Traditional Islamic religious authorities regard church construction, or any display of non-Islamic religions as "emasculating" of Muslims. No wonder Egypt's Copts face such travails.  Because it was excerpted in Bat Ye'or's pioneering The Dhimmi, I obtained Moshe Perlmann's (1975) complete translation of a 1739 essay on the Churches of Cairo.  Written by Sheikh Damanhuri (1689-1764), a highly esteemed leader of Al Azhar University, the pinnacle of learning in Sunni Islamdom, since 973 A.D.,  the learned jurist's tract was a reply to a query in that year when, "...the dhimmis began the construction of a church in Cairo...causing great agitation among Muslims." The good sheikh notes, When I learned of the rise of this deplorable affair, and that in this community no longer is the prophetic injunction heeded to deter the infidels, the enemies of the faith, from their goal, I began to write the answer...by explaining the right path Sheikh Damanhuri entitled his reply --...(Read Full Post)