Pope Shenouda held a meeting on Thursday with delegates of the evangelical communion headed by Pastor Safwat al Beyadi with the presence of a number of renowned pastors of the Orthodox Coptic church to look into the rise of Islamic forces in the parliament.

A source from the Church told Egypt's state MENA news agency that the question of how to build a bridge of communication could be built between the Church and the Islamic forces that look poised to dominate Egypt’s first post-Mubarak parliament. The source emphasised the importance of respecting the choices of the majority and the lessons from the democratic experience.  

Those present at the meeting reportedly stressed the importance of citizenship and unity in moving through the crucial times that Egypt is going through.

They expressed approval with statements issued by Islamic forces about Copts, describing them as “positive statements,” while saying that those statements critical of Copts have been few and do not represent all Islamic forces.

So far in the country’s first post-Mubarak elections, Islamic forces have won the majority of seats, the Freedom and Justice Party developed out of the Muslim Brotherhood on top and the Salafist Nour Party second.