U.S. Copts Association

Since the evening of Tuesday 2 April 1968 (24 Baramhat 1684 AM), the apparitions of the Holy Virgin Saint Mary, Mother of Light, have continued in the Coptic Orthodox Church named after her in Zeitoun, Cairo.

The apparitions occurred on many different nights and are continuing in different forms. The Holy Virgin Saint Mary appeared sometimes in full form and sometimes as a bust surrounded with a halo of shining light. She was seen at times on the openings of the domes on the roof of the church, and at other times outside the domes, moving and walking on the roof of the church and over the domes. When she knelt in reverence in front of the cross, the cross shone with bright light. Waving Her blessed hands and nodding Her holy head, she blessed the people who gathered to observe the miracle. She appeared sometimes in the form of a body like a very bright cloud, and sometimes as a figure of light preceded with heavenly bodies shaped like doves moving at high speed. The apparitions continued for long periods, up to 2 hours and 15 minutes as on the dawn of Tuesday 30 April 1968 (22 Barmouda 1684AM) when she appeared continuously from 2:4am till 5:00am.

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By Robeir al-Faris

Last year Watani twice tackled the ridicule of Christianity and Christians in books published by State-owned corporations that are financed through the money of taxpayers, Christians as well as Muslims. The first of these books was The sedition of takfeer, or apostasy , authored by Mohamed Emara, and published in December 2006 by the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs which is affiliated to the Ministry of Religious Endowments. The second was Evidence of the Greatness of Mohamed’s Message and Prophesies of it in the books of the People of the Book by Mohamed al-Sadat and published by the General Egyptian Book Organisation in July 2007. In both cases Watani received an apology from the author or publisher and the book was recalled off the shelves and later reprinted with the derision of Christianity removed.
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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch foreign minister met ambassadors from Muslim countries on Monday to try to cool tempers over a film by a Dutch lawmaker critical of the Koran and ask for protection for Dutch citizens and property.

Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Freedom Party, launched his short video on the Internet on Thursday, mixing images of Islamist bombings with quotations from the Muslim holy book, prompting a stream of condemnation from the Islamic world.
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Residents report 11 killed in clashes between government forces and Islamist fighters in Buulo Burte town.
MOGADISHU - Somali Islamists on Monday took control of a central town after clashes with government forces that left 11 people dead, residents and Islamists said.
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By Ian Pannell
BBC News, Cairo

It’s the start of the school day and hundreds of small children squeeze into the dusty playground.

Shrill orders pour out of a rusty loudspeaker screwed onto the wall. The children dutifully shuffle into line, open up their lungs and bellow their allegiance to God and Egypt.

The school day at Othman Bin-Affan Primary School has begun.
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By Niclas Mika

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Muslim nations condemned on Friday a film by a Dutch lawmaker that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, as Dutch Muslim leaders urged restraint.

Islam critic Geert Wilders launched his short video on the Internet on Thursday evening. Titled “Fitna”, an Arabic term sometimes translated as “strife”, it intersperses images of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and Islamist bombings with quotations from the Koran, Islam’s holy book.
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Egypt struggles to meet demands of own people as country gets hit by soaring food prices.
CAIRO - Egypt is to suspend rice exports for six months, from April until October, to try to meet the demands of its own people hit by soaring food prices, a commerce ministry official said on Friday.
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Egyptian border guards have shot dead two African migrants, as they tried to cross the frontier into Israel.The two men are both in their 30s, and according to a security official, are from the Ivory Coast.
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Court to review constitutionality of law allowing citizens to change religion.

ISTANBUL, March 26 (Compass Direct News) - Christian-born converts to Islam in Egypt wishing to return to their former faith have found their way blocked by an appeal before the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court.

Judge Muhammad Husseini asked Egypt’s top judicial body on March 4 to review the constitutionality of a law granting citizens the right to change religions.
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Nuclear desire seems to be spreading throughout Arab nations in bid to offset rising demand for energy.
By Alain Navarro - CAIRO

By signing a deal this week with Russia, Egypt is pushing forward with its desire to stay at the head of a nuclear family Arab nations are creating to counterbalance Iran and Israel.
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