Archbishop welcomes Amnesty report on violence against Copts; Christians in Qatar celebrate formal opening of Anglican center; Latest Bangladesh factory fire underscores need improve safety, says UN
Archbishop welcomes Amnesty report on violence against Copts
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has welcomed a new Amnesty International report calling on Egypt to prevent “deeply disturbing” attacks on Coptic Christians.
The report describes an “unprecedented” level of attacks against Coptic Christians following the dispersal of two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo on Aug. 14, with Copts widely perceived as supporting the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi.
The deeply sectarian attacks — which have also taken place against other Christian denominations, including Catholic and Evangelical ones — have frequently been preceded by incitement from local mosques and religious leaders, the report says.
Speaking to The Times, Welby said: “I welcome this timely report from Amnesty International. Attacks on any community are deplorable and any state has the responsibility to protect its citizens. The appalling attacks in August on the Christian community in Egypt highlight the need for all citizens to be duly protected.”
The report argues that Egyptian authorities failed to prevent mob attacks on Christian churches, schools and charity buildings in August that left at least four people dead and buildings burnt to the ground.
The archbishop, who met with Coptic and Anglican leaders in Cairo in June, added: “Despite the pressure they are under, by the grace of God, Christians in Egypt continue to do all they can to work for the good of the whole of the society of which they are an essential part.”
Last Sunday, the archbishop joined an Anglican-Coptic service of prayer for people caught up in unrest in Egypt, Syria and the wider Middle East.
Speaking before the event, he said: “I am delighted that Anglican and Orthodox Christians will worship together and remember in prayer the very difficult, indeed life-threatening circumstances in which some of the churches are living.”
Christians in Qatar celebrate formal opening of Anglican center
Christianity in Qatar was once an underground religion, but today it thrives, thanks in part to people like the Rev. Bill Schwartz, an Anglican priest and an Episcopal Church missionary.
The Christian community in the Islamic Middle Eastern state celebrated a pivotal moment Sept. 21 with the official opening of the Anglican Centre, in a complex known locally as Church City, in the country’s capital Doha.
At the heart of the center is the Church of the Epiphany, which was consecrated one week later on Sept. 28.
“We are all overjoyed to finally celebrate the consecration of our new church after five years of very hard work by many people,” said Schwartz, Epiphany’s rector, who has overseen the development of the Anglican Centre since before construction began in August 2008.
Managed by the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, the center today is used by about 60 Evangelical, Pentecostal and Protestant congregations. At full capacity it can accommodate up to 15,000 worshipers on Fridays alone, and many more during the weekdays.
“Parking is a challenge to say the least,” Schwartz said during the center’s opening ceremony. But, he added, “the level of cooperation we are experiencing in the shared facility is very encouraging indeed … We are learning together as the broad spectrum of expatriate nationalities and Christian traditions to honor each other’s diversity.”
Until recently, Qatar was seen as a purely Islamic state, but as new leadership tapped vast natural gas resources, economic development exploded. The former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, knowing that such development brings migrant labor and different faith traditions, provided the land for Church City.
“It was a challenge to build a church in a country with no history of church buildings, but everyone involved in the project gave the extra effort to ensure that the end result is an edifice that speaks of God’s glory and grace,” Schwartz told ENS following Epiphany’s Sept. 28 consecration ceremony.
The United Nations labour agency said it was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in a fire at a garment factory in Bangladesh, adding that the incident highlights the need to do more to address the safety of workers.
At least nine people have reportedly been killed in the fire that broke out at Aswad Composite Mills near the capital, Dhaka yesterday (8 Octiber). Media reports add that about 50 people have also been injured. More than 1,100 people died when another factory collapsed in April.
Latest Bangladesh factory fire underscores need improve safety, says UN
“This latest fire to affect the ready-made garment (RMG) sector in Bangladesh reflects the sad and shocking truth that not enough is being done to address the safety and health of garment factory workers,” said a statement issued by Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
“Despite the staggering loss of life over the past years, workers are still dying for reasons that could well be avoided if decent working conditions were in place.”
The agency noted that following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in April, the Bangladeshi Government and its social partners have been collaborating to improve working conditions, strengthen labour inspections and upgrade building and fire safety in RMG factories around the country.
“But all efforts and commitments will be in vain until they translate into concrete actions to avoid further loss of life or injury to workers. The ILO, as always, stands ready to assist the social partners,” said the statement.
“The fire at Aswad Composite Mills should not be just the latest tragedy to beset the industry. It must be the last.”