Vatican rejects Egypt's Muslim cleric’s accusation against Pope

(Jan 03, 2011) Pope Benedict’s call to defend the rights of Christians in the Middle East following a deadly bomb attack on a Coptic Church in Alexandria on Saturday, is not meddling in Egypt’s affairs, said the Vatican rejecting Egypt’s top Muslim cleric’s accusation against the Pope. Ahmed el Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the oldest Islamic seat of learning, on Sunday criticized Pope Benedict XVI's call for world leaders to defend Christians as interference in his country's affairs, the official MENA news agency reported. The Pope’s call was "unacceptable interference in Egypt's affairs,” he said, asking why he did not call for the protection of Muslims when they were subjected to killings in Iraq. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi rejected the accusation, saying the head of the Roman Catholic Church had shown solidarity with the Coptic community as well as concern for the consequences of the violence for the Christian and Muslim population. "Therefore we cannot see how the Pope's approach to bring everybody to accept non-violence can be considered meddling," ANSA news agency quoted Fr. Federico as saying. He said the Vatican referred to "an attack against a Christian church and therefore we are concerned about Christian minorities, but that does not mean that we will justify or minimize violence against the faithful of other religions." At a New Year's Mass Pope Benedict had appealed for the "concrete and constant engagement of leaders of nations" to protect Christians in the Middle East, in what he termed a "difficult mission." Tayeb however condemned the church bombing in Alexandria that cost 21 lives, and said Al-Azhar, the highest institute in Sunni Islam, would form a joint committee with the Coptic Church to resolve disputes between the communities.