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Thursday, February 24, 2000
Your Holiness .. Pope john Paul the second. It is a happy day for us to welcome you here in Egypt on behalf of all Egyptians . Our people look upon you with great respect and high esteem as a man of courage ,wisdom and tolerance . Your contribution to humanitic causes in this age of turmoil and insecurity is admired by everyone.You are firmly committed to the promotion of fraterntiy , peace and coexistence among all nations . You work tirelessly for the creation of a world free of injustice , oppression and bigotry . You stood by the weak and needy as they are fighting poverty and hunger . You believe in , and fight for , the establishment of a world of tolerance and universal acceptance. You once said: "In today 's world where God is tragically forgotten , Christians and Muslims are called in one spirit of love to defend and always promote human dignity , moral values and freedom " . You have supported and promoted dialogue between all religions on the basis of spiritual bond which unite all believers . This connection is shared by all of us in Egypt , the land that prides itself for being the cradle of civilization and the hospitable safe haven for all Messengers of God . When Jesus Christ and his revered family wanted to live free of the repression of Herod , their choice was the land of Egypt . He laid the foundation stone of his church in Egypt , which has become one of the four Primary "Sees" in the world . Saint Mark carried the torch as early as the year 61 A.D and established the church of Alexandria , which made a great contribution to the Christian thought and phliosophy . Today , the Egyptian people stand together , united by their submission to the will of God , and inspired by the spirit of both Christianity and Islam. They live faithul to the teachings of both the Bible and the Quraan. The latter exhorted all believers to submit the word of God as revealed to them through all his prophets without any distinction or exclusion . This was a theme which was repeated in many veres of the Quraan . A verse stated what could be translated as follows : Say we believe in Allah and the revelation given to us and to Ibraheem , Ismail , Isaac , Yacob and the tribes , and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given all Prophets from their lord, and made no distinction between one and another of them and we submit to Allah. Your Holiness the Pope As we have started a new Mellinnium in the recent history of mankind , we share with you a great hope for a better future that carries within it an era of peace and love ... A World dominated by the values which are deeply rooted in our religious and traditions. We believe that the progress we aspire to achieve can be made only if it is founded on our belief in the oneness of our destiny and purposes , regardless of race , colour or creed. We should strive together to fight fanaticism , prejudice and hatred . We should oppose all forms of discrimination , injustice , and double standards if we are to establish a new viable world order. Your voice on these issues is of enormous value . We wish you a happy and rewarding stay in our land . God bless us all Thank you |
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