Upon This Rock....

The Garbage City of Cairo

On the 29 Nov 2010, our tourist bus meandered slowly through narrow streets lined by three-storey shop houses. This is Manshiyat Nasir or 'Garbage City', where several thousands of Egyptian Christian families, the Zabaleens, eked out a living by collecting and recycling the refuse of metropolitan Cairo. We could see children playing and families living out their lives amidst garbage piled ceiling high in their homes, spilling out into the streets. We were thankful that the bus windows were all up. Otherwise, none of us could possibly bear with the smell and stench of these streets.

At the turn of the 19th Century, there was an influx of very poor Christians from Upper Egypt to Cairo. They made a living out of collecting and recycling garbage, a common occupation for many a refugee family in many cities in the world. In 1969, the Egyptian government moved the rubbish collectors to this district under the Mugattam Mountain.

The Egyptian official who made the decision to relocate the poor Christians of Cairo here must have a wry sense of humour. Mugattam Mountain was the site of one of the most celebrated miracle in the history of the Egyptian Coptic Church, known as ‘The Moving of the Mountain’.

According to Coptic traditions, during the reign of the first Fatimid Caliph in the 11th Century a challenge was thrown to the Coptic Church. During a debate between the Islamic, Jewish and Christian religious leaders of the day, the Jews invoked the verse 

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain move from here to there, and it will move” Mark 11:23

They demanded the Coptic Patriarch, Abraam to demonstrate this. Al-Muizz, the Muslim Caliph then threatened to persecute the Copts if the church failed in this test.

In a dream, Patriarch Abraam was guided by the Virgin Mary, to seek out a holy man, Simon the shoemaker, who would have the required faith to move this mountain. Recruiting Simon, the Christian congregation and Pope marched to Mugattam Mountain along with the religious leaders of the day. As the congregation prayed, the mountain shook violently as if a strong earthquake had hit the city. Each time the congregation rose from prayer, the mountain was lifted upwards. When they knelt down, the mountain came down with a deafening roar. This happened three times and with each time the rays of sunlight from the other side of the mountain could clearly be seen through the gap.

Then, Caliph Al Muizz proclaimed, “God is Great!” and turning to Abraam he said, “This is enough to prove your faith is true”. From then on, he allowed the Christians freedom to practice their faith in Egypt. The Coptic Church survived one of the severest persecution periods in their history.

Relocating the Zabaleen Christians to live out a miserable existence in a stench-hole at the holy site of the Coptic Church, is an affront and insult to Christianity. However, our Lord Jesus would see otherwise. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. Matt 5:3 

For the poor and destitutes on Mugattam Mountain, a modern day miracle started from 1974.

After 3 miles through garbage lined alleys, none of the Singaporean tourists were ready for the sight as our bus turned the last corner. Before us, stood a large monastery, churches, hospital and social community complex which these garbage collectors had hewn out of the barren rock. On the rock faces on the mountain sides, they had sculptured various illustrative episodes described in the Bible.

To understand the miracle that has taken place at this site and the many everyday miracle testimonies in the lives of these simple Christian folks, please view a two part commentary on Youtube, ‘Fr. Samaan and Garbage City (Zabaleen)’. 

A chance meeting of a Christian brother, Farahat (later Father Samaan) and a garbage collector, Edis Agib in 1974 led to the transformation and miracle. Edis had approached Farahat to teach him to become a Christian. This led Farahat to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Zabaleen.


Worshipping at St Sammaan Church



One day whilst standing at the barren summit and staring down at the squatters below, Farahat was overwhelmed by a sense of lost and grief at the impossible situation of the people living on the slopes. As he cried out to God for direction, there was a strong gush of wind and pieces of paper were blown upwards from the garbage below. One of these papers that flew towards him was a tattered page from the Bible 

‘One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9,10

Farahat persevered and many of the garbage collectors turned to Jesus. A transformation and miracle occurred with God using the hands and labours of these destitute and poor people. The Lord saved them out of most pitiful conditions and allowed them to manifest their faith in a most inspiring and uplifting manner

It is a story of the indomitable faith of one man and the garbage collectors. It reminds me of the faith statement by St Peter, to which Jesus responded, 

“Upon this rock, I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not overcome it”.

What did Christ meant when He uttered these words? Christ was not referring to solid rock formations but the unshakeable faith and confession of many Christians throughout history when they proclaimed Him as Lord and Savour just as Peter did. 

I stood there at the mountain top, after visiting two of seven rock churches, staring at the sculptures on hill side and the garbage city below. I realised that the prophecy of Jesus on the establishment and success of His church was and is being fulfilled by the poor labourers on Mugattam mountain in Cairo, “Upon this rock, I’ll build my church”.

When others see with earthly eyes

Just what they want to see

You will see the things that never die

You will know and recognize

By simple child-like faith

The priceless truth that

Others will deny.

When others say I'm just a man

Who likes to dream His dreams

When others call a miracle a myth

You'll listen for eternity

In moments as they pass

And see with spirit eyes

What others miss.

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

And all the powers of Hell itself

Shall never more prevail against it

For Satan's thrones are built on sinking sand

Upon this rock I'll build My kingdom

And on this rock forever and ever it shall stand

Upon this rock of revelation

I'll build a strong and mighty nation

And it shall stand the storms of time

Upon this rock.

If in a simple carpenter

You see the Son of God

If you would chose to lose

When you could win

If you would give your life away

For nothing in return

Then you are where

My kingdom will begin.

Lionel

Updated 1st Published 19 Dec 2010

In November 2010, Bishop Robert Solomon led a group of Christians to tour Egypt and the Sinai visiting historic churches and the desert monasteries