Sunday, February 13, 2011

Praying for Egypt

Let's continue to pray for Egypt. Amazing political change has been secured by the most moving of democratic expressions, the peaceful uprising of protestors en masse. But some reports out of Egypt, from beyond Tahrir Square, tell of civil distress elsewhere in the city as people have looted homes and terrorised fellow citizens. Many questions now arise about the future. Will freedom now lead to true democracy later, including unfettered freedom to worship for the Christian minority?

1 comment:

Father Ron Smith said...

I found it most interesting that the protesters included people from the local Coptic Church. This does not indicate that there would be an expectation of a militant Islamic takeover in the wake of Mubarak's resignation.

As you say, Peter, our prayers need to be directed towards a peaceful transition, whatever that might mean in the way of the implementation of a democratic government. Traditional Islamic tenets do not include the intentionality of militant rule. You can have that - as has happened in Egypt - without any overtly fundamentalist religious agenda.

I am mindful of the visit of Assisi's Saint Francis to the Sultan, who, impressed by the simplicity of Francis' Gospel appeal for peace, entertained him to dinner before letting him go.