CAIRO – 8 April 2022: Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt’s top Islamic authority, Al-Azhar, extended condolences to Pope Tawadros II, the Pope of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the Coptic people after a priest was killed in Alexandria.
Archipriest Arsanious Wadeed, the priest of Church of Virgin Mary and Saint Paul in Alexandria was killed late Thursday after a man attacked him with a cold weapon on the street.
“Al-Azhar sheikh stresses that killing a soul is a major sin that brings God’s wrath and punishment in the hereafter. God has made killing one person the same as killing all people,” Al-Azhar said in a statement.
Al-Azhar cited the Quranic verse: “Who ever killed a soul, except for a soul slain, or for sedition in the earth, it should be considered as though he had killed all mankind; and that who ever saved it should be regarded as though he had saved all mankind.”
Tayeb warned that this incident and its likes are a “paved way to ignite religious wars between the sons of the one nation, especially after God saved Egypt from these wars by his grace and by the vigilance of its people and leaders”.
He called on everyone to be alert to such a scheme and to work to abort it.
Al-Azhar extends its sincere condolences to the family of Wadeed and the Christian brothers, Tayeb said, praying to God Almighty to preserve Egypt with his protection and strength and to perpetuate the blessings of security and safety on its people.
The perpetrator of the crime was arrested by the police on Thursday and Egypt’s Top prosecutor ordered speed completion of investigations into the murder.
The priest was walking in the street when a man attacked him with a bladed weapon, causing him severe injuries, and he was announced dead at the hospital.
Pope Tawadros mourned the priest of Alexandria, saying: “We bid farewell to a virtuous priest and an active servant.”
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