This weekend, I picked up Nelson Mandela s "Long Walk to Freedom" and reread parts of this well-thumbed tome. The last time I read it, the world was a very different place; this time, I found that its themes of social inequality, injustice, resilience and courage resonated in new ways. Perhaps because of my work with the International Rescue Committee, I found myself reflecting on another long walk to freedom -- that of strong women, like Sherine. Widowed before she was 20, pregnant and terrified of living under ISIS rule, in November, Sherine fled Mosul, Iraq. She wandered through desert, survived waves of fighting and dodged landmines -- all while searching for refuge to give birth.

Cast Away is an American epic survival drama film directed and co-produced by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, and Nick Searcy. The film depicts a FedEx employee stranded on an uninhabited island after his plane crashes in the South Pacific and his attempts to survive on the island using remnants of his plane s cargo. Chuck Noland is a time-obsessed systems engineer, who travels worldwide resolving productivity problems at FedEx depots.While flying through a violent storm, his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Four years later, Chuck has adapted to the meager living conditions on the island, having become adept at spearing fish and making fires. Four years later he decided to save himself and find a way to return to his home by making a little boat.

As I am writing this article, I have to acknowledge I do not know anything about football! In my youth under president Gamal Abdel Nasser, this game a huge pot in which most people participated. We had two choices: to join the fans club, or to boycott. in both cases, we were following a scenario written by the regime. The great Egyptian writer Tawfiq al-Hakim once said: The era of pen has come to an end and the age of the foot has started! Another great writer called Abdul Rahman al-Sharqawi once left a meeting with us to listen to a game in the radio. I was astonished by what happened as I used to consider him a role model and a great writer. For me, Sharqawi was a leftist author of one of the finest novels. For half a century, the image of the writer, who neglected everyone and sat on the edge of a chair to listen to a football match, has been etched in my memory, engraved with a question: What is the secret of football?

Lately, a lot of terrorists attack happened in London. Every time an attack happening, we try to convince ourselves especially after the responsible people give us statement that this is going to be the last attack in London. Few months later, we wake up on another terrorist attack, and then we say it seems that “London doesnt want to learn the lesson”, but what lesson you are talking about? In the name of the human rights Britain welcome a lot of terrorists, and let their citizen suffer and killed because of the government’s actions. It seems that Britain will never back on its policy until more and more victims fell.

The Rohingya Muslims have often been called the most persecuted minority in the world. They have no state and are unwanted by Myanmar government. Some people believe they are Arab merchants whose ship has demolished near that land and they were to be killed, but started shouting Rahma, which means mercy in Arab language. Whether the story is true or not, mercy should be used in our world more than this. People should have the right to live without giving consideration to their religion. The Rohingya story reminds me of the Coptic Christians in Egypt whom some fanatics refuse to allow them to pray and persecute them for their Christian belief. Here we hear about Muslims persecute and other Muslims being persecuted.

The first feast in the Coptic Calendar is the feast of Nayrouz, and martyrs and confessors are commemorated within the Coptic Orthodox Church on that day. This calendar started as the tyrant Diocletian reigned and started persecution of Christians killing thousands of Coptic martyrs. Nayrouz is a Persian word means the new day. Rituals of the Coptic church celebrate this day and remind its people to live for the Lord in each year and throughout our lives. It has a philosophy to make our Lord, God and Savior Jesus the axis of time. This is the goal and the meaning of it. Therefore, Coptic history and calendar depend on God s saving covenant and the work of His grace. Copts were the first to write history and make calendars as they excelled in studying the astronomical sciences that characterized the pharaohs. This calendar was used by Pope Demetrius II of Alexandria to make the Coptic Calendar and to remind us that God is always with us bringing his salvation to his people.

