New edict raises red flags in Egypt

(File photos courtesy World Watch Monitor)

Egypt (MNN) ― On Sunday, a new edict went into effect that forbids gatherings larger than 10 people without government permission.

It sounds like it could be a new religion law in Central Asia. It could be a story from the former Soviet Union. But this story comes from Egypt.

Voice of the Martyrs USA spokesman Todd Nettleton explains the new ban. "They're basically saying, 'If you want to have a protest, if you want to have a gathering, you need to come to a government office three days before that, and somebody in the government needs to sign off of you having that gathering." The law imposes hefty fines and prison terms for violators.

Like the religion laws in Central Asia, the purpose behind the law was to restore order. In this case, it was to put a lid on the violent protests plaguing Egypt. Nettleton observes, "I don't think the purpose is to close down churches, but if you go to a particular area of Egypt where the local officials are opposed to the church, they can now use this law and come against the church."

The trouble is that one of the points of the law targets gatherings at places of worship. Again, it's understandable when you come at it from the perspective of a government trying to quell the uprisings of the last two years, notes Nettleton. "A lot of the protests that have happened over the last few months have started at a mosque, and then they've gone out from the mosque. So I think that is why it specifically says that in the law. But, obviously, a church is a place of worship, too, so we don't know what that's going to mean for churches in Egypt."

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak also tried to ban gatherings, but in the wake of his ouster in 2011, it was pushed aside.  The new ban is considered more restrictive, and rights groups are denouncing it already.
 
The law requires three-day prior notice for protests. Officials have the right to bar any protest or gathering considered a threat to public safety and order. Nettleton goes on to say that nobody knows what this means for churches preparing for the Advent and Christmas season. "Are they going to say if a church is established, if a church has officially documentation of their existence, then they're exempt from the law? Are they going to have to come one time and say, 'We gather for worship every week,' and the government signs off on it, or are they going to have to come every single week?"

Nettleton adds that throughout this three-year period of stress on the Church, new people are still turning to Christ. As the Church figures out its response to the new edict, he urges you to "pray for justice in the country, for the Christians there. We can pray for wisdom for them, and again we can pray for protection for our Christian brothers and sisters living in Muslim countries."

Muslim Brotherhood banned; good news for Christians?

(Photos courtesy Globovision)

Egypt (MNN) ― A lot can change in a year. Just ask Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.

The organization is reeling from the stunning reversal of power it experienced this summer. They went from being the national darlings post-Arab-Spring to being repressed in the same vein they oppressed other religious minorities.

This week, an Egyptian court issued a ruling that could provide a reprieve for one of those minorities: Christians. Todd Nettleton, spokesman with the Voice of the Martyrs USA,  says, "They've banned the Muslim Brotherhood. They've said it's not acceptable as a Non-Government Organization. Its activities are banned. That's a court ruling on a piece of paper. The big question is: what does that mean on the ground?"

He goes on to say, "If this court ruling becomes reality, and if they actually do close down the Muslim Brotherhood, that's a hopeful sign for the Church and for Christians in Egypt. But again, it remains to be seen how this is actually going to play out on the ground with the authorities there who have to put this court ruling into practice."

Does this injunction dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood? The action also means seizure of the group's assets as it awaits a verdict from a higher court. The group has been accused of exploiting religion for political gain and of "terrorism" in the days after President Mohamed Morsi took office.

The military ousted him a year later, following massive protests throughout the nation. The court's latest action is part of a sweeping crackdown that has already put Muslim Brotherhood leadership and thousands of its supporters behind bars.

Nettleton asks the next questions that no one can answer. "Are the police going to actively pursue Muslim Brotherhood members? Are they going to arrest them? Are they going to take them into custody?"

The Muslim Brotherhood could decide to compromise with the caretaker government in order to remain a political player, there could be an outright revolt, or the group could continue to protest in an effort to question the legitimacy of the interim government.

Predicting their next move is hard. Every scenario plays out differently, depending on how unruly its participants become.

In the meantime, Christians are deeply concerned. In none of these scenarios do they come out on top. "The Muslim Brotherhood had repeatedly attacked churches, attacked Christian homes and businesses, and encouraged that radical Islamic opinion that all of the Christians should either leave Egypt or they should convert to Islam," Nettleton explains.

That could describe any time since Morsi came to power, however, it's likely that the incident he mentions began 14 August. Police violently cleared two protest camps set up by the deposed president's supporters in Cairo.
The crackdown sparked nationwide retaliatory violence that left hundreds dead and thousands injured. Christians were blamed for Morsi's downfall. An international human rights group documented dozens of burned churches and noted that most of the anti-Christian attacks were concentrated in southern Egypt. The potential of a volatile reaction is cause for dread among the battered remnant Church. Nettleton acknowledges, "That could happen again with this court ruling. That could be something that leads to churches and Christians being targeted as they say, ‘It's your fault that the court ruled this way. It's your fault that the Muslim Brotherhood has been ruled illegal.'"
Egypt's future is murky. No one knows if the next few months will lead to an exodus of the remaining believers, or if the nation will be so war weary that stability becomes the prize. Until then, VOM remains a quiet presence in the country, says Nettleton. "Voice of the Martyrs has very significant operations in Egypt to help the Church. We provide Bibles and Scriptures to those that need them. In many cases, we provide medical care to those who were injured in persecution-related attacks, as well as the simple act of encouragement."
What else can be done? Talk about what's happening. The silence from the North American Church has been deafening so far. Raise awareness about the plight of Christ-followers living in Muslim nations like Egypt. Let them know they're not forgotten, says Nettleton. "We need to pray that the Lord will protect them and look out for them. I think, secondly, we need to pray that they will respond in a Christ-like way to the persecution that they're facing. That can be an incredible witness for Christ: the seeds for revival in a country."