11/05/2022 Egypt (International Christian Concern) – Biden will be the first president to visit Egypt since 2009, and there are hopes that he will discuss the issue of human rights decline since the military coup in 2013 that put Egyptian President Abdel Fattal al-Sisi into power. Biden is attending COP27 which will be focused on climate issues, but many lawmakers and NGOs are calling him to address human rights during international climate negotiations.
Issues being raised include prominent political and human rights activists being jailed, and the US is calling for them to be released. Christians in Egypt have been oppressed, which includes pressure from family members to return to Islam, government blocks on church meetings and buildings, and threats from Islamic extremists. Despite these difficulties, Egypt has the largest Christian population among the majority-Arab nations.
Christians overseas oftentimes suffer heavy persecution, such as being physically harmed, imprisoned, or kidnapped with little to mainly no protection from the government. Many people who convert from Islam usually are shunned by family members, served divorce papers, and oftentimes lose their children.
The Biden administration has promised to make the advancement of human rights a priority, and these issues need to be addressed while in Egypt.
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