<\/p>\n
In the previous article, we continued tackling Dr. Yehya al-Gamal\u2019s biography and ideology. We spoke of his great love for Egypt, deep belief in democracy which he had always endorsed in his writings and stances, as well as his true love for reposed Pope Shenouda III. In fact, the two men\u2019s relation grew stronger after Dr. al-Gamal had presided the Pope\u2019s defense committee when Sadat issued a decree that annulled the Pope election patriarch of Alexandria.<\/strong><\/span> General Bishop<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the previous article, we continued tackling Dr. Yehya al-Gamal\u2019s biography and ideology. We spoke of his great love for Egypt, deep belief in democracy which he had always endorsed in his writings and stances, as well as his true love for reposed Pope Shenouda III. In fact, the two men\u2019s relation grew stronger after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41650"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41797,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41650\/revisions\/41797"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDr. al-Gamal took pride in the mutual love between him and Pope Shenouda III. So much so that he used to say, \u201cI do take pride in my good relation and, even more, deep affection for Pope Shenouda which everybody is aware of.\u201d Both men loved poetry and reading which constituted that secret tie between them, which is why Dr. al-Gamal said, \u201cApart from his religious stature, the Pope was a man of letters. He was too witty for a man of his age and concerns.\u201d Dr. Yehya al-Gamal speaks of how deep their admiration was for \u201cAn Unjust Village\u201d, saying, \u201cThis was a book by late Dr. Mohammed Kamel Hussein. It was about Christ\u2019s last days. I do vouch I never read a book so wonderful like this neither in Arabic, English or French. His Holiness also admired it exceedingly. Yet, most important is that when bookstores ran out of it, and before issuing the second edition, his Holiness gave me an extra copy he had.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nMoreover, there were many human situations that tied the two men, which stuck to Dr. al-Gamal\u2019s mind. He spoke of them several times, especially what happened when was operated on. At that time, his Holiness was in the U.S. for medical investigations. Yet, no sooner had he known of Dr. al-Gamal\u2019s hospitalization, than he hurried to visit him, having had left returned home. This affected Dr. al-Gamal exceedingly. He describes the visit, saying, \u201cWhen the Pope returned from the U.S. and got to know I was in hospital, he came to visit and bless me. I was happy, surprised, and impressed when a high-ranking official entered my room and told me, \u2018We were informed that his Holiness cortege is on the way to visit you!\u2019 How historic! It was also a gesture of kindness which I shall always cherish and remember. I also keep the photos of this visit which did alleviate my illness.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nMoreover, Dr. al-Gamal expressed in his articles how deeply saddened he was for the Pope\u2019s departure. He writes, \u201cI still recall the day of his departure: I stood on the amphitheatre and hugged him. I was all tearful. I believe I was one of the last to talk to his Holiness. I called bishop Ermea on Thursday night, just two days before his departure, to inquire after his health. But bishop Ermea gave him the handset. I said, \u201cI am inquiring after your Holiness\u2019 health. I do wish you and Egypt all the best.\u2019 He replied, \u2018I send you my love and prayers.\u2019 These were his Holiness last words to me, and, probably, the last ones altogether. I believe Egypt never loved or bade farewell any of her beloved children in like manner she did Nasser or Pope Shenouda.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nLove for Everybody\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nDr. Yehya al-Gamal was full of love for everybody: for he believed in love and fraternity amongst Egyptians, rejecting all sorts of abuse for anybody. In an article entitled, \u201cHow Great Egyptians Are!\u201d he wrote about the greatness of the simple Egyptians whose warm feelings tie. Thus, they share sadness and happiness, strengthen one another regardless of creed, gender, or ethnicity. Egyptians are a kind people. When the massacre of the Two Saints Church occurred, he wrote, \u201cVerily, the Egyptians are a civilized people. They are truly great. What inspired me to pen these words was the warmth I saw on the occasion of the massacre of the Two Saints Church: a wonderful, civilized scene. Christians and Muslims assembled at the church\u2019s door and inside it, strengthening one another. I saw veiled Muslim ladies carrying lit candles, expressing their feelings toward their sisters: feelings of love on compassionate faces.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nThen, he describes the affection which Egyptians have for one another, saying, \u201cThere is a mosque opposite the church. I found some ribbons tying the church and the mosque. What a lovely scene! How expressive it is of the love and friendliness of Egyptians, no matter what their creeds are!\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nDr. al-Gamal had always been frank and sincere, which is why he expressed how much he rejected extremism and terrorism: \u201cThe incidents which occur nowadays are but part and parcel of extremism, and ignorance, or, probably a backward movement toward outlandishness, which is not characteristic of the Egyptians\u2019 psychology. In fact, should one roam in forts and villages, one cannot differentiate between one Egyptian and the other.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nOn the humanistic level, Yehya al-Gamal was pretty mature, even as a youngster. Additionally, he was quite sensitive. He was reared by his grandmother who mothered him as a child. His first memories of her were expressed after her death, having loved her exceedingly and lost a great then: \u201cHe used to hear she was his grandmother; yet he had no mother but her. She mothered him as an infant, and they lived together in a village near Beheira where he was overwhelmed by her love.\u201d After her death, he started a new life which he knew nothing about. He wrote, \u201cHe started his new life a lost soul. He knew deep down that he will always and forever gasp for that love.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nMaybe, as a child, he used to vent his sadness through education in which he outstood his colleagues. He was quite intelligent. \u201cThe little boy was then admitted to the Quran-recitation school (kuttab). He plunged into it, only to outstand the rest of his colleagues\u2026\u201d Later, he started to open up to the outside world through reading news and other things. At that time, he started sensing the love of his paternal grandparents, whereby, \u201cHe admired his grandparents exceedingly. He also loved them very much. In return, they loved and cherished him a lot.\u201d What a story! Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHead of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n