Christian Copts Prevented from Opening Churches in Egypt
Friday's attack on buses carrying Christian Copts on their way to a monastery is the latest sectarian attack on Egypt's most imperiled religious minorities. It highlights the worsening oppression of Christ's followers, a trend that shouldn't happen under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is supposed to protect Christians, who are his staunchest supporters.
Despite pledges of protection from Sisi, Coptic Christians remain vulnerable from persecution and discrimination. Violent incidents have spiked since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime in 2011. Dozens were killed in sectarian violence that has seen homes and churches bombed.
"This is not an isolated incident, it's an evolution of a problem," said Bishop Anba Makarios, leader of Coptic Christians in Minya where the attack occurred. He lamented that little has changed since previous attacks in spite of past pledges from politicians and religious leaders.
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Despite the overwhelming support Sisi enjoys from Christians, for instance, the government is unwilling to give building permits for new churches for fear of backlash from Salafis, the ultraconservative Muslim movement. Copts feel like second class citizens because mosque constructions face few restrictions.
On August last year, Egypt passed a new law spelling out the rules of building a church. It provides governors the authority to approve church building plans while taking into account "the preservation of security and public order." This means church-building will depend on the flexibility of governors who are vulnerable to demands by Salafis.
The Minya bishopric has a hundred churches, but 150 villages don't have places of worship. Elishaa Lewis, a local Coptic priest, was given specifications by the government on the church he planned to build. They agreed with the plans, but the local governor disapproved it anyway.
Yacoub Malak, another priest, said they have been trying to open another house of worship in another village for the past 15 years. When it was due to open in 2002, extremists attacked by breaking the door and windows. "From this time until now we can't pray in the church. They prevent us," he said. "It's an Islamic country," he added.
