Egyptian President claims to have seen the Virgin Mary

The 1968 Marian apparitions in Zeitoun, a northern suburb of Cairo the Holy Family went through during the Flight to Egypt, are by far the most widely observed apparitions of Mary. Most people may not have heard about them, but they are well-known in some circles.

The Virgin appeared at night in Zeitoun for a whole year, in a posture and dress reminiscent of the 19^th-century Rue du Bac apparitions in Paris, France – over the dome of a small church, which is now a popular place of pilgrimage. What is unique about the occurrence is that each onlooker was able to see the Virgin, including people of the Muslim faith. Even Egyptian President Nasser affirmed that he saw her.

Zeitoun was followed in late 2000 - early 2001 by the apparitions of Assiut, a provincial capital in southern Middle Egypt, on the roofs of the cathedral, for several months. I went there twice, in January and February of 2001 and did not personally see the Virgin but can attest that it wasn’t a collective hallucination, because the crowd had seen the Virgin the day before, but no one saw her on the night I was there. Which proves that it wasn’t the case of a gradual, contagious entering into a trance or auto-suggestion. 

Marie-Gabrielle Leblanc, French Catholic journalist, February 6, 2010

France Catholique magazine