Several Coptic Christian leaders and priests recently discussed the closures of their churches. For example, Fr. Stephen Shehata, undersecretary of the diocese of Samalout, Minya, explained how three of the diocese’s churches were shut down because they did not have the required licenses.
When the diocese recently attempted to build a church in Abu Hannas, 10 Christians trying to erect a fence around the space for the new church were arrested by police.
In response, Fr. Shehata said the area’s Christians, who are in need of a church, attempted to build a church building without the proper permits, “not because the church did not apply for the permits. Alas, the church submitted numerous requests—to no avail. And the reason is that the extremists reject having a church in the village.”

Jay Boo says
Islam’s dogma doesn’t hold up very well when contrasted with any other religion.
Islam’s 5 prayers a day are to insure that Muslims do not stray.
Keys says
@Jay Boo “Islam’s 5 prayers a day are to insure that Muslims do not stray.”
Yes, exactly. It is a good way to see who is not bowing down in public, so they clearly stand out, and can be watched or worse.
Jesus said when you pray go to your room and shut the door – wise and good in so many ways.
mortimer says
President al Sisi is not protecting his Christian subjects better than his predecessors. Shame.
Jay Boo says
mortimer
If you are referring to the Muslim Brotherhood’s POS Morsi your lazy false equivalence is absurd.
Angemon says
Technicalities – instead of “you can’t have a church because you’re a Christian and sharia law says you can’t build new churches” it’s “you can’t have a church because you don’t have the necessary permits”.
Michael Casmer says
So Christianity was in Egypt 600 years prior to the Muslim religion coming there and now they need a permit?
Keys says
@Michael Casmir-
Yes, but I think Angemon’s point is the permit is not the real reason; the permit is a technicality – an obfuscation of the true reason.
Because the real reason makes Islam look intolerant. The real reason is that no new Christian Churches can be built under Sharia law. Churches existing before Sharia may remain under certain conditions, but no new Churches may be built with the resulting eventual extinction of Christianity.
Laurence says
Unless President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi does not yet know about this particular case (surely it is just an isolated incident. . .), then we’d have to assume that what he said recently was worth nada, but merely an exchange of hot air for hot air.
See here:
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/we.will.rebuild.your.torched.churches.egypt.president.tells.christians/75893.htm
Keys says
@ Doctor Divinity-
Yes, indeed. He could be using taqiyya; one can never really know with a muslim, can one? Can trust, but verify ever even apply?
On the other hand, even if al-Sisi is sincere, remembering what happened to Anwar Sadat when he opted for peace with Israel, there are enough extremists (truely orthodox Muslims, I think) in Egypt who know where al-Sisi’s family, children and grandchildren live, don’t you think?
Hell on earth.
Keys says
BTW – “Trust but verify.”
What can that possibly mean except a polite way of saying “do not trust”?