CBN News reports that an Egyptian committee has passed the legalisation of 127 churches which were previously operating illegally in the northeast African country.
Legal churches must get state approval in a process that had been criticised for being too restrictive and slow. In response, thousands of churches set up without permits.
The International Christian Concern (ICC) noted that:
“Egypt has a long history of regulating the building of churches, but many churches were not able to complete this process. Instead, they were built illegally.”
The churches must only be used for religious activities, according to a media release.
But in 2016, the Egyptian government passed a new law that aimed to speed up the legalisation process.
ICC says that more than 1,000 churches have been granted permits since the law change.
Under the new law, a cabinet committee of the prime minister and the ministers of justice, housing and antiquities, review church requests for approval.
In late 2018 after more than 100 churches were approved, the president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt said the process would continue to improve.
“I am pleased,” said Andrea Zaki. “The process has been slow in the beginning, but I think going forward it will be better.”
Open Doors USA, a non-profit organisation of Christians who support persecuted believers in over 60 countries, said Christians in Egypt are still facing daily persecution from the Islamic population, but this is a step in the right direction.
They added that said the Islamic religion “fuels discrimination and creates an environment causing the state to be reluctant to respect and enforce the fundamental rights of Christians.”
The Islamic State group, according to World Watch Monitor, killed over 100 Coptic Christians in 2017. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of the population.
Egypt is 16th on the World Watch List for persecution of Christians.
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