Building on a successful 2018 intercultural summer school with the SGP (Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij) and the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, the Center for Arab-West Understanding (CAWU) partnered in July 2019 with the SGP and the Anglican/Episcopal Diocese of Egypt to coordinate another popular summer program in Cairo focused on Christian-Muslim relations. Despite the critical importance of Christian-Muslim relations, whether considered in Egypt or internationally, there remains a significant need for effective programs in interreligious and intercultural dialogue in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With the generous support of the SGP and other partners, the CAWU hopes to continue to develop as a leading institution in this important field.
Location
The summer school was held at the All Saints Garden Conference Center in Cairo located within the All Saints Cathedral complex, the mother church of the Anglican/Episcopal Diocese of the Middle East and North Africa under the leadership of Archbishop Mounir Hanna. The All Saints Garden Conference Center offers a spacious conference hall and comfortable, modern accommodations at a very reasonable rate. Equally important, the Anglican/Episcopal church in Egypt was a gracious and enthusiastic partner in the summer school. Archbishop Mounir Hanna, Archdeacon Emad Basilios, Mr. Seleem Wassef, the diocesan interfaith coordinator, and Mr. Raouf Zekry, the chief financial officer in the diocese, were extraordinarily helpful and significantly contributed to the success of the summer school. Other important participants included representatives of the Interfaith Center of Al-Azhar University and the Bayt al-A’ilah (The House of the Family), an influential Egyptian governmental body devoted to interfaith cooperation.
Students
The student attendees comprised a dynamic mixture of Egyptians and internationals, holding Muslim, Christian, and secular perspectives, and originating from a variety of socio-economic contexts. Some nationalities represented include Egyptian, American, Italian, British, Austrian, and Albanian. The number of students attending each day fluctuated around 20-25 students, with approximately one-third or one-fourth of the students coming from a Muslim background. Those experienced in interreligious dialogue in the Middle East will understand the challenges involved in securing strong Muslim student participation. Despite our best efforts, Muslim students were not able to attend from Al-Azhar University and Ain Shams University as we had hoped. However, after conversations with representatives from both universities, we firmly
believe that this will be possible for future summer schools with more advanced planning. In
general, the students were active and open participants and the dialogue between them was
respectful and substantive.
Program
The program activities of the summer school occurred from Tuesday, July 2nd, to Saturday, July
6th, and concluded on Monday, July 8th. The sessions included lectures by academic and
interfaith experts, student dialogue, music programs, and a field trip to the “cave churches” of
Muqattam, a sacred site for the Coptic Orthodox church. On Day One (Tuesday, July 2nd),
students were introduced to the historic work of the Center for Arab-West Understanding and
its central project, the Arab-West Report Database. Established by the Dutch sociologist
Cornelis Hulsman, the Arab-West Report Database contains over 50,000 items of unique data
focused on interreligious and intercultural relations in Egypt and the broader region. Much of
the database consists of English translation of Arabic and Egyptian media reports, but it also
includes hundreds of unique interviews, research studies, and other documentation which
reveal the complex nature of Egyptian religious, political, and cultural discourse. In addition,
students learned from SGP member Professor Wijbren Jongsma on the significance of
interreligious and intercultural dialogue for Europe and the Middle East. Prof. Jongsma
emphasized the importance of genuine dialogue rather than superficial platitudes and
proposed that Christians in Egypt have a unique role to play in the future of international
relations. The first day concluded with a beautiful cruise for students and instructors on the Nile
river. Day Two (Wednesday, July 3rd) began with a presentation by Mr. Seleem Wassef, the
diocesan interfaith coordinator, on important interfaith programs run by the Anglican/Episcopal
diocese, including the Imam-Priest Exchange (2013-2015) and the practice of studying scripture
(i.e. the Bible and the Qur’an) together. This was followed by a presentation from Dr. Kamal al-
Boraiqa, general coordinator for the Center for Dialogue at Al-Azhar University, on “Common
Misconceptions about Islam,” and a lengthy question and answer session. In the afternoon,
Archbishop Mounir Hanna delivered a stimulating talk on the importance of Christians and
Muslims learning to accept and practice self-criticism rather than assuming a defensive posture
toward others. Dr. Tariq al-Jawhary, a Muslim scholar trained at al-Azhar and Princeton
University, discussed the meaning of spirituality in Islam, his views on Christian-Muslim
relations, and his experience as a Muslim leader in the United States. Afterwards, Mr. Hussein
Abu Ghadir discussed his experience as a government official responsible for reconciling
conflicts in the southern Egyptian region of Asyut. The second day concluded with the beautiful
oud music of Maher Fayez, a famous Christian musician in Egypt, and a discussion by Dr.
