Coptic Christian Bishop Daniel met with the Swiss Minister of exterior at the St. Mark Cathedral in Cairo, the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church, during the minister’s recent visit. The bishop said that, formally, the Church enjoys good relations with the state and Al Azhar, which represents Islam in Egypt, but less formally, on the ground, “there is still a need for society to be aware of the rights of citizenship,” regardless of religion.

He also pointed out something that many, including Western dignitaries, are often unaware of: “The Christians are the original inhabitants of the nation and not foreign imports…. One of the problems of the East is that some are not good at dialogue, but rather try to infringe on the other who is different either in religion, gender, or otherwise.”