“The meeting Point of all Egyptians”

The Coptic United 

 “The meeting Point of all Egyptians” 

By Father Dr.  Athanasios  Henein –Greece .

Our age is the age of communication .The right communication comes out from the right information . The right way of information needs hard work and critical insight   inside the continuous movement of the  cultural and political life of people coming from different social and religious  coaches but are invited to live together  . 

I believe that the title CU is somewhat misleading ! The site is occupied with all Egyptians . We have to say that the  original Greek  meaning of the term (Coptic ) is ( Egyptian ). So The Coptic United is , in fact , Egyptians United . That is what exists all over the publications , debates , commentaries , reports of a well learned reporters all over the country ,  really.

The site of the Coptic United is doing this kind of work . It is a kind of a Mixer where the team work tries to put all the bitter contradictions of the Egyptian society in order to make a tasty drink. It penetrates the inner life of all Egyptians . It shares their uneasiness and enhances their hopes for a better tomorrow. The most striking feature of the CU is its complete  reintegration of the Copts people in the Egyptian reality. Following what they write and publish  , you can see that the Coptic people are no longer  one of the marginalized minorities in the Middle East,  but , on the contrary they are Egyptian citizens at home with themselves with very strong , deep and faithful  national  feelings .They are followers of reason , science and historical knowledge . You meet in the site of CU all the waves of the moving Egyptian society , from football , theater , music , architecture , culture  ,  to the most complicated political issues and ambitions of the modern Egyptian society which is lookin for his lost identity and  cultural paradise. You feel that the CU is the point meeting of all Egyptians. You can feel the reality of the national unity . I believe that Mr. Ezzat  Boulos has succeeded to change the old mentality  stated once by Modechai Nisan in his book(Minorities in the Middle East , page 141 when he says that  (The state of political entity did not belong equally and proportionally to both Muslims and Christians .The most of Christians should enjoy were rights of a religious nature , but no more than that)!!! . The CU has succeeded this myth and has put an end to the widespread  reputation that the Copts are a minority ! They are full citizens in their country .The most striking and radical change accomplished by the team work of CU is that they proved the falseness of the above statement of the Jewish  writer!. With the CU the Copts are no longer a small , neglected but they  re-create the drama of their own experiences that helped shape their new destiny. The CU is a long walk to freedom , a story of hardship , resilience and ultimate triumph told with the clarity and eloquence of an illuminated leader and engineer Ezzat Boulos with his brilliant and devoted team work. The CU is a long history from the blessed memory and founder Adly Abader  to the talented and organized mind of Mr. Ezzat .

Beside this national unity  , we see that the CU has no religious  color inspire of the impression that the name may  create. It is colorless religiously ! That does not mean atheism , not at all , but  a critical view and intellectual understanding of the religious mind  in Egypt either Christian or Moslem . This is a new way of life and work. Daring to criticize the religious state of the Egyptian nation  is one of the great achievements of CU. That does not mean that they believe that this is a hopeless case . For they follow the very optimistic American principal that (Even a stopped watch , is right twice a day). Twice a day means where it has stopped !  No one is useless ! No one is out of the game ! Every human being owns in himself a human  potential  which when it finds the favorable conditions , becomes very productive . The team of  CU belong to all Egyptians , but does not believe in everything the Egyptians do or say without deep critical ,  cultural , historical and  scientific  vision of every matter. The writer of  these lines can witness that it is for the first time in the history of the Egyptian Media , that you follow a debate between an academic  philosopher and  a professional  theologian . I mean Prof. Mourad Wahba   and father Athanasios Henein. It was amazing and very original . We felt an astonishing   freedom with the brilliant  guidance of Mr. Ezzat  and his team , who , through his questions , goes beyond mere consensus and moves out ahead of his guests to break new ground . During this debate , the CU was  examining and criticizing the crucial question of the relation between science and religion , between mind and heart , daring to criticize the modern myths of all religions especially Christianity in the East and the West . This reminds me of the excellent book of Philip J. SAMPSON (6 Modern  Myths about Christianity and Western Civilization, USA, 2001 )which I hope , one day , to debate it  live - on air with Mr. . Boulos . It is one of the musts for every social renaissance .  

One of the most striking energies of CU is their defense of the poor and criticism of the rich. Corruption is a tax on development , whose victims are the worlds poorest people .Corruption is not an Egyptian disease , it is a global epidemic.  not only local corruption but global corruption. The CU team believes that where corruption is epidemic , it is the poorest that pay the highest price (Global Corruption , Money , Power and Ethics in the Modern World Laurence Cockcroft , New York 2012 , page 3).The CU has launched a series of measures  to help the poorest people of Egypt , all the poorest regardless to their religion or political background .On the Site of CU , we can see a new Egypt , an unmasked Egypt !

We should not neglect the role played by the CU in the life and mind of the Egyptians of the Diaspora , we mean the Egyptians who live outside Egypt. The CU is against the blind nationalism of the immigrated Egyptians , especially the Christians among them The most great challenge that the team work of the CU faces , really , is that they have put an end to the widespread theory of “resistance abroad !” . which means to try to change a country while living outside this country ! Ezzat Boulos and his team and friends , not only inside Egypt but all over the world ,  are struggling inside the Egyptian society with all iths problems , complications , sufferings and hopes ! They are a vivid testimony to an unusual mixture of courage , persistence , tolerance ,knowledge  and forgiveness. 

That does not mean at all that they should feel victims to self – satisfaction and overestimation   but they shoulg struggle to move on from the inspired individual leadership to a more illuminated team world based on studies and research . We are in need to a will equipped library in the centre of CU in Cairo where young people can meet to read and discuss with learned people essential matters in their everyday life. We are in need to professional  journalists who can go through the complications of a society with 100 million people with thousands years of painful history. I believe that the CU is in need to experienced and learned advisers . I believe that Mr. . Boulos is doing well in this field , but we need more. 

We hope for the CU to become not only an adviser to kings but a king maker in its long walk  to  freedom “Long way to freedom , an autobiography of  Nelson Mandela ,,Great Britain , 1991 , page 6” .

I  feel , really ,  proud to be one of the collaborators of the united family of the Coptic United and a personal friend to the brilliant engineer , not only of buildings or mechanics  but of human , historical , cultural and religious  potential of all Egyptians  Mr. Ezzat Boulos .

We should continue to insist to dream of a new Egypt ! Who can imagine that the son of a black African father and white American mother , Obama recounts an emotional odyssey he became the president of the great AMERICA . (BARACK OBAMA , Dreams of My father , Great Britain 2007).

We can hope and should look forward that through the serious work and real help to scholars  carried on by  the CU with the immigrated Egyptian –Coptic minds all over the world , will emerge a new generation able to reshape the present and future life of all Egyptians .

Thank you for your love and patience . Hoping you all the best . A BIENTOT !