A new Arabic language report underscores the difficulties Egypt’s Coptic Christians continue to experience in their attempts to reopen many of their currently governmentally-closed churches—despite President Sisi’s supposed commitment to “consolidate [the concept of] citizenship and affirm the principle of freedom of worship” in Muslim-majority Egypt.
The report mentions a number of forcibly closed churches in various governorates, including in Sohag, Minya, Samalout, and Asna. Most of these churches are the only churches in their respective regions—meaning local Christians are denied a place to worship, even though one is readily available. One of these churches, St. George’s in ‘Izbit Dabous, has been closed for over two decades, since 2002.
For many years now, Coptic leadership has been formally petitioning the Minister of Interior to reopen these churches, to no avail.
The report concludes by saying that
Copts are hoping that there will be a breakthrough regarding these churches that have been closed for years, and an end to their suffering, allowing them their right to practice religious ceremonies that have been suspended due to security reasons.
Egypt’s injustice against its Christian minority can be found in those last two words. All of the above churches were closed by authorities on the claim that they posed a “security threat.” This simply means that, whenever local Muslims do not want a church near them—which they show by rioting and committing acts of violence—authorities respond, not by punishing the rioters and defending the church’s right to exist, but by shutting down the church on the claim that it poses a “security threat.”
In late December, 2022, for example, Muslims attacked a church and its Christians after authorities had given them permission to fix their church’s collapsed roof, which had fallen on and hurt several worshippers. (According to strict sharia, churches must never be repaired but left to crumble over time.) On the following day, the Muslim governor responded to the violence by rescinding the church’s permit to fix its crumbling roof.
In total, there are now more than 50 churches in Egypt to be closed on the dubious claim that they pose security threats — that is, because Muslims riot at their existence.
Open Doors has a prayer app that also explained the plight of Coptic Christians in Egypt, where they are constantly lied to. I assume taqiyya is permitted by Allah, whereas the true God forbids lying.
The world has become the devil’s playground and persecuting Christians is it’s favourite game. It will only increase, as Scripture warns us, and encourages us to persevere.
The persecuted will see God’s glory !
Tershia. Mary is in the hospital. Sounds like a stent is needed but not surgery at her age. She will be 95 or 6 in July I think.
She said because of her “youth” they could not do surgery. How can you not love that woman?
This is a spare email I use to post for people to get in tough with me if you wish.
I have her email but don’t want to post it here of course.
Hope you are well.
[email protected]
Oh my goodness. I did not see your message until now – thank you Don. If you talk to Mary, please give her my best wishes..!
Hi Tershia, she sounds cheerful in her comments and is receiving good care I believe. She said even if she is not commenting she always reads yours and my comments. So I know you will pray for God’s protection over her and hope she regains good health, she has been an inspiration to me in her courage to look at the most terrible conditions on the planet, read the most difficult books and share anecdotes of history and wisdom from her life
If you’s like to chat off site. This is a spare email I use to post to friends who want ot contact me offline:
[email protected]
Stay safe up there in the totalitarian led, but still beautiful country of Canada
Under Morsi Coptic Christian Egyptian Churches were burned and Anti Christian
rhetoric was rampant. I thought by Sisi coming to power the attacks against Christians would end and it would return to Mubarak’s tolerance. Sadly that’s has not changed. I pray for those Brothers and Sisters in Christ who have to live in this toxic environment of the “Muslim Brotherhood “
God help them!!!
Under Morsi Coptic Christian Egyptian Churches were burned and Anti Christian
rhetoric was rampant. I thought by Sisi coming to power the attacks against Christians would end and it would return to Mubarak’s tolerance. Sadly that’s has not changed. I pray for those Brothers and Sisters in Christ who have to live in this toxic environment of the “Muslim Brotherhood “
God help them!!!
thx Raymond.