Grand Sheikh, Pope Shenouda stress national unity
Egypt, Local, 1/12/2000

Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi Tuesday received at his office Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and his accompanying delegation.

Tantawi welcomed his distinguished guest and his companions, praying God Almighty to preserve Egypt's national unity, peace and security and to spare it the evils of sedition.

Pope Shenouda and his accompanying delegation expressed thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome accorded to them as they came to extend congratulations to Muslims inside and outside Egypt on the occasion of Ramadan Bairam.

During the meeting, the two sides asserted that Egypt¹s Muslims and Christians, joined under the umbrella of national unity, struggled together against colonialists since the 1919 Revolution and stressed keenness on preserving Egypt's security and safety.

Furthermore, Minister of Waqfs Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq on Tuesday met with a delegation including distinguished clergymen of the Coptic Church in Egypt.

The meeting stressed the strength of national unity and the cordial feelings of love and fraternity which join Muslims and Christians in Egypt.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Maher Abdel Wahid leaves Cairo Wednesday for Suhag Governorate and AL-Kosheh village, 440 km South Cairo, to personally follow-up the situation in AL-Kosheh.

Abdel Wahid will be accompanied by a team from the Higher State Security Prosecution. The team includes Attorney General Hesham Saraya.

Saraya ordered the detention of 22 defendants for 15 days pending investigations in Koshah. Twenty eight others were held in custody for 15 days.

Parliamentary Committee Visits AL-Kosheh:

The People's Assembly Religious, Waqfs (Endowments) and Social Affairs Committee members will go to AL-Kosheh, Suhag, on Thursday to stand on the situation there.

The members, led by the Committee Chairman Ahmed Omar Hashem, will hold meetings with the citizens, officials, popular chiefs in Suhag.

No Planned Incidents:

The technical report of criminal laboratory ruled out that AL-Kosheh village's incidents were a result of a deliberate action.

The reports indicated all incidents in the village were carried out through different ways, a matter which testify that there was no organized planning on such incidents.

The criminal lab. experts inspected the scenes on the spot.

According to the technical report, the killing operations were randomly carried out and the setting fire to shops and houses sporadically took place.

Reconstruction of AL-Kosheh:

Two Muslim and Christian businessmen in Suhag paid LE 100.000 to help rebuild the houses and shops devastated during the incidents.

Previous Stories:
  Life returns to normal in Al-Kosheh   (1/6/2000)
  Situation normal in Al-Kusheh, investigation into suspects in bloody events   (1/5/2000)
  Egypt's population totaled 63,986 million   (1/4/2000)
  Egyptians express unity and peace   (12/27/1999)

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