ICC Note:
As persecution increases in the Middle East, Christians face the question of choosing politics or faith, Mission Network News reports.
5/2/2012 Egypt (Mission Network News) – The disharmony between Egypt’s military government and the Islamists continues to spread.
Parliament suspended sessions for a week to protest the lack of transition by the ruling military. Seated three months ago, this branch of government wants to form a Cabinet to replace the one appointed by the country’s military rulers late last year.
Run-off elections are expected on June 16-17, and a winner will be announced on June 21. The military has promised to hand over power by July 1.
Other cracks in the foundation showed when Islamists in Parliament tried to dominate a 100-member panel that was to draft a new constitution. A court disbanded the panel and a new one is forming.
What this points out is that the country is a long ways from settled. Egypt’s Christians also face the question of choosing politics or faith. Theirs is a dilemma that many Arab Christians face in the wake of the uprisings last year.
In many post-revolution states, Carl Moeller with Open Doors USA says, “Christian minorities in the Middle East and other places are being particularly singled out, and persecution is increasing. In fact, our belief is that there is intentional eradication of Christianity going on in many parts of the Middle East.”
In Egypt, Christians have had to ally with the secularists in order to have enough clout to be heard in Parliament. Moeller explains, “Radical secularism here in the United States is committed to the elimination of religion from public life. But in Egypt, it’s a little bit different. I think one thing we need to remember is that the Christian church is going under a huge amount of pressure there.”
In other words, in the Egyptian context, believers have to focus on common interests of the minorities and offer their support in return for the rights to practice their faith. “Radical agenda has called for the elimination of the Christian community in Egypt. Imagine that: 12 million Christians being called ‘worthless’ to the majority of the Parliament.”
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