Egypt Placed on 'Special Watch List' for Persecuting Christians

Audio By Carbonatix

Incidents of Christian persecution in Egypt are either unaddressed or increasing, depending on which Egyptian community is being referenced. Egypt has been called out by various American administrations in the past for failing to enforce its own constitution, which states that “freedom of belief is absolute” and that “the freedom of practicing religious rituals and establishing worship places for the followers of ‘divine religions’” is guaranteed.

Egypt’s Persecution at the Community Level

Instead, Egypt allows discriminatory practices and laws that hinder Christians from freely expressing their beliefs. The majority of the persecution takes place on a community level, especially in areas with a high population of extremist Muslim groups. In general, southern Egypt is worse than northern Egypt. Christian women are subject to harassment, and school children are bullied (especially when school is in session). Christians regularly endure employment discrimination and false accusations of violating blasphemy laws. Christians are in the minority with only 15 percent being a part of the population in Egypt, though Egypt has the largest percentage of Christians overall in Africa. The rest of the population is Islamic, according to ADF International.

The State Blocks Acknowledgment of Conversions

Previously, Christian churches have been bombed, believers killed, and women and children have been raped and / or forced into sex trafficking. Though the government promises Christians more legalized Churches, permits to build or repair churches have been refused because of the faith of those applying for the permit. In addition, there are aggressive neighbors and mobs that are eager to fight and hinder building or repair efforts. If Christians speak about their faith on social platforms, they can be charged with breaking blasphemy laws and fined and / or imprisoned. Muslims who convert to Christianity are typically pressured by their families to return to their Islamic faith. The state goes to great lengths to prevent conversions from being acknowledged, according to Open Doors.

Because Egypt continues to allow freedom of religion to be hindered, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is demanding that the United States place Egypt on its 2026 Special Watch List (SWL). Basically, Egypt will be monitored by the USCIRF regarding whether or not extremist groups continue to gain power, and whether or not the persecution of Christian grows any worse.

Related: 5 Prayers for Persecuted Believers

Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.