Gargash offers condolences to Coptic Church

During a visit to the church in Abu Dhabi accompanied by Dr Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments (GAIAE), senior officials from the foreign ministry and Tamer Mansour, Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE, Gargash expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Gargash reiterated the UAE’s strong condemnation of the brutal terror act which targeted the Church of the Two Saints killing and injuring dozens of people. He further praised the Egyptian national unity against this criminal act which is rejected by all heavenly religions.

For his part, Rev. Ishaq, on behalf of Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and Pope of Alexandria and the Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Archbishop Anba Abraham, Coptic Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Gulf and Near East, expressed gratitude to the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for offering condolences over the church blast and for their efforts to promote the values of tolerance and rapprochement and dialogue among followers of all religions.

He noted that Copts and Christians in the UAE enjoy the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.

The Coptic pastor further said this policy which was founded by the late founding father of the UAE Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has become a model for peaceful coexistence and tolerance. —