ISMAILIA, Egypt: Ismailia governor Gamal Embabi today decided to halt the expansion work on the Virgin Mary Monastery on the Ismailia-Cairo Road. The expansion work was being conducted on 40 acres of land. Embabi also decided to convene a fact-finding committee to investigate the expansion work. The supervisors on the site and the Christian clergy confirmed that the necessary permissions are with Bishop Shenouda in Cairo. They also said that the work project will stop until the permissions arrive. The situation is quiet now, and now Copts are protesting, sources added. There was a wall around the monastery, which is roughly 100 meters from the road. In 2004, military police destroyed the wall, but later apologized after realizing it belonged to the monastery and rebuilt the wall. Military police also put a sign on the road with the monastery's name. On Sunday, October 23, the sign was removed, and Bishop Paula claimed that the wall was legal and 100 meters from the road. The monastery has all the necessary permissions, the Bishop said, adding that the new project includes 16 monks in training, three monks and several agricultural workers.
