A lawsuit filed by the mother of 15-year-old Coptic twins, Mario and Andrew, was rejected by an administrative judicial court on March 30 in Egypt. Camilia Lutfi filed the lawsuit against the Interior Minister and the director of the Civil Status Department for refusing to re-instate the Christian religion on the boys' birth certificates. Mario and Andrew's certificates were changed to reflect Islam as their religion when their father converted in 2005 (click here for more information). Camilia desires to restore her sons' identity as Christians on their birth certificates before they turn 16 in June, the age at which national ID cards are issued in Egypt. She fears that if their ID cards are issued with Islam as their religious affiliation, they will be considered apostates if they try to change their cards to reflect their Christian faith. Mario and Andrew were reportedly extremely disappointed with the verdict, saying "faith is not by force, we want to remain Christians and we do not wish to become Muslims." (Source: Assyrian International News Agency)
Pray that Mario and Andrew's birth certificates will be changed before their national ID cards are issued this June. Pray that they will rejoice in the opportunity to grow in Christlikeness through the ongoing opposition they face (James 1:2-4). Pray for strength and endurance for Camilia as she fights for her sons' rights. Pray that authorities in Egypt will respect religious freedom.
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.
On July 22nd, Egyptian authorities formally charged Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq (a convert from Islam to Christianity) with joining a terrorist organization, stirring unrest and spreading false information. Since converting to the Christian faith in 2016 and joining the Russian Orthodox Church, Saeid experienced persistent rejection from his family and community, as well as intimidation from local police. Despite these challenges, he regularly shared his newfound faith with those around him.
Originally from Yemen, Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was forced to flee to Egypt in 2014 after being subjected to violent attacks because of his conversion to Christianity. Then, in 2021, Abdulbaqi was arrested by Egyptian officials following an interview he did for a Christian television program addressing the topic of persecution in Yemen. Additionally, he was identified as a member of a Facebook group for those who had converted from Islam to Christianity. Nour Gerges, an Egyptian Coptic believer who also participated in the same Facebook group, was arrested at the same time.
Domes of a Coptic Church building in Egypt. Photo: Flickr / Andrew A. Shenouda (cc)
Three Christian men were hospitalized after being brutally attacked on November 5th in Ashruba, a village located within the Minya province of Upper Egypt. This is only the latest incident to occur amid a recent surge of sectarian violence throughout the region.
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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