Cairo, 15 March, 2022 / 4:52 pm (ACI Africa).
Egypt's President, Marshal Abdel Fattah al Sisi, has confirmed an initiative to construct a church in the same locality where there is a mosque, a move that Catholic Pontifical foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Portugal, says shines hope for Christianity in the Northern African country.
The “One Church for Every Mosque” arrangement has been said to be part of Egypt’s urban development program, which dictates that a church must be constructed as part of city planning.
President al Sisi is quoted to have said, “Where there is a mosque… there must also be a church. And if the church to be built will be attended by even only 100 people, it must be built anyway. So, no one will have to meet in an apartment and present that private house as a church.”
In a Tuesday, March 15 report, ACN Portugal that supports the faithful experiencing persecution and oppression all over the world notes that President al Sisi’s statement is “historic” and that it demonstrates the importance of Egypt’s Christian community.
“This decision is historic and comes to end a decades-old legislation that prevented the construction of new Christian temples near, for example, schools, government and residential areas, which led to the appearance of many churches with a clandestine character and motivated many disputes and even attacks instigated by more radical Muslims,” ACN Portugal has reported.