Christian Symbols Bring Police Harassment

For the past year, a controversy of sorts has arisen in Egypt over bumper stickers. It started when Christians began displaying stickers on their cars with a fish logo; an ancient symbol of Christianity. These are often used in the West to show that the car owner is a Christian. As these gained popularity among the Coptic minority in Egypt, Muslims began producing and displaying stickers with a shark chasing a fish, sometimes with the phrase "No god but Allah." Some Egyptian human rights activists expressed concerns in mid-November that this war of the bumper stickers could ignite tensions between Muslims and Christians, particularly within the more militant elements of society.

Egyptian drivers face harrassment for displaying religious symbols

 According to a December 18 report from The U.S. Copts Association, Cairo police began stopping vehicles displaying the fish symbol in mid-December, demanding that the stickers be removed and handing out heavy fines. One driver reported receiving a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds (over $100.00 Cdn), along with the temporary suspension of his license. Police state that they are acting upon orders from the Minister of the Interior. There are no reports of Muslims being similarly stopped.

Michael Meunier, President of the U.S. Copts Association, points out the inconsistency, of this new policy, since Muslims have freely displayed religious slogans on their cars for years. "This is an outright discrepancy, and an unacceptable violation of the individuals' freedom of expression."

Pray that what began as a simple expression of religious faith will not escalate into religious intolerance.

For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Egypt, click here.