The People’s Assembly, in its session on Monday (March 19) under Speaker Dr. Muhammad Sa’d al-Katātnī, mourned the death of Pope Shenouda as “one lost great national symbol who left a large space in the political arena while Egypt is going through a decisive period of time,” calling on the legislators to stand in observance of a one minute’s silence to mourn the pope.

The majority of Salafists in parliament stood while a number of them stepped out to avoid standing with the rest of the members of the People’s Assembly. Al-Sayyīd Mustafá Khalīfah, the leader of the parliamentary body of the Salafī al-Nūr Party, who convinced most of them, however, to return to their seats, delivered a speech mourning the deceased pope. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Akhbār, March 20, p. 11] Read text in Arabic