31 Jan. - 6 Feb. 2002
Issue No.571
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 31 Jan. - 6 Feb. 2002 Issue No.571 |
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In the name of God
MAJOR religious leaders met in Alexandria last week in a landmark conference organised by the archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, and hosted by the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, reports Mariz Tadros. Several senior rabbis were also present, including Rabbi Michael Melchor, Israel's deputy foreign minister and leader of the country's delegation. Representatives of various churches -- including Palestinian churches -- also joined in the meeting.
Unsurprisingly, the conference was mired in controversy. The timing of the meeting itself was heavily questioned given the situation in the Palestinian occupied territories.
In addition, Pope Shenoudah, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, was conspicuous only by his absence from the conference. Curious journalists caught up with him at the Cairo book fair, where he was speaking last week, and quizzed him about his position on inter-faith dialogue. "I was invited to the Alexandria conference," the Pope said. "But I did not go. There is a dialogue between the Muslims and Catholics in Europe. But when the conference organisers told me that there ought to be a similar one between the Copts and Muslims in Egypt, I told them that any theological dialogue is completely rejected by us and that this is the view of the sheikh of Al-Azhar as well." The Pope added he did not believe that the Palestinian issue could be resolved by such a dialogue.
Tantawi's participation in the proceedings sparked intensive debate. Some scholars within Al-Azhar, it would appear, disapprove of Tantawi's presence at a conference alongside Jewish clerics. In 1997, for example, news of a meeting between Tantawi and a top Israeli rabbi was met with heated discussion in the press.
Tantawi left for London this week to sign a treaty of dialogue and cooperation between Al-Azhar and the Anglican Church. He is expected to meet the archbishop of Canterbury, Prince Charles and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
At the conference itself, delegates agreed on the text of a "first Alexandria declaration." The document announces a shared commitment to bringing Palestinian-Israeli violence and bloodshed to an end, emphasising that violence is abominable to all religions. The declaration urges all sides to observe an immediate cease-fire.
The declaration also calls for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations and for a return to negotiations. The seven-point declaration also stipulated that "the Holy Land is sacred to the three religions and holy sites should be universally respected, with freedom of worship guaranteed to all."
In the document, religious clerics vowed to work for the creation of an environment characterised by mutual respect and trust towards one another. As religious leaders, they call for a peaceful and just peace in Jerusalem. The final point in the declaration announced the establishment of a joint committee for the implementation of the recommendations.
Filali tried again
THE RETRIAL of Sherif El-Filali, the Egyptian national accused of spying for Israel, resumed on Tuesday after the judges rejected arguments made by his lawyer that the charges made against him were based on "unconstitutional articles."
Filali, a 35-year-old engineer, was first arrested in November 2000, shortly after his arrival from Spain, where he lived for more than nine years. He voluntarily went to the National Security Department, the intelligence headquarters, to inform them that he had suspicions that a Russian man was trying to recruit him to work for the Israeli intelligence, Mossad.
After two weeks of interrogation, during which he was allowed to leave home every day, police raided Filali's family home and seized his computer and other materials which allegedly contained information that might harm Egypt's interests.
Filali was put on trial while the Russian defendant was tried in absentia. After lengthy deliberations, a different panel of judges ordered Filali's acquittal in June because he voluntarily informed the intelligence bureau of his suspicions. But the state prosecutors did not like the verdict and asked the prosecutor- general for a retrial. He approved the request and the retrial started two months ago.
In a clear attempt by Filali's lawyer to delay the case, he argued that most of the charges made against his client were deemed unconstitutional in earlier court rulings. The judge, Mohamed Shalabi, rejected his requests on Monday and the trial resumed on Tuesday under the same charges.
Social club fray
PARLIAMENTARY, local council, union and student elections can all step aside. Little can match the show put on by the elections held by sports/social clubs these days.
Take what happened at the Gezira Club last week. On 23 January it was business as usual for both the candidates and the voters. The elections were to take place in two days to bring in a new board and the club was a beehive of activity. That is until Ramzy Rushdi, current head of the club, showed up with a Supreme Administrative Court decision in his pocket which stipulated that he and his council had the right to complete their four-year term. The decision entitles the current council to another seven months before elections can be held.
Legal action had been taken by members of the general assembly of the Gezira Club against the board on the grounds of financial misdemeanours. On 6 January, Rushdi had lost his case at the Administrative Court and the general assembly's right to hold early elections was upheld.
On the surface, it seemed that Rushdi and his colleagues accepted the court ruling. Yet while everyone got busy preparing for the elections, Rushdi included, he and two other members of the committee -- Khaled Wali and Ihab Lihieta -- took the case to the highest level.
Giving to the end
IN A SHOW of goodwill, Saudi sheikh Saleh Kamel, owner of the ART (Arab Radio and Television) media group, has announced the holding of an auction of popular late actress Soad Hosni's belongings in February. Seventy-five per cent of the revenue will be directed to the first Pediatric Oncology hospital in the Middle East. The rest will be given to her family. The new hospital, better known as hospital 57357, is under construction. It is a major charitable project that will not only serve Egyptian children but patients from throughout the Middle East and Africa. The hospital facility will be located in the old aqueduct area in Cairo.
For his part, Kamel decided to decode the satellite channels he owns for the duration of the eight-hour auction party. The party will be presented by famous Egyptian actresses Youssra and Hanan Turk, Egyptian producer Sami El-Adl and renowned broadcaster Tarek Allam, whose TV program deals with cancer patients' searches for cheap treatment.
Sherif Abou Al-Naga, secretary-general of the Association of Friends for the National Cancer Institute, currently campaigning for the new hospital, believes that many of Hosni's belongings will be sold at the auction.
The dresses she wore in her films, accessories, a car and other belongings will be put up for sale.
Drink up!
RESIDENTS of the Upper Egyptian Beni Suef and Fayoum governorates were snapping up crates of mineral water this week after a ship carrying a cargo of sulphur sank in the Nile near Beni Suef city last Friday.
Following extensive testing of the sources of potable water in the area, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday that the drinking water in the area was safe. The accident had caused a spate of rumours among the residents of the area that sources of potable water had been contaminated.
Carrying 240 tons of sulphur, the Sandal sunk when it hit a cement pillar of the Beni Suef bridge, just outside the city, apparently owing to the low level of the Nile. The ship was en route from Alexandria to an insecticide factory in the city of Manfalout, which is located in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut.
To monitor the situation, three follow-up committees were formed which include personnel from the Ministry of the Environment, the governorate's security directorate and water utility.
The captain of the Sandal and his assistant were remanded in custody as part of the investigation into the accident.
Compiled by Shaden Shehab
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