Copts all over the world and especially in Australia, were so happy to watch the great celebration and opening of the highest Coptic lighthouse outside the Egyptian border (Eporo Tower) in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, in the presence of His Beatitude Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark See, and his partner in the apostolic service Abba Soriel, bishop of the Melbourne Diocese and his accompanying delegation. The celebration was also at tended by several members of the Parliament of the state of Melbourne, led by the Australian MP of Egyptian origins Peter Khalil and was covered by Egyptian and Australian media. Mrs. Nabila Makram, Egypt s minister of migration and the Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Khairat to the Australian Federal Capital of Cambra were part of the celebration which proves the Egyptian identity of the tower

To those who gloat over the natural disaster of Hurricane Erema that hits the United States and destroys many houses and the most expensive tourist resorts, they should know that Libya is one of five countries that are not included on the map of world natural disasters. It should be easy for them and their family to travel to Libya and lead a wonderful safe life away from the wrath of God caused in Florida by the infidelity of the Americans! Let me tell you that many natural disasters have hit Jewish, Christian and Islamic countries, and that has nothing to do with the belief of the majority in these countries. Israel, for instance, was burning few years ago and there were several floods in the Saudi Arabia, the most sacred Islamic country in the world, in addition to the earthquake in Egypt in 1992, which left behind an unforgettable destruction. Turkey, where the Muslim Brotherhood live and think they are the greatest Muslims on earth, has suffered from several earthquakes.

Today I want to go to one of the things that we always keep saying to our children and our new generation in the media and in the school and everywhere that might let them from the beginning of their life wants to go far to that places without knowing that the truth is no always as the media try to say. For Example in the media and everywhere, we try to always say this sentence” in Europe and developed countries” , and we are saying that word to explain how much we are developing in some aspects of the life which is true but not fully true.

In the movie (The Interpreter) Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter working at the United Nations in New York City. She was raised in the Republic of Matobo, a fictional African country, but also holds US citizenship. The U.N. is considering indicting Edmond Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), Matobo s president, to stand trial in the International Criminal Court. Kidman told the intelligence officer that her tribe believes that the only way to get rid of your sorrows is to save a soul. She explained that if one of their tribe is killed, they bring the murderer and tie him that he wouldn t be able to swim and then they throw him in the sea.

The bible tells us many stories about great people who made great mistakes like Esau sold his glory, his honor and his place with a lentil plate, and afterward he had a desperate life. It told us about Samson who lost his power and place among his people because he loved a strange woman. Another great man who was supposed to have a place among the noble apostles and men of God who will condemn the tribes of the twelve sons of Israel, but sold his master with money, it is Judas Iscariot. The lust for eating, the emotional relationship, and the money are three weapons of Satan to remove our names from the Book of Life and write it in the Book of Death. A priest told me about a girl who wanted to leave Christianity and get married to a Muslim man. The priest went to police station to try to change her mind, but she insulted him severely and so did the policemen. He went to the church and complained to St. Mary about the lost girl and the insults he received. Soon, he knew that the girl had an accident and died. He was so sad that she lost everything for nothing.

Some people began issuing strange statements in an attempt to escape the crisis of Copts right to pray in Upper Egypt. They accused Bishop Makarios of being responsible for the crisis since he defends his children as if he should have encouraged his children to accept persecution and discrimination no matter what happens! In fact, those people should have called instead to apply the law by officials. 50 years ago, there were only few Christian families in small villages. Yet, those small villages now have hundreds of Christians who need to pray. Those have agreed with Muslims to pray in a house or a hall every week and preventing them was the odd action. Now, with the new law of building houses of worship, it is almost impossible for them to get licensed churches as most of the lands are owned by the state.

St. Peter in (Acts 3: 6) told a lame man who was born like this: I dont have money, but I give you what I have : stand up and walk. This happened after the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples. In a short period of time, the man was expecting some food or material, but this response was conclusive and practical. St. Peter gave him what was greater than the material gifts, which is healing. The lame man entered into the temple and was seen by everybody making them wonder what happened! the people asked St. Peter how did they heal him? Its the power of Jesus Christ, he answered.

While I’m trying to think how poor people could afford the high cost of their medicine and because I have a little experience in how other countries run health care system I wanted to set some facts and Ideas and the same time. First fact, I want to tell all Egyptian that a lot of people around the world lack of health care and can’t afford their medicine even in the countries that we call them “developed countries”. Recently I have read a report about health care in one of the developed country shows that Millions of people in this country can’t afford to buy their medicine.

