Christian persecution concerns rise in Egypt as State Department presses religious freedom

A series of violent attacks onEgyptian Christians, including the incarceration of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, prompted theU.S.State Departmentto urge that religious freedom be respected in the Muslim-majority country of Egypt.

The situation of the Christian minority in Egypt has implications for religious freedom in the northern African nation that receives $1.3 billion in annual funding from the U.S.

Raymond Ibrahim, an expert on Christians in the Muslim world, wrote on the website of the Gatestone Institute, that “Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a Muslim convert to Christianity, has become one of Egypt’s mostprominent religious freedom cases.

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“After embracing Christianity in 2016, he endured years of harassment, detention, and abuse.On April 13, prosecutors referred him to a terrorism court, while his lawyers were denied access to the case file.He remains imprisoned, with advocates reporting torture, physical abuse, denial of adequate medical care, and repeated postponements of his trial.”

In another case, theEgyptian Initiative for Personal Rights(EIPR) reported that a mob of Muslims tossed stones at a church in Upper Egypt on July 8, injuring Christians and causing damage to the building and a priest’s car.

Just days later, a group of men attacked the Rev.Matta Roushdy, 49, a priest at the Virgin Mary and St.Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Dahab, South Sinai Governorate.

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�America will always defend the right of every person to live out their faith openly, freely, and without fear.” The spokesperson added, “Religious freedom is a fundamental American value.We aspire for all others to enjoy the same freedom, protection, and benefits.”

However, there has been some progress in combating bias against Coptic Christians.The organizationCoptic Solidaritywrote last week that a breakthrough unfolded with respect to the alleged longstanding discrimination against Coptic athletes in soccer.

Egyptian Coptic Christians attend the Resurrection Mass at the Monastery of St.Simon Al-Kharaz during Holy Saturday services on April 19, 2025, in Cairo, Egypt.(Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)

“In an unprecedented move, Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that its investigation found sufficient evidence of misconduct by a coach at Alexandria’s Al-Ittihad Club who allegedly excluded a junior football player, Makari Younan, because of his Christian name,” the organization announced.

It added, “The decision deserves recognition.Whether motivated by public pressure or a genuine policy shift, the Ministry’s response represents a notable departure from the longstanding official tendency to dismiss such allegations.”

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The organization continued, “It appears to be the first official acknowledgment that discrimination against Copts in Egyptian sport is not merely an allegation raised by disappointed families or human rights organizations, but a matter requiring government intervention.”

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Open Doors, a global organization that aids persecuted Christians around the world, said of the attack on the priest, “These types of attacks are usually committed by members ofradical Islamist groupssuch asthe Muslim Brotherhood.”

Their statement added, “Their actions reflect a broader anti-Christian sentiment, especially in rural and village societies across the country where weak law enforcement leaves Christians vulnerable to attack.Though violent cases like this have decreased in the last decade, these attacks will continue until the state takesanti-Christian fanaticismas seriously as it deserves.”

Coptic Orthodox Christians gather for an Easter service at the Monastery of St.Simon the Tanner, located in the Mokattam Mountain area of Cairo on April 19, 2025.(Ahmed Sayed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Dalia Ziada, an EgyptianAccording to Ziada, “Women and Coptic Christians constitute President El-Sisi’s most important political base.These were the two vulnerable groups that felt most threatened by the Muslim Brotherhood in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.They strongly supported El-Sisi then, and they continue to support him today.Consequently, he must maintain the appearance of protecting and pleasing them by visiting their church on Christmas every year.But beyond that, nothing is actually happening to make them less vulnerable.”

The U.S.State Department 2025 report on Christians depicts a bleak situation for the Egyptian Christian community.The community makes up an estimated 10% of the nation’s 120 million people.

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According to theState Department report on Egyptian Christians, “Despite efforts for greater representation, Christians remain underrepresented in senior positions across the public sector.Currently, only two Christians – the minister of local development and the minister of parliamentary affairs – serve in Egypt’s 31-member cabinet,” wrote the State Department, adding: “Of 27 appointed governors, only one is Christian.In the senate, 24 Christians (17 elected and seven appointed) hold seats, out of 300 senators.One serves as deputy speaker.A Coptic Christian is the head of the constitutional court.No Christian serves as president of any of the country’s 27 public universities.Employmentdiscrimination against Christians– especially within the security services, judiciary, and senior civil service – remains a significant issue.”

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According to an April 29 Christian Today report, a Coptic Christian YouTuber, Augustinos Samaan, was sentenced to five years in prison for insulting Islam because he published videosdefending the Christian faith.

Benjamin Weinthal reports onIsrael,Iran,Syria,TurkeyandEurope.You can follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenWeinthal, and email him at benjamin.com