Bishop Bishoi in Hot Water Again, This Time with Muslims

It's been a tough few weeks for the Copts in Egypt; the Church has been accused of covering up and hiding a priest's wife who allegedly converted to Islam (both the Church and the Government deny it); a prominent Islamist recently told Al-Jazeera that Copts are stockpiling weapons in churches; and now the Church's controversial Bishop Bishoi has gone and insulted Islam, to hear the press tell it.

I've talked about Bishoi before. He's bishop of Damietta and Secretary of the Holy Synod, and considered (not least by himself) a likely successor to Pope Shenouda III should the frail octogenarian Pope pass on. He's the Church's ecumenical outreach bishop for other Christian churches, but has sometimes raised questions about whether Catholics and Eastern Orthodox can get into heaven, (as for Protestants, it's probably best not to even ask: his English website has a prominent denunciation of Seventh-Day Adventists.) His approach to ecumenism is, one might say, a little limited.

Ah, but as I noted earlier this year, he's quoted the gospels on why Husni Mubarak should be supported, and of course Pope Shenouda has said nice things about Gamal. Bishoi does presumably want to be the next Pope, and the state has an effective if unofficial veto on the succession.

Bishoi has gotten in trouble for comments about Islam before, but he's just gotten in trouble again, at a time when the church is under fire and the Pope's health is uncertain. His foot-in-mouth problem may be undermining his ambitions.

A speech he had prepared for delivery in the Fayyum got leaked to the media, and in it he reportedly questioned whether some verses of the Qur'an were actually revealed to the Prophet or were added after his death. Now, apparently he said that Christianity and Islam were compatible except for a handful of Qur'anic verses, specifically citing one that says that those who say that God is Jesus Son of Mary are unbelievers. While that would clearly seem to be unacceptable to a Christian priest, a Christian priest in a Muslim country isn't supposed to come right out and question the validity of Qur'anic revelation. He also supposedly said that many Muslims believe Christ was crucified (generally they hold, based on the Qur'an, that he only appeared to be crucified and another died in his place), and is also alleged to have said that Muslims should remember that Copts were in Egypt first, allegedly referring to Muslims as "guests" who arrived only 14 centuries ago. He's hardly the only Copt who feels that way, but he's a bit prominent to be saying it in public.

It's said he postponed the formal speech when he learned it had leaked. Anyway, if you read Arabic, there are fairly detailed accounts in Al-Wafd, Al-Dostor, and Al-Masry al-Youm (all opposition or independent papers, none unfriendly to Christians and the last with Copts among the owners). For accounts in English, much shorter and less detailed, here's an article in Al-Masry al-Youm English and an opinion column in the same paper.

This will be the usual flurry of controversy; so far the official media doesn't seem to be piling on. But Bishoi's papal ambitions may not prosper if he keeps opening his mouth.