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Egypt

• Muslims violently protest re-opening of church A church in Cairo, Egypt, was recently prevented from re-opening due to pressure from authorities and local Muslims. Three years ago, in November 2008, Egypt's State Security Intelligence service closed down the Church of the Virgin Mary and St. Abraam in Ain Shams, a poor section of the city, after a group of protesting Muslims blocked the entrance. On May 19, the day the church was scheduled to re-open, hundreds of Muslims gathered outside to protest. They surrounded the building, preventing anyone from getting into it and trapping priests who were inside. They also threw rocks and threatened to kill the lead priest. Several people were injured, including a Christian bystander who was beaten by Muslims when he tried to record the attack on a cell phone. As a result of the protest, the provisional military authority has backed away from its promise to the church to re-open. At last report, it was unknown if any of the Muslim protestors have been arrested.

  Pray for healing for those injured. Pray this congregation will indeed be able to re-open its church. Pray that, in the face of violence, Egyptian believers will confidently entrust themselves to Christ and preach the gospel without hesitation (2 Timothy 1:7-12). Pray that authorities will justly protect Christian citizens against opposition from militant Islamists.

  To find out more about the trials facing Christians in Egypt, visit theEgypt Country Report.

• Blasphemy laws threaten Christians

  Amid the political shifts in the North African countries of Egypt and Sudan, the laws against defaming Islam continue to threaten Christians in the countries.

  Article 98(f) of Egyptian law, known to attorneys as the "contempt of religion" charge, is not officially an anti-blasphemy law. It is meant to discourage people from offending others' religious sensitivities. In reality, however, it is reportedly used to stifle free speech and punish and intimidate those who do not subscribe to the standard, orthodox version of Sunni Islam practiced by most in Egypt. Violating this statute is known as having "defamed a heavenly religion." Others have been charged under the statute with "insulting Islam." By comparison, no convert from Christianity to Islam has ever been charged with Article 98(f) for defiling Christianity.

  In Sudan, where the non-Islamic south is set to split from the Islamic north on July 9, as the result of the referendum earlier this year (click here for more information), Christians in the north remain vulnerable to baseless accusations of defaming Islam. Apostasy (leaving Islam) is punishable by death. Violation of Section 125 of the Sudanese Criminal Act, which prohibits "insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs," is punishable by imprisonment of one year, a fine and 40 lashes. While convictions are reportedly rare, Christian converts from Islam continue to be victims of Sudan's blasphemy law.

  Pray the Lord will equip faithful leaders who are willing to speak up for human rights and religious freedom in Egypt and Sudan. Ask the Lord to strengthen and protect His often-embattled Church in these countries. Pray that Christ's Body throughout North Africa will continue to be a bold testimony of His love and grace.

  You can also learn more about the suffering Church in Egypt at theEgypt Country Report.

• Islamic extremists attack churches in Cairo

  The Islamic attack on St. Mina Church in Cairo sent a piece of glass into the eye of Ramses Roushdy, 43 Photo: Compass Direct

  At least 12 people were killed and more than 200 wounded when members of a conservative Muslim movement attacked two churches and surrounding Christian-owned homes and businesses in Cairo on May 7. Salifis, a hard-line Islamic movement with extremist tendencies, set fire to one of the two church buildings, leaving most of it gutted. The attack in the neighbourhood of Imbaba was one of many recent assaults on Coptic Christians by members of the Salafist movement.

  The attack on St. Mina Church came after a rumour spread that a Coptic woman who allegedly converted to Islam was being held in the church against her will. The mob also entered the Virgin Mary Church, setting it ablaze. A few men were in the building when it was attacked. All escaped except for one, Salah Aziz, the church attendant, who died in the fire.

  Pray the Lord will bring comfort to those mourning the loss of loved ones and healing to those who were injured. Pray for religious and political stability in this nation. Pray the Lord uses this incident of violence to bring about great change for the Christians in Egypt.

  To find out more about the suffering of believers in Egypt visit theEgypt Country Report.

• Convert from Islam escapes Egypt with daughter

  Maher El-Gohary and his daughter finally found a doorway out of their life of hiding in Egypt, where they lived in this humble apartment – but they still feel trapped. Photo Courtesy Compass Direct News

  An Egyptian father and daughter who have been in hiding for two-and-a-half years after converting from Islam to Christianity (click here for more) recently fled the country. In February, Maher El-Gohary (58) and his daughter, Dina Mo'otahssem (17), flew from Cairo to Syria. After contact with a U.S. organization that concentrates on religious freedom, El-Gohary expected he would quickly be able to obtain a visa to the United States, where his wife lives. He tried for over a week, however, and was not able to make any headway. He then went to a U.N. office in Syria seeking assistance, and an appointment was scheduled for late April at last report.

