Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the Saint Mark Episcopate, rejected that the immigrant Copts should organize demonstrations during President Mubarak's visit to the United States late this month. In an interview the day before yesterday with prominent media personality Mahmoud Saad in the 'Beit Beitak' talk show, the Pope said the Coptic churches abroad do not take part in such actions, attributing the demonstrations to the enthusiasm of some immigrant Copts of Egyptian origin claiming they are defending the rights of their families in Egypt. He said news travels abroad faster than at home due to the technological revolution, which made covering up matters impossible. "That is why the Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad should be fully aware of all events so as to appease any such outbursts with discussion, as denial and cover-ups are no longer acceptable," he said. The Pope called for discussing the problems of the Copts in all frankness and clarity in order to find solutions, especially in light of what he considered as growing sectarianism, which is the reason behind the Copts losing elections. "In the days of Saad Zaghloul, a Coptic candidate could win in a constituency entirely Muslim. Now, only Youssef Boutros-Ghali won in the parliamentary elections," he said. He said that his relations with President Mubarak are very good, and that he resorts to his intervention only in important matters relating to the problems of the Copts, due to his enormous duties and responsibilities. "We teach our children patience and tolerance of the daily harassment. This is clear in all my sermons," he said.
