Cairo, 28 April, 2022 / 2:46 pm (ACI Africa).
The Egyptian government had granted legal status to 239 churches and other places of worship in the country, a move that Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) terms as a great improvement on the situation of Egypt’s Christian community.
The April 20 decision by the government committee that oversees the legalization of churches in Egypt brings the total number of churches and service buildings legalized in the country to 2, 401.
In a Wednesday, April 27 report, CSW’s Founder President, Mervyn Thomas, commended the committee that is chaired by Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, and expressed hope that more negotiations would bring about total freedom of worship in the North African country.
“We commend these efforts by the Egyptian authorities, and the personal commitment of President Sisi to improve the situation of Egypt’s Christian community, as well as to commence political dialogue,” Mr. Mervyn said.
He added, “However, in the interests of justice and parity, we continue to call for the provisions and rights granted to the Christian community to be extended to include religious and belief groups that are currently unrecognized.”