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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