Coptic Solidarity Dr. Yassir al-Burhami, Egypt’s premiere Salafi, was once again videotaped inciting hate for and violence against the nation’s Christians, the Copts—including by decrying the notion of giving them their full human and civil rights: “When you cooperate with a criminal, aggressive, oppressive, infidel minority, you attack the rights of the majority … [Read more...]
Blasphemy Convictions Intensify in Sisi’s Egypt
Gatestone Institute Despite Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's many pluralistic words and gestures, which have won him much praise from the nation's Christians and moderates, he appeases the Islamist agenda in one very clear way: by allowing the controversial defamation of religions law, colloquially known as the "blasphemy law," to target Christians and moderates in … [Read more...]
Christian-Muslim Relations in Egypt: Politics, Society and Interfaith Encounters
Christian-Muslim Relations in Egypt: Politics, Society and Interfaith Encounters, by Henrik Lindberg Hansen I.B. Tauris: London, 2015. 304 pp. $99. Reviewed by Raymond Ibrahim Middle East Quarterly Spring 2016 Hansen has made a substantive contribution to our understanding of Egyptian society by focusing on relations between Christians and Muslims. His discussions on a … [Read more...]
Egypt: Another Christian Killed in His Military Unit, Supposedly by “Suicide”
Coptic Solidarity Another young Coptic Christian conscript has allegedly committed suicide in his unit in Menufia, Egypt, says a February 17 report by MCM (actual date of incident not indicated). According to Maj. Gen. Muhammad Mas‘ud, the 20-year-old Copt known only as Michael “shot a bullet from his firearm into his chest, dying instantly.” He supposedly killed himself … [Read more...]
Egypt’s ‘Security Threats’: Churches
Gatestone Institute On February 1, Tharwat Bukhit, a Coptic Christian member of Egypt’s parliament, said that “there are approximately 50 churches in Egypt that are closed for reasons of security.” In 2011—when the “Arab Spring” began—the nation’s Christians had compiled a list of 43 churches that were shut down by local authorities over the years. This list was given to … [Read more...]