  Although El-Gohary and Dina do not live under the same type of threats as they did in Egypt, they still spend much of their time trapped between the four walls of their apartment because Syria is a country where converts to Christianity from Islam are persecuted. They are also struggling for basic necessities due to El-Gohary's lack of income. "I feel like we've stepped out of a prison cell and into a fire," El-Gohary said.

  Even in this time of struggle, he acknowledges God's enduring care. "Without God's love, we would have been dead by now," he said.

  Thank the Lord for the ways in which he has provided for El-Gohary and Dina. Pray that they will continue to rely on His strength and not on their own (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). Pray all Egyptian converts from Islam will be bold and wise witnesses for Christ.

  You can learn more about the opposition facing Egyptian believers at theEgypt Country Report.

• Islamic mob burns down church

  A protestor reads a devotional at a demonstration in Cairo against the Sool church attack. Photo from Compass Direct

  On March 4 and 5, a Muslim mob in a village south of Cairo attacked a church building and burned it down, almost killing the parish priest. The attack came after a local imam, Sheik Ahmed Abu Al-Dahab, issued a call to "Kill all the Christians." The attack started on Friday evening in Sool (35 kilometres from Cairo), and lasted through most of Saturday. A parish priest, who narrowly escaped death in the fire, said the clamour of the Church of the Two Martyrs St. George and St. Mina being torn apart sounded like "hatred." After demolishing the church, the group of Muslims held prayers at the site and began collecting money to build a mosque where the church building once stood, said the assistant bishop of Giza, Rev. Balamoun Youaqeem.

  The attack was in response to the rumour of an affair between a Muslim and a Copt. Earlier this month, Sool villagers accused a Muslim woman and a Coptic man, both married, of being involved with each other. Because of the attack, Copts in Sool fled to adjacent villages. The women who remained in the village are now being sexually assaulted, said Rev. Youaqeem, who is receiving phone calls from area women begging for help.

  Pray for calm and peace in Egypt. Pray the authorities will do everything possible to protect Christians. Pray for the women who have been assaulted. Pray the gospel will spread throughout Egypt and many Muslims will come to know Christ.

  Find out more about the persecution of Christians in Egypt at theEgypt Country Report.

• Monk, workers shot in attack on monastery

  The tomb of St. Bishoy at the Coptic Orthodox Anba Bishoy Monastery in Egypt

  One monk and six church workers were shot and wounded last week when the Egyptian Army attacked a Coptic Orthodox monastery in order to destroy a wall monks had built to defend their property from raiders. The attack with small arms, heavy machine guns and armoured personnel carriers happened February 23 at the Anba Bishoy Monastery in Wadi Al-Natroun, 110 kilometres north of Cairo. The soldiers used armoured personnel carriers to bulldoze the wall, sources said, as the monks sang a prayer in unison, declaring, "God is merciful."

  As security diminished following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak on February 11, the monastery came under increasing attacks from raiders and criminals set free from prisons. The military denied a request for protection from the monks, who then built a brick wall with a metal gate to control access. The army claimed the monastery had not acquired the proper permits and issued a deadline for the wall to be torn down. The monks refused to demolish the wall, and the army moved in. At the time of writing, seven people remained in the Anglo American Hospital in Cairo, two of them in critical condition.

  Pray these men will be healed and have their health fully restored. Pray the Lord will strengthen their faith and use their testimony as a witness to others. Pray the Lord will bring peace to Egypt. Pray the current unrest will bring about greater religious freedom and an opportunity to further spread the gospel.

  Read more about trials facing Christians in Egypt at theEgypt Country Report.

• Muslims abduct daughter of church contractor

  Muslims recently abducted an 18-year-old Egyptian Christian from her home. On February 19, a group of Muslims broke into a house belonging to a building contractor who constructed the St. Mary and St. Michael Church in the city of Giza. In November, the church was the site of severe clashes between State Security forces and Copts protesting over the closure of their church. Three Copts were killed and hundreds were injured and arrested. After barging into the family's house, the intruders wrote messages on the wall, including "Islam is the solution" and "The Church has to be demolished." They also wrote the names of the other family members on the wall before abducting the church contractor's daughter. Blood was later found on the stairs in the flat. There is considerable fear that the rest of the family will be targeted in further violence.

  Pray this young Christian woman will be safely returned home. Pray her family will continue to look to Christ, entrusting all their cares and anxieties to Him in this time. Pray Christians in Egypt will be clothed in the Spirit of the Lord, reaching forth their hands in love, even to those who seek to harm and oppress them.

