and non-Christian alike, that the ongoing conflict will soon end in a peaceful resolution. Nevertheless, in mid-August we witnessed disturbing images and reports of the burning and destruction of dozens of Coptic churches across Egypt, together with attacks on the faithful and their homes, families and businesses. While this is not the first time Egypt’s Christians have had to endure such pain, the magnitude of the recent attacks is unprecedented.
The Church, from apostolic times, has endured suffering and persecution. “Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake,” our Lord reveals in Matthew 5:11. Since the time of Cain and Abel, the nature of this fallen world has pitted brother against brother. However, we have been called to look beyond this fallen world and to set our sight on the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace. In this manner, we will fulfill the prayer offered by our Lord on the eve of His life-creating death, “that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me” [John 17:21].
It is in this spirit that we call upon the faithful to beseech our Lord to grant peace to our Coptic brothers and sisters in the midst of their trials—and to all Egyptians of good will, in search of that “Peace which passes all understanding” [Philippians 4:7]. May the promise of the Kingdom remain before them as they continue to witness to Jesus Christ in circumstances that, for us, are unimaginable. May we speak up in their defense through whatever means are at our disposal. And may those who have lost their lives in the conflict be granted eternal rest with the saints, in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit” [Romans 15:13].
PETITION FOR AUGMENTED LITANY
Again we pray for those who are being persecuted for their faith, especially the Christian faithful of Egypt and across the Middle East, that the Lord God will send down upon them every spiritual weapon to endure their tribulations; and that He will grant that Peace which passes all understanding upon the region, and throughout the whole world, as a foretaste of His heavenly Kingdom.
Musings of an Orthodox Brit 