Bishoy Boulous Excluded from Prisoner Pardon List

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Bishoy Boulous

Please pray for Christian prisoner of faith Bishoy Armia Boulous, who remains behind bars even after the Egyptian government released 100 prisoners in an amnesty. Among those officially pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were two Al Jazeera journalists jailed after reporting unrest in 2013.

While Bishoy was detained for reporting attacks on churches in Upper Egypt, he has officially served his sentence and should have been released back in May. The young husband and father has also been charged with "blasphemy" over his attempt to change the religious status of his ID card. Bishoy's lawyer asserts that the time allotted for investigations into this charge has elapsed and, therefore, a formal complaint has been filed with Egypt's attorney general about his client's ill-treatment and continued detention.

Bishoy, also known by his former name, Mohamed Hegazy, was raised as a Muslim before his conversion. He was arrested in December of 2013 during a period of anti-Christian violence in Minya. The security service claimed he was working for The Way TV, an American-based channel. A video clip explaining more about Bishoy's situation can be viewed at this page.

Join us in praying that the authorities in Egypt will look favourably upon Bishoy's case, duly granting him release from imprisonment. In the interim, may the Lord mightily strengthen and use this spiritually fervent young man by providing divinely appointed opportunities to share the Gospel, for which he faithfully suffers, with other prisoners and guards who are in need of God's hope and salvation. Pray that Bishoy, his wife and children will have the comforting assurance that the Lord is working out His far greater plans in this situation and, at the same time, also in the lives of those who have yet to receive Him.

Consider writing a letter of encouragement to Bishoy and/or another Christian prisoner today. More information can be found at this page.

  • 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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    A water truck is working to douse a fire.
      

    Late into the evening of April 23rd, Islamic militants set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in the village of Al-Fawakher, which is located in Egypt's southern Minya province. Although the attackers attempted to prevent the occupants from leaving their burning homes, thankfully there were no reported fatalities.

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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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    Multiple crosses sit atop of a church roof.
    A Coptic church in Egypt.
    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
    Saint Mark Church in Helipolis
    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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Egypt Videos

 
Egypt: Praying for Rania
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Egypt: Convert, Formerly Known as Mohammed Hegazy, Sentenced to Five Years in Prison
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Egypt: 21 Christians were killed in New Years Day attack
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Persecution in Egypt
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Egypt: Former Muslim pays the price for becoming a Christian
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