Peace and building of the Church of the One God, the Holy Apostolic one, is granted by Jesus Christ. Its history tells the story of God s work and grants its bright future. The Church owner has promised he will not leave us orphans as the holy spirit will take care of it through its servants. Our Coptic Orthodox Church has many great saints including our fathers the saints Mark, Antony, Makarios, Arsanios, Didymus the blind, Demetrios, Athanasius, Cyril pillar of religion, Cyril IV father of reform, Pope Cyril VI and Pope Shenouda III. Our history is full of them and the holy spirit is working in his church to the end of days.

When Egypt was thinking too much how to deal with Qatar and Turkey, which were hostile to Egypt and supporters of terrorism by all means, Egypt was also thinking about the friendly countries of Qatar and Turkey like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. This was the position of the Egyptian state which was announced by its foreign ministry. Yet, the Gulf countries didn t accept that Egypt mentioned the involvement of Qatar in on e of the terrorist attacks that targeted a Church in Cairo. Now, as the Gulf countries cut relations with Qatar, Egypt has comfortably withdrawn the ambassador and cut diplomatic ties with Qatar. It s sad that we care for countries that didn t care for us, and it is even sadder that Qatar cares about nothing and decided to return its ambassador to Iran cutting the way before all attempts to reconcile with the Gulf countries that replaced their 13 demands to be only six, but who cares! Qatar could only see its benefits and interests.

Under the huge economic and political challenges in Egypt, it is fighting corruption and striving to reform education. It also tries to fix healthcare and cultural ideology. Hard working also reach raising the standards of living, especially for the underprivileged and to do the best to attract investment and bring in job opportunities. Among that hassle, a number of MPs declare they intend to demand an amendment to the Constitution so as to extend the presidential term from four to six years. They can t see we have much important work to do and we don t have the luxury to do so. It should be known that the 2014 Constitution was written after Egypt got rid of the Muslim Brotherhood regime. the constitution was written by faithful Egyptian people to established the mainstays of a modern civil State. The new Constitution clearly separates between State authorities, and meticulously defines their prerogatives and roles, with the aim of protecting democracy and securing peaceful rotation of power. Furthermore, we don t have the luxury to demonstrate in the streets and change the constitution whenever we don t like the performance of the government.

Archdeacon Habib Girgis is a well known name in the Coptic Orthodox Church for his great influence and he led educational renaissance in the Coptic Orthodox Church and worked hard for the ministry and offered his life for the church of God. Habib Girgis lived according the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ and his life was model for Christians in his era and till today. He was dean of the center of theology and founder of Sunday School. He also led consecration, teaching and writing in the Coptic church proving the important role of laity in the ministry.

Recently, the US congress announced decreasing in the aid introduced to Egypt, and they have used the human rights situation as main reason to reduce this aid. I m not writing this article to attack the US decision but to clarify many facts to this aid. The first fact I Want to clarify that many writers and politicians in Egypt trying to attack us as because of this decision but I want to remind them with this famous proverb that says” beggars can t choose”, and I m sorry to choose that word “ beggars”, I just used it to clarify my point but didn t mean Egypt at all.

As Egypt is looking for better future hoping that the best is yet to come, some senior officials insist on keeping retardation as pure Egyptian slogan. Governor of Minya supported the prevention of Copts in Forn village from praying claiming that the majority of Muslims refuse it! This governor indeed doesn t realize he lives in the year 2017 where his statements were published minutes later before the whole world. Such statements can have very bad impact on the image of Egypt abroad and on tourism industry as well. This reminded me of The Little Prince, Frank Vercauteren, the Belgian football manager who agreed to train the famous Egyptian team Zamalek, but declined in the last minute after hearing horrible stories about prosecution of Copts in Egypt according to the president of Zamalek Mortada Mansour.

Sectarian discrimination is one of the greatest threats in Egypt, especially in Upper Egypt where it is supported by germs of discrimination and religious arrogance of extremists. Graduates of Al-Azhar in Egypt share such ideology with ISIS and Wahbbism as well. Those extremists are teaching the simple people how to hate Christians and to refuse to allow them pray! Of course they don t care the Copts are praying for Egypt, its people, police, army and prosperity. They only care that those simple will be transferred into community of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (and prayers of the Copts)!