A Christmas Unlike Any Christmas...

This Christmas was unlike any Christmas; actually the last two Christmases in Egypt were packed with feelings of sadness and grieve...

We as Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7th, based on the Julian calendar.

Although Christmas is known to be a time of happiness and joy, this time we could not help but mourn for those killed and injured during the most recent terrorist attack that took place in Egypt on New Year's Eve in Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt.

This Christmas people were not able to be as happy because their hearts were broken and filled with sorrow, Christmas tree lights were off and people could not greet each other because they knew elsewhere in Egypt people were still fighting the shock of the experience they went through, forgetting what it means to smile, people wept in church as they attended Christmas mass.

Perhaps people were not even over the events that took place last Christmas when seven people were killed in a terrorist attack in Church in Naga'a Hamady, Egypt.

Instead of celebrating Christmas, the church, the Pope and the people received condolences for its lost children and sadly had the first year memorial for those we lost the year before...

Yet in spite that all, it is in fact a celebration for the birth of Christ, we tried our best to rejoice, we prayed, we raised our voices to God, all of us with one wish for Christmas... it might have been said different, yet it all revolved around one meaning...

"Lord, please grant us all peace. Please keep us safe in the times to come. Egypt can’t afford more trouble. The people can’t afford more sadness. May all those we lost on New Year and last Christmas rest in peace, let them pray for us as they join You in heaven. Grant their families the patience to deal with their departure. Help those injured get better, give them the strength to move on and to live with the new challenges they have been blessed and destined with. Let this Christmas be a chance for us to move on and for things to get better. Don’t leave us in despair. Let us rejoice. Amen."

Christmas is still Christmas; and although our hearts carry a lot of pain, it's a time of joy, time of love, time for family and friends to get together...

We thank everyone who helped make this Christmas special, who helped make people smile, who helped us feel some joy.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Egypt Weeps...

2011 in Egypt took off roughly...

20 minutes into the New Year a terrorist attack took place in Alexandria, Egypt leaving 21 dead (so far) and over 90 injured…

In fact people's wishes of having "a blast" on New Year's Eve were indeed true... an actual blast came along taking away the lives of many... leaving others wishing they had died because they have to live with the departure of very loved ones, the scare of an unforgettable experience, a scar that would remind them every day with what they've been through, a disability that would change who they are and how they live, a nightmare that would take long or might never leave their sleep...

All those who were in Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt on January 1, 2011 at 12:20 a.m. will never be the same people again...

An unexplainable terrorist attack that shocked everyone and left everyone hurt and questioning why do innocent people praying in church, welcoming the New Year in peaceful hymns and hopeful prayers for a better year to come would be attacked and brutally murdered

An attack that left people with a feel of insecurity…

An attack that left people questioning what is yet to come…

An attack that is scaring people from going to church and practicing one of their basic rights…

An attack that could lead Egypt to the road of fragmentation…

An attack that has left many people in fear and sorrow...

We in Egypt are all in great despair and sadness as to where we have reached and to the possible impacts of such an attack. We are disappointed, angry and in shock… we are grieving… actually I can’t find the right word to express how we feel… we are mourning our loss of people and where we are today.

I personally send my condolences to all those affected by such an event even if they might not hear it or see it and I personally thank everyone who has shown their support because in one way or the other this event brought people in Egypt closer together because no one would disagree that what has happened is inhumane.

We pray wholeheartedly that this would be the last of such events… we pray for the families of those killed and injured; we pray that they have the strength to live with what happened and what is yet to come...

Yet we envy Alexandria’s Martyrs for they are lucky have died in house of God… They have reunited with God and are praying for us in heaven, assuring us that we will not be forgotten here on earth and that God will not leave His children in despair for long…

I said in my last post we should all start 2011 by, "believing deep down that if you really ask God to make 2011 better for you and to let it go according to His plans rather than yours… it’ll be an amazing year!" We must all rest assured that God will make things better for us.

Let’s all pray for a better, safer, sounder and more peaceful Egypt…

Egypt weeps today but happy tears will come, after all the Lord himself said, “Blessed is Egypt…” (In Isaiah 19:25); we will be blessed; may be not now, not today, not tomorrow... but we will be blessed.





"May all the souls of those who passed away rest in peace and may God grant all those injured and all their families the strength to move on. Amen."