  Find out more about the situation facing Christians in Egypt at theEgypt Country Report.

• Blast kills 21 outside church in Alexandria

  Survivors of New Year’s Eve bombing in Egypt examine bodies of victims Photo from Watani

  At least 21 people were killed and 90 wounded on January 1, when a bomb outside a church in Alexandria, Egypt, exploded as congregants were leaving a New Year's Eve Mass. The explosion ripped through the crowd shortly after midnight, leaving the entranceway to the Church of the Two Saints, a Coptic Orthodox congregation, covered with blood and severed body parts.

  Witnesses reported a driver parked a car at the entrance of the church and then ran away seconds before it exploded. Government officials say they found remnants of the bomb, filled with nails and other makeshift shrapnel, at the site; they suspect an unidentified suicide bomber, rather than a car bombing.

  No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the attack comes two months after an Islamic group known as the Islamic State of Iraq issued a threat, stating "All Christian centres, organisations and institutions, leaders and followers are legitimate targets for the muhajedeen [Muslim fighters] wherever they can reach them."

  Pray the Lord will give grace and strength to the injured and the loved ones of the dead. Pray they will keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in the faith and not grow weary or lose heart. Pray those in authority will be spurred on to bring about justice and protection for Christians in Egypt.

  To read more about the persecution of Christians in this area, visit theEgypt Country Report.

• Christian charged with ''defaming Islam''

  A convert from Islam to Christianity in Port Said, northeast Egypt, has been charged with "defaming Islam."

  Ashraf Thabet, 45, came to faith in Christ in 2004. For years he questioned his Muslim beliefs and learned about the Christian faith through a Christian friend, as well as websites and other media. During these years, he shared his doubts about Islam and told others what he was learning about Jesus Christ.

  Angry that he questioned Islam, Ashraf's Muslim friends arranged for him to meet with several Islamic leaders. During the meeting, the Islamic leaders also expressed anger toward him for his questions. They turned in Ashraf to state security officials, who interrogated him multiple times and told him he could not talk to anyone about his religious views.

  One evening, police arrived at Ashraf's home, kicking down his front door and assaulting him in front of his crying wife and children. They confiscated his computer, books and CDs, and then took him to jail. He was repeatedly interrogated and spent time in solitary confinement. After 132 days in jail, Ashraf was informed of the "defamation of religion" charge against him. He also learned that Muslim leaders in his neighbourhood bribed his wife to divorce him and take away his 10-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.

  On August 21, Ashraf was released from prison, but the defamation charge remains against him with no indication of when the case will go to court. He is extremely concerned about re-arrest. He has only been able to see his children briefly, and his court battle has left him unable to work, unable to obtain a driver's license and without much savings. Ashraf also receives death threats on a regular basis. Most days, he is too fearful to venture outside his apartment.

  Pray that Ashraf will draw strength from the Lord, entrusting his life to God's sovereign care during this difficult time. Pray that the charges against him will be dropped. Ask God to equip him to be a bold and gracious witness. Pray for his family, that they will be touched by the transforming love of Jesus.

  To learn more about the trials of Egyptian Christians, go to theEgypt Country Report.

• Muslim mob destroys Christian homes, businesses

  Christians in a small, southern Egyptian village are rebuilding their lives and homes after hundreds of Muslims rampaged through their community, burning houses and businesses, after rumours surfaced of a romantic relationship between a Christian and a Muslim. At least 23 homes and numerous businesses -- all Christian-owned -- were damaged or destroyed in the village of Al-Nawahid in Qena Governorate, 454 kilometres south of Cairo.

  The attack started on the evening of November 15, when hundreds of Muslims poured onto the streets chanting "God is great!" while brandishing swords, knives and meat cleavers and shooting rifles in the air, said Ra'fat Samir, a human rights activist in Luxor. Five people were injured, including two 87-year-old men, who suffered head injuries. The rioters were responding to a rumour that a 20-year-old Coptic man, Hussam Naweil Attallah, was romantically involved with an 18-year-old Muslim woman. According to Samir, there is a feud for political control of Al-Nawahid going on among three families. Two of the families are inciting violence, using Christians in the area as pawns to depose the current mayor.

  Please pray the Lord will heal and fully restore those who have been injured. Pray those in authority will have the wisdom and fortitude to do all they can to bring the perpetrators to justice and bring about peace. Pray the church will be able to respond to these attacks with grace and love.

  You can read more about the persecution Christians face in Egypt by visiting theEgypt Country Report.