Cairo — It was a quick skirmish and no one was hurt, but it was typical of what Egypt’s Coptic leaders say are increasing attempts to harass Christians since the country’s 2011 revolution.
The latest incident occurred Nov. 5 in northern Cairo, where a Coptic Orthodox Church service center is under construction. A group of Salafi Muslims occupied the construction site. They hung a sign: Masjed El Rahman, or “Mosque of the Merciful.”
The Maspero Youth Union, a Copt activist group, said on its Facebook page that the intruders insisted the church did not have the necessary permits to build. Government officials later determined the church had all the required permissions in place.
For about 24 hours, however, members of the Coptic church had to reckon with a group of Salafis who insisted Christians had no right to the land.
In the early-morning hours of Nov. 6, several members of the Maspero Youth Union made their way to the building site and began asking questions of the occupiers.
According to Middle East Concern, a Britain-based Christian human-rights association, the church’s construction project has the support of the governor for that region of Egypt.
Egypt ranks No. 15 on the World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to live as a Christian.
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