From Christianity Today – 8th March 2011

Away from news cameras, Christian, Muslim youth rediscover common ground.

Paul-Gordon Chandler | posted 3/07/2011 10:03AM

Two weeks after President Mubarak left office, tens of thousands of
Egyptians gathered in the now-famous Tahrir Square for what they called a
“Friday of Cleansing and Protecting the Revolution.”

Right in the center of the demonstrations, Muslim Sheikh Reda Ragab and
Coptic priest Father Khazman walked hand-in-hand through the square,
welcomed by warm applause and cheering from protesters chanting “Muslim and
Christian, we are all one.”

Sheikh Ragab addressed the massive crowd, saying, “We came here today to
show the world that there is no sectarian strife . ” And the crowd chanted
in response, “The time of strife has passed.”

As the world looked on in awe at the protests in Egypt that led to the
ouster of the authoritarian regime, a far more profound revolution took
place away from television cameras. During the last month, we Christians in
Egypt have witnessed an unprecedented coming together of local Muslims and
Christians, especially among young people.

Unlike typical religious dialogue gatherings, which have been en voguesince
the 9/11 tragedy and typically involve religious leaders (often the same
individuals) attending conferences and forums, this was entirely a
grassroots movement led by what might be considered the next generation.

In the midst of the crisis, or rather perhaps because of it, they
discovered, in the words of the early 20th-century Arab Christian
revolutionary writer and artist Kahlil Gibran, that “Your neighbor is your
other self dwelling behind a wall. In understanding, all walls shall fall
down.”

This is my eighth year living in Cairo, where I serve as the Rector of St.
John’s Church, an international Episcopal church that serves the diplomatic,
NGO, academic, and business communities. Having grown up within and spent
most of my life in Islamic contexts, I have observed the unique catalytic
role that international churches in Arab Muslim-majority countries can play
toward building bridges between Christians and Muslims. While we have
numerous outreaches to help build understanding, respect, and friendship
between the two faiths, nothing could have prepared us for this moment.

When historians write up the story of this recent “revolution,” in which
Egyptian Christians and Muslims demonstrated an extraordinary camaraderie, I
believe they will observe that a critical foundation was created weeks
before in the most tragic of ways.

Last New Year’s Eve, just after midnight, a bomb exploded outside a Coptic
church in Alexandria, Egypt, just as worshipers were beginning to leave
their worship service. Some 23 were killed and more than 90 were seriously
wounded. While the perpetrators meant to bring increased sectarian tension,
their plan backfired. Six days later, when Coptic Christians across Egypt
celebrated Eastern Christmas, many Muslims attended services with them to
show their solidarity. In the streets, people displayed posters and bumper
stickers showing the cross and crescent next to each other, often interwoven
in design, with the phrase, “We are all Egyptians.”

Weeks later, young Muslims and Christians took to the streets in
anti-government protests. Countless protesters’ signs highlighted the
crescent and cross next to each other. Perhaps the most moving of images was
of the Coptic Church service held in Tahrir Square that Muslims helped
facilitate; when the service came to an end, all jointly shouted, “Amen,
amen.”

Similarly, Christians with hands clasped together encircled Muslims so they
could pray without harassment. These amazing images were broadcast to the
world. My last visit to Tahrir Square was breathtaking: people in harmony,
selfless support for each other, Muslims and Christians together.

During the harrowing days of looting that followed the now infamous
disappearance of police from the streets and the opening of the prisons,
Christian and Muslim neighbors throughout Egypt spontaneously came together
as one to protect their neighborhoods by forming night watches. One night,
our apartment building was attacked by mobs of armed looters nine times.
Each time, our Muslim neighbors sheltered us all from harm.

There are many credible accounts of how Muslims protected churches. A Muslim
friend of ours takes great pride in his instrumental role in guarding the
historic fifth-century Hanging Church in Old Cairo, a sacred site to Coptic
Christians.

Among Christians, new attitudes are taking root. An Egyptian Christian
friend of ours who previously had hardly a good word to say about any Muslim
is re-examining his underlying convictions.

But what about Christians in the West?

I see Western Christians having several fundamentally important roles:

Like the Egyptian youth that led the way with their non-violence, we also
need to work toward finding new ways to engage peacefully and set aside
unreasonable fears. Already some Christians have begun to demonize the
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. (Muslim Brotherhood members were among those
Muslims who helped to facilitate the Christian worship services at Tahrir
Square.)

We also need to make sure our help to the Egyptian people is offered
regardless of their religion, by showering upon them our good will, trust,
appreciation, love, solidarity, and sympathy.

We must discover ways to eliminate further alienation between Christians and
Muslims. At St. John’s Church, we have found that the arts can serve as an
effective way to build bridges. Our 2011 interfaith Caravan Festival of the
Arts ( <http://www.oncaravan.org/> www.oncaravan.org), originally scheduled
for the first week of February, is bringing together 45 premier Muslim and
Christian artists around the theme of “My Neighbor.”

Our goal is to build bridges between Muslims and Christians through visual
art as well as literature, film, and music. The arts festival obviously was
postponed due to the uprising. Many of the participating artists joined the
protests in Tahrir Square, including the actor Khalid Abdalla, star of the
film The Kite Runner, who courageously remained on the square for all 18
days.

Western Christians should pray for church leaders in Egypt to take an active
role in Egypt’s new future. Everyone’s life in Egypt has changed rapidly.
Some of the greatest change and potential lies in the faith-friendly youth
movement of Egyptian Christians and Muslims working together side by side to
re-shape their amazing country.

Our church’s Caravan Festival of the Arts is now re-scheduled for May, and
this delay will provide the festival with a greater opportunity for
successful bridge-building. No matter what changes come about, there has
been a revolution in the minds of people about their value to each other-all
are made in God’s image, regardless of creed.

Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler is an author, U.S. Episcopal priest, and
interfaith advocate living and working in the Middle East. For more, see
<http://www.paulgordonchandler.com/> www.paulgordonchandler.com.

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