CAIRO: Despite eye-witness accounts and numerous videos flooding the internet, some believe the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Warraq last week was merely a hoax meant to strengthen people's religious convictions. Thousands of Christians as well as Muslims lined up for more than three hours last week to catch a glimpse of the Virgin Mary believed to have made an appearance above the Virgin Mary Orthodox Church in Warraq district in Giza. People were pouring onto the streets and standing on rooftops in Warraq as soon as news broke out that a glowing silhouette of a woman wearing a crown was hovering above the church. It didn't take long for security forces to gather and cordon off the area. The same scenario took place on Tuesday night after the reports of another apparition in Zeitoun and El Masarra spread throughout the city. Hani Sarwat, a 27-year-old Copt, was in Warraq to witness the incident with his friends. "I immediately recognized her, I saw Mary, she came in a flash of light amid a swirl of pigeons. She was beautiful, wearing a blue veil, everyone was excited; people used cell phones to call friends over, take shots and videos of the apparition, he said. Gamal El-Arabi, a Muslim waiter at a nearby café told Daily News Egypt that he saw a bright white light above the church. "It disappeared then reappeared. People standing near us cried that this was the Virgin Mary. She hovered above the domes of the church. The Virgin's apparition is a great joy for both Muslims and Christians, he said. Inside the church, Bishop Theodosius refused to issue a statement because he did not witness it himself. "I was in Alexandria at the time, but I was informed by the people in the neighborhood about this apparition of the Virgin. We informed Pope Shenouda, who is in America right now, he said. The apparition is an event in which the Virgin Mary is believed to have supernaturally appeared to one or more people. They are often given names based on the town in which they were reported, the documented cases allegedly happened around the world over hundreds of times. In Egypt, it is believed that the Virgin Mary made four appearances, although none of them were confirmed by the Catholic Church in Rome. The longest and best documented appearance took place in the church named after her in Zeitoun in April 1968. Sightings continued for almost two years. The event was witnessed by millions, allegedly including late President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Some priests of high rank were then delegated by Pope Kyrillos VI of Alexandria to conduct investigations at the church. The panel confirmed the appearance based on witness accounts by religious organizations, scientists and foreigners belonging to different religions and sects who have all given the same description of the incident. The apparition created controversy between scientists and the church, even by the different Christian sects and Muslim preachers. While some priests consider it a blissful event that will bring Copts prosperity, others firmly describe it as a form of deception. Raafat Fekry, secretary of the Synod of the Nile, said that the Bible did not mention anything about the appearance of the Virgin Mary. "With all due respect to the Virgin Mary and other holy figures, but they are just human beings with no special powers. We demand Pope Shenouda III to form a fact-finding papal committee and put an end to the confusion, which is used to mislead the naive and the poor, he said. Dr. Ikram Lamy Chairman of the Information and Publishing Committee Evangelical Church, cited parts of the Bible that point to the harms of what he says are rumors. "Rumors of the apparition of the Virgin are aimed at playing with ordinary people's faith, people don't need such things to reinforce their faith, he said. On his TV show on a satellite channel, Sheikh Khaled El-Guindy said that in Islam, there are no such miracles. "We still shouldn't interfere in others' beliefs, but there are some sects that propagate rumors to manipulate people, in an attempt to strengthen their faith, which I find very offensive, he explained. Many people, including Christians, regard claims of apparitions as hallucinations encouraged by superstition, and even mere lies and deliberate hoaxes to attract attention.
