International Orthodox Christian News

Abou Fana local residents’ lawyer Gamal Musaid said the declarations made by MP Alaa Hasanein and a businessman member of the so-called ad-hoc committee charged with solving the Abou Fana monastery problem were not true.He affirmed the problem had not been solved and disputes were still going on as monastery leading figures were still insisting on building the wall before handing over the land to local residents.

The lawyer added the two members announced the end of the problem only to be in the spotlight.He also affirmed that they had not unveiled what he called “the bitter truth”, namely that no solution had been reached that satisfied both parties and no final agreement had been struck, as the monks were still clinging on things which, he said, hampered this agreement.The monastery had been the scene of clashes on May 31 between local residents of Kasr el-Hor village, close to the monastery (Menya Governorate), and the monks because of a dispute on State-owned lands close to the monastery itself. A young Muslim had been killed in the clash and seven monks had been injured.

For his part, Mr. Hasanein said he would meet Governor Ahmed Diaa Eddin to show him the solutions proposed by the committee to start building the wall and to solve the problem.He accused diocese’s lawyer Ehab Ramzi of inciting the public opinion over the past two months through what he called “provocative declarations” against the Governor and the control and security organs.

He also pointed out that Pope Shenouda III had deplored, in a phone call with the Governor, Ramzi’s declarations and said the Church had nothing to do with them.

The Director of the Governorate press office Saad Mansour said water connections to the monastery had been installed and the path leading to it had been provided with lights.He explained facilities were connected by submitting orders and affirmed the diocese had asked to change the generator power at its expense to activate its irrigation hoses. The monastery, though, did not ask the electric company for the prices, contrary to what is always the case in all desert regions.

Mansour added that the Governorate had provided the generator and the lights for the road leading to the monastery. Likewise, he said the water and sewage company had provided the water line, pointing out that the monastery buildings and isolated cells had been erected on State-owned land and had not been legalized until that moment.He also affirmed there were no electricity or water lines inside the monastery, which made it impossible for them to be cut as affirmed by those in charge inside the building.

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