Sigward Von Laue of the Heliopolis University on the nature of intercultural dialogue. Day Three
(Thursday, July 4th) began with a lecture and discussion by Dr. Matthew Anderson of
Georgetown University on the importance of moving beyond simplistic or negative
generalizations and developing a sympathetic understanding of other religions. Focusing on the
Prophet Muhammad, he discussed how certain literature in the history of Islam might help
Christians to understand how Muslims relate to this figure, even while Christians cannot agree
that he is the final prophet of God. Archdeacon Emad Basilios spoke on a passage from the New
Testament (I John 4:18) and the importance of understanding and moving beyond the fear that
Christians and Muslims often have for one another. Dr. Justin Terry of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford,
then spoke on the challenges of secularism in Europe with a focus on the United Kingdom in
particular. His talk was an important and challenging turning point for some Europeans in the
summer school. The day was concluded with the showing of the film, One Hand, which narrates
some promising interactions between Christians and Muslims in Egypt in the aftermath of the
horrific bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year’s Day in 2011. The morning of
Day Four (Friday, July 5th) was given to students as free time to attend church services or
Friday prayers at a mosque. In the afternoon, the group departed for Muqattam, a
neighborhood on the outskirts of Cairo which is home to thousands of Christian garbage
collectors as well as several historic Coptic churches that have been carved into the
mountainside. The open air cave church of St. Simon in Muqattam is perhaps the largest church
in the Middle East and vividly displays the rich history and spirituality of Coptic Christianity. In
the evening, the students attended a lively interfaith drum session held at All Saints Cathedral.
Day Five (Saturday, July 6th) began with a focus on interreligious cooperation in humanitarian
work through a talk by Mr. Ibrahim Nagy, staff leader at Episcocare, the Anglican/Episcopal
church’s umbrella organization for healthcare, education, and economic development. A
Muslim volunteer with Episcocare described her positive experience of working within a
Christian organization. The day continued with a theological presentation by Dr. Muhammad
Abdel Ati, an important member of the governmental Bayt al-A’ilah, emphasizing the common
elements of Christianity and Islam. The afternoon sessions featured presentations on interfaith
dialogue in the city of Alexandria by Islam Othman, a former Salafi Muslim who is now engaged
in positive interfaith work, and CAWU intern Malaika Tiglao who discussed her work with
CAWU in developing a new academic learning center for refugees and other disadvantaged
populations in Cairo. Day Six (Monday, July 8th) began with a fascinating presentation by Prof.
Richard Gauvain of the British University in Egypt on Salafi expressions of Islam and the
response by mainstream Muslims in Egypt. The second speaker of the day was Dr. Tarik
Mansour, a professor at Ain Shams University and a member of the Bayt al-A’ilah. Professor
Mansour is a Muslim but his presentation on Christianity was uniquely informed and
sympathetic. The summer school ended with a presentation and discussion by Father Yoannis, a
Coptic Orthodox priest, and Shaykh Hamdi Abdelfattah, a conservative Salafi leader. The two
spoke genuinely of their positive relations and work together in the Egyptian village of Qufada.
It was a fascinating and perfect way to bring the summer school to a close.
Future Prospects
Because of the obvious importance of Christian-Muslim relations, it may come as a surprise to
know that opportunities for positive and creative interfaith and intercultural dialogue remain
limited in Egypt and the broader region. While high-level interactions between dignitaries and
scholars are not uncommon, real opportunities for young people are harder to find and are not
always very inspiring. With crucial support from the SGP, the Center for Arab-West
Understanding has been able to coordinate two unique and successful summer programs. Our
partnership with the Anglican church this year was extremely positive and our relationships
with key Muslim educational institutions continue to develop. At the same time, we have
learned many lessons for the future during these last two years. With continued support from
the SGP, we firmly believe that next year’s summer school will be the best to date.
July 12, 2019
Dr. Matthew Anderson
Drs. Cornelis Hulsman
