Articles

19/4/1990, Sabah El Kheir Dr. Adel Amer, the illustrious Egyptian, disappeared amid general indifference and without any notice in the media. But if Dr. Adel Amer had been a barely known football player, or an obscure artist, the news of his death would have been widely publicized in all the newspapers. Four medals awarded to Dr. Adel Amer As soon as I was informed of the death in Paris of this international pioneer of information, I took the first plane to be at the side of a man I knew and I loved since we started a quarter century journey...

6-10-2010 In response to recent Muslim-Christian tensions in Egypt, the Orthodox Coptic general bishop and secretary of Pope Shenouda III, Anba Ermia; and the president of ADIC, Dr. Aly El-Samman, coordinated with Orthodox Coptic Pope Shenouda III and Grand Imam Al-Azhar Ahmed Al Tayeb, to articulate the thoughts of these men, both of whom are strong and active believers in the values shared by their two religions. Their resulting joint statement is a call for all parties to counteract religious intolerance with peaceful coexistence and unconditionally shared citizenship. Sectarian tension has occasionally led to violent confrontations between Egypt’s Muslim majority...

14/12/2012 The International Union for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Education (ADIC) organized under the chairmanship of Dr. Aly El Samman and the Swedish Institute in Alexandria, a roundtable on the theme “Bringing Secularism and religious beliefs in contemporary societies”, with the participation of thirty students of the universities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta. The speakers were Birgitta Holst Alani, director of the Swedish Institute in Alexandria; Dr Aly El Samman, president of ADIC; writer Al Afkar Kharadly, journalists Amr Shobaki, Mufid Fawzi Mahmoud Bakri and Adel Darwish; Maria Guerreiro from UNESCO; Nader Wanis, director of the cultural center...

by Abd Elhady Abbas for Al Akhbar11/10/2013 “I support the presidential candidacy of Gen. Sisi because it is a popular demand. To those who reject the army I say, please read our history carefully!” Dr. Ali El-Samman Q. To what extent is security and stability necessary for economic growth in this coming period? A. This is a serious question because the economy at this critical stage is quite dependent on security. Therefore, I cannot emphasize enough that security and economic recovery are inseparable. When you take the tourism industry into account, there is no denying that security is crucial. Tourism, upon...

11/12/2013 When performing a public task of national dimensions, there is no way to satisfy all parties or handle it perfectly. Nevertheless, Mr. Amr Moussa, chairman of Egypt’s 50-member panel tasked with amending the Islamist-drafted constitution, stayed impartial throughout his moderation of the sessions, and was able to walk the thin line between diplomacy and political responsibility. Dr. Mohammed Salmawy, spokesman for the panel, also acted with great sensitivity and chose his words with care when he spoke to the media. The clerics who took part in the discussions also brought wisdom and a spirit of tolerance to proceedings. I...

11/3/2014 In yet another unspeakable atrocity, Libyan extremists killed seven Egyptian Christians after kidnapping them from their homes in a Libyan village on February 23. This horrific crime impels me to reiterate that we need to do more to protect the church and the Christians in Egypt. We need to make absolutely sure that no further assaults are carried out against them by extremist groups. Nearly one hundred churches have come under attack in Egypt. Many Christians have been assaulted or had their property vandalized. The Egyptian Church and the Christians have prudently refrained from retaliation. Instead, their silence was...

19/4/2014, El Masry El Youm Sister Sanaa Nadim, chaplain of the Islamic Society of the Interfaith Center at Stony Brook University, New York, invited Dr. Aly El-Samman, president of the International Union for Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Education, to speak about the book: “Three Windows on Heaven – Acceptance of Others, Dialogue and Peace in the Sacred Texts of the Three Abrahamic Religions”, which he co-edited with prominent scholars of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The book has been translated into four languages: Arabic, English, French and Hebrew. Among the participants in the event were Rabbi Joseph Topek, chairman, Interfaith...

Profile by Anne-Bénédicte Hoffner for La Croix30/4/2014  At 85 years old, this pioneer of inter-religious dialogue in Egypt, architect of the permanent committee for dialogue between Al-Azhar and the Vatican, maintains his convictions intact. In the oriental living room of his Parisian apartment, located in the 16th arrondissement at the heart of the aptly named Villa Said, Aly El Samman puffs on his pipe. This former journalist and communicator, who served his country “under Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak”1 recalls his past, peppering his stories with names of the many great religious and political figures with whom he continues to associate. From...

22/1/2015, Al Bawaba When I read of the ruling handed down by the state council in the Abu Hasira case I restrained myself from giving an assessment. The reason is that what I studied in Egyptian and French law schools was to respect judicial rulings regardless of their outcome, in other words not to express opposition. This however does not stop one from thinking about it and listening to the voice of reason. In that context, I remember a conversation I had in Morocco while there  with President Sadat; I had met David Ammar, president of the Jewish community in...