Coptic Christians Still Persecuted In Egypt

Fides News Agency reported that Coptic Christians in Egypt are still being heavily persecuted by the government and the Muslim majority. The information was first delivered by the Board of Inquiry in Cairo. Christians in this nation are still facing abductions and government officials taking away their property.

Copts are a minority in Egypt that makes up around 10 percent of the entire population. The believers are persecuted particularly in the governorates of Luxor, Sohag and Aswan. Persecution of Christians has actually increased, according to the report by the Board of Inquiry, after the fall of the former president Mohammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The U.S. Department of State announced its view on the situation in not only Egypt but several other nations in the Middle East. The senators wrote to John Kerry, the Secretary of State, "It is our view that Egypt is part of a broader trend: religious freedoms throughout the Middle East and South Central Asia, particularly for Christians, are under assault. The U.S. must respond to this challenge and continue to be a forceful defender of religious freedom throughout the world."

Meanwhile the current Egyptian regime has been making efforts to deter any remaining supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood ever since the fall of ex-president Morsi. Clashed with anti-government organizations continue. On Monday, the court sentenced over 500 supporters of the Brotherhood for assaulting a policeman. However, human rights lawyers have stated that the there is a problem with the government's attitude.