Christians Detained for Evangelizing

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Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

A Christian man from Minya, who was convicted of blasphemy, risks being detained indefinitely. The 35-year-old believer, Medhat Ishak, was arrested on August 7th for allegedly evangelizing Muslims in a Cairo suburb. The day after his arrest, a judge found him guilty of "defamation of a revealed religion" and ordered that he be detained for a two-week period. The detention order was then extended for an additional 15 days.

Medhat's lawyer, Rafik Rafaat, has concerns that it could be extended indefinitely. He believes that extremists are pressuring the judges to crack down on Christian evangelists. On the other hand, Muslims in Egypt are allowed free rein to distribute religious literature in public, including Qurans. Please pray for Medhat's next hearing which is scheduled to take place soon.

On July 10th, another Egyptian Christian was arrested for evangelizing, and subsequently detained with two friends who came to his defense. During Ramadan season, when observant Muslims typically break their daily fast by eating dates, 16-year-old Fawzi Osama was reported to police for distributing bags containing the fruit and a Gospel message in the streets of Alexandria. That evening, two of his Christian friends joined him at the police station, only to be detained as well. With a bail of 10,000 Egyptian pounds (about $1,735 US), the young adults were discharged on July 12th. Further investigation is pending. For more information on this situation, please click here.

How wonderful it is that these Egyptian Christians are so willing to share the Gospel in the midst of such great hostility. May God greatly bless their efforts by working in the hearts of the unsaved recipients so they will be receptive to the message and in a position to ultimately accept Christ as their own Saviour and Lord. Ask that He will be especially near to His suffering children, including those who are in prison or experiencing other forms of persecution for their faith. Finally, may God's justice prevail throughout the court hearings and in the lives of His beloved followers.

  • Country Information

    Population
    109,546,720 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (90), Christianity (10)

    Leader
    President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Egypt

    Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.

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Egypt News

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  • Temporary Church Building Burned
    Two images of a room full of chairs. In the first, the chairs are neatly arranged. In the second, the chairs and interior of the building are burned.
    The temporary church building before and after the arson attack.
    Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

    Local Christians in the village of Misha'at Zaafaranah, located within Egypt's Minya Province, are working to get approval to build a place of worship. The required documents have been submitted to the authorities and, for the meantime, the group of believers were meeting in a temporary structure on the land belonging to the church.

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    Photo: Flickr / Mark Fischer (cc)

    Since 2016, the government of Egypt has been slowly approving the registration of more than 3,700 church buildings that were operating without the required licencing. These buildings were established before 2016, during a time when permits were virtually impossible to get. Although the licencing process now being administered has been long and tedious, thankfully progress is eventually taking place.

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  • An Additional 216 Church Buildings Legalized
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    A church in Egypt.
    Photo: Flickr / Andrew A. Shenouda (cc)

    Seven years ago, the Egyptian government formed a committee to work through applications to legalize unlicensed church buildings. When the committee was first formed, there were 3,730 outstanding applications. Though the process has been exceedingly slow, thankfully that number has been gradually decreasing. To review previously posted reports on this situation, go to our country report.

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