The beginning of a new year presents us with an opportunity to engage in serious introspection and take account of ourselves and the communities in which we live. This is a particularly pressing need within the context of contemporary Egypt, which continues to pass through a sensitive period of transition. The events of the past year, indeed of the past two years, underscore the absolute necessity of maintaining national unity in our beloved land. Acrimonious political debates must not detract us from this overriding imperative.

Perhaps the most important matter that needs to be addressed in Egypt today is the promotion of interreligious harmony. It is no secret that our Christian brothers and sisters have sometimes been made to feel uncomfortable during an unstable...