Presidential candidate Dr. Muhammad Salīm al-‘Awwā described Pope Shenouda as a “patriotic leader who has never bowed to pressures to get involved in sectarian strife from abroad or at home,” adding the pope has stood firmly in the face of divisions.

“Pope Shenouda’s stances were many, including his prohibition of Copts from visiting Jerusalem before it is liberated,” ‘Awwā noted during a rally with students of the Faculty of Engineering, al-Mansūrah University. [Muná Abū Sikkīn, al-Wafd, March 21, p. 3] Read text in Arabic