Click for the official site of Arab-West Foundation.

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This website was developed by Cornelis Hulsman in 2004-2007 thanks to the sponsorship of Dr. Enan Galaly and later became part of the Arab-West Foundation since the Holy Family tradition shows excellent examples of Muslim-Christian cooperation:

• Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and the Coptic Orthodox Church worked together prior to the Millennium celebrations of the year 2000 to promote the Holy Family tradition.
• Coptic and Muslim businessmen set up the National Egyptian Heritage Revival Association (NEHRA) and restored several sites on the trail of the Holy Family.
• Festivals or moulids on the trail of the Holy Family are inclusive, they not only attract Christian pilgrims but also Muslims join in for various reasons, from asking for a prayer to trade.
• Bishop Demetrius of Mallawi organized between the year 2000 and 2011 large Holy Family celebrations in Dayr Abu Hinnis for which regional Muslim dignitaries and foreign guests were invited.  Such invitations also happened elsewhere but those in Dayr Abu Hinnis were the most prominent.
• Visits that were organized to locations showed visitors/pilgrims so well how local Christians and Muslims live together. In Sandafa, near Bahnassa, for example are icons painted by a local Muslim artist.

Since the Arab-West Foundation promotes dialogue and understanding between people of different cultures and religions it was agreed that the Arab-West Foundation would be best placed to host and develop this website.