Coptic Solidarity Executive Committee deeply regrets the departure of Dr. Selim Naguib as a huge loss to us all, and presents our deep condolences to his family, Canadian Copts, members of Coptic Solidarity and to all Copts wherever they are.
Those who had the blessing and the privilege of knowing him, will miss him very dearly. We will miss in him his beloved and strong personality; paternity and kindness; wise counsel and intellectual vastness; leadership; dedication and tireless labor; humility and self-denial.
Since his settlement in Canada in 1965, Dr. Selim Naguib was the leader, pioneer and dean of Copts in North America. Copts of Europe also knew him very well and sought his advice frequently. Dr. Naguib was deeply respected even by his political enemies.
Coptic Solidarity felt indebted to Dr. Naguib and obligated, on behalf of all Copts, to recognize this giant and his sacrifices for the Coptic cause. In its Annual Conference of June 2012, Dr. Naguib was invited, but could not attend, and was given the Coptic Solidarity’s Award of Achievement, “in appreciation and recognition of his pioneer work and dedication advocating the human and citizenship rights of the Copts in Egypt.” At this unprecedented event in the organization’s history, a similar award was given to the name of the late Dr. Shawky Karras; another sacrificing pioneer and a friend of Dr. Naguib.
We raise our hearts to Heaven in this Holy Nativity occasion and ask our Lord to repose Dr. Naguib and reward his long and hard labor, and to comfort the hearts of his family, North American Copts and all Copts.