After the chaotic, troubled years of the Arab Spring, Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi (an Islamist and Muslim Brotherhood member) was ousted in 2013. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was elected to replace him in 2014. As I blogged about last November, the current administration seems much more inclined to allow Christians relative freedom in which to practice their religion, but that very fact enrages the country’s Islamists, who aren’t exactly inclined to coexist with infidels.
 

While Christians account for 10% of the Egyptian population, they have difficulty getting formal recognition for their churches. According to World Watch Monitor ~

Exactly two years ago, the government introduced a new common law granting church buildings the same rights as mosques. About 3500 pre-existing ‘churches’ were waiting to be legalised at the time: some had been waiting for over 20 years. Discussions to redress the imbalance had fruitlessly been going on since the 1970s.
 
In January this year, Egypt’s Ministry of Housing announced that Christians are allowed to continue to meet in unlicensed churches, pending the legalisation process.

 
But Muslim fundamentalists, who are concentrated in various rural villages and Upper Egyptian governorates, didn’t get the memo. Which naturally doesn’t bode well for the Christians in those areas.

 
 
The Luxor Governorate in particular has apparently decided the federal law doesn’t apply to them (they must be the California of Egypt) ~

In Luxor governorate alone, eight churches have had to be closed while seeking legalization, Gamil Ayed, a Christian lawyer in the city of Esna, told World Watch Monitor.
 
“We haven’t heard that a mosque was closed down or the prayer was stopped in it because it was unlicensed. Is that justice? Where is the equality? Where is the religious freedom? Where is the law? Where are the state’ institutions?” he added.

 
That was last month. This week, Morning Star News reports that some Christians have actually been jailed for worshipping in unlicensed house ~

After Muslim mobs demonstrated against the Virgin Mary and St. Mahrael church in Luxor Governorate, 435 miles south of Cairo, police accused five Coptic Catholics of worshipping without a permit, according to Coptic rights activist Safwat Samaan.
 
Police closed the church in Al-Zeneeqa village, in Esna, which has been holding worship services at the site for 18 years, according to Samaan. Five Muslims were also arrested, with another 10 arrested on Aug. 24 as they prepared another demonstration against the church, according to U.S.-based Catholic publications The Tablet.
 
The Copts were arrested even though they did not take any action against the demonstrators, the Catholic outlet reported. Besides charging the Christians with worshipping in an unlicensed venue, they charged them and the Muslims with illegal gathering, disrupting public peace and inciting sectarian strife, according to local media.

So basically, it’s the Christians’ fault for inflaming the violence by their very existence. This seems to be a continuing theme with the Religion-of-Peace the world over. And the Islamists’ standard M.O. has become agitate – and escalate – until their demands are met.
 

Why do these people refuse to coexist? And why are the rest of us supposed to pretend that’s not the case? #Rhetorical

St. Mary and Anba Feltaas Coptic Orthodox church in Keyman Almtaanh village, near El-Zeniqa, was attacked by Muslim villagers after they had heard that the church had sought legalisation.
 
“We finished building our church in January, 2018 and we then started to pray in it, as a de-facto church, from time to time and all the villagers know that,” Rafaat Fawzy, a local resident told World Watch Monitor.
 
Although police arrived to disperse the demonstrators, no one was arrested. Guards were assigned to guard the church after it was closed.
 
“There are about 4000 Christians in our village and we have no place to worship now,” said Fawzy.
 
“The nearest church is the Archangel church in Wabwrat Al Mataana village, 15 km away. It is difficult to go and pray in that church, especially for the old, the sick people and kids,” he added.
 
“Where are our rights? There are seven mosques in our village and Muslims can pray in any place freely, but we are prevented from practicing our religious rites in a simple place that we have been dreaming of. Is that a justice? We are oppressed in our country and there are no rights for us.”

If President al-Sisi is truly serious about encouraging an open, pluralistic, democratic society in Egypt, he needs to enforce reforms in all areas of his country.

 
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Related:
Crisis of Disappearing Christian Women and Girls Escalates in Egypt–As Police Do Little to Help ~ Open Doors reports on another very troubling trend ~

Many families of Coptic girls who have gone missing believe they were kidnapped by Islamic extremists in an attempt to forcibly make them convert to Islam.

Mob attacks prevent Coptic church’s recognition for ‘security’ reasons ~

A Coptic community in Egypt’s Minya governorate, whose church was closed in July following protests by local Muslims, continues to be a target of mob attacks and hostility.
 
The only Coptic Church in Ezbet Sultan Pasha village, 250km south of Cairo, where about 20 per cent of the population is Christian, was first attacked on 13 July.

Positive signs for Egypt’s Christians? (Nov. 7, 2017)