SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

the treatment of the poor at no charge. Each physician there was required to treat the poor for free. From among them became professors in the Faculty of Medicine of Cairo University and their fame spread throughout the world. Worthy of mention for example are Dr. Naguib Mahfouz Pasha, Dr. Ibrahim Fahmy al-Minyawi Pasha, Dr. Shafik Shalaby, Dr. Naguib Pasha Iskander who was the minister of Health in 1947, and Dr. Iskander Bey Girgawy. They treated and operated on the poor without compensation nor religious discrimination. This hospital was equipped with the newest medical equipment, Bacteriology Laboratory, and X-Ray Department. It also had the Humanity pharmacy which was the most modern pharmacy at the time. The building of this hospital faced numerous problems for it was built during the days of occupation and submission, the days of foreign concessions where foreigners had their own courts and Egyptian laws did not apply to them. So the Italian construction company refused to continue construction, creating illegal discords. It raised the Italian flag over the building in defiance to prevent any other company from completing the construction. As a consequence, Girgis Pasha made a great banquet, inviting the (government) ministers and the members of the diplomatic corps and placed over the building all the flags of the countries represented in Egypt. After the banquet, he brought down all the flags including the Italian one. The Italian Company knew then that it was facing a strong personality, and it accepted reality and completed the building.

spent its revenues as grants for the poor and the families that time has afflicted. He also dedicated the income from his book "Humanity and Civilization" to help the needy. Also he was the first to call for fighting Egypt's three enemies, Poverty, Illiteracy, and disease. As a result he was diligent in collecting monthly contributions for helping the poor as well as establishing schools for their education and a hospital for treating them. One of his notable sayings, 'Charitable work must be absolutely charitable and humanity has no debt.' And the poor patients, that were treated at no charge at the outpatient clinic in 1947, numbered 48,360 persons. He was full of energy, aiming to build the Society for helping the poor. He dedicated his life to the service of his country and the help of the poor. He was called by many as a man of benevolence and charity who rejected many attractive offers for work in the Board of Directors of companies who sought him for his administrative ingenuity and his numerous strong (business) connections. He sacrificed all this for the sake of serving in the S ciety. He passed away on October 1, 1947, possessing only the deeds that he left us. Currently, the Society is erecting a large 8-story services building, costing several million (Egyptian) Pounds, which is funded from the revenues of the land holdings that he accumulated for it. Sources: The documents of the Greater Coptic Charitable Society, and his grandchildren: Youssef Abdelmalek, Mahfouz Doss, George Doss.

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter When the ministry of Social Services was established in the early 40's, it did not find a more precise and comprehensive system than that of the Society. So it dispatched Mrs. Zahia Marzouk to study its regulations and the Ministry adapted many of them.

His tenure (at the Society) was known as the Golden Age due to its many accomplishments, that was mentioned above. The holdings of the Society, at his death, exceeded 730 Feddan. His

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