Jan 25, 2018

Many of Egypt’s Christians welcomed a recent decision by the Ministry of Housing allowing unlicensed churches to remain open while they go through the process of obtaining official permits. The decision aims to streamline that process, ease Christians' access to places of worship and guarantee their constitutional rights, the ministry said in a statement.

Officials also hope the move could cut down on sectarian violence. Some extremist groups have attacked churches under the pretext that they are unlicensed and therefore illegal.

More than 250 churches are closed, some of them for security reasons. Church officials have asked that those churches be reopened.

Coptic Orthodox Church Archbishop Mikhail Anton is on a committee formed a year ago by Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to legalize the unlicensed churches and their annexes, and to ease restraints imposed on building new churches. Anton told local media he had asked the ministry to allow 2,600 unlicensed churches and affiliated buildings in 14 governorates to remain open during the licensing procedure, but received no response. After the church inquired about the request, authorities told 14 governors not to stop prayers at those churches, Anton said.

The committee concerned with regulating the conditions of churches is made up of the ministers of defense and military production, housing, local development, justice, antiquities and legal affairs; parliament members; and representatives of the General Intelligence Directorate, the Administrative Control Authority and the National Security Sector of the Interior Ministry.