Tensions serve to unite the Body of Christ in Egypt

Egypt (MNN) ― There's been an uptick in tensions between Egypt's Muslims and Christ-followers.

The alleged conversion of a 36-year old Muslim teacher lies at the heart of recent unrest. She's been missing for several days and was reportedly seen outside a church in southern Egypt with a Christian friend.

When police used force against hundreds of Muslims trying to overtake the church last week, the crowds pushed back - resulting in over 10 injured officials.

While the divide dates back to biblical times, Egypt's Christians and Muslims have been increasingly at-odds since Mubarak fell from power two years ago. National instability adds another layer of anxiety.

"Things are going down and there's no real vision, and the people in Egypt are very angry. It's very bad," says Mike*, a representative ofIN Network in Egypt. He says many Egyptians who voted for Morsi this summer have now turned against him.

"[Morsi] gave a big promise, and said that he had a great plan to change things in Egypt to move the economy and…he gave many promises," Mike says. "But now it's about 6 months since he took over and the people find out that he didn't have a plan.

"He's not qualified to lead the country, and there's no stability. The people are depressed and it's a big disaster."

How's it affecting the Church?

"Because of the pressure and because they are not sure about the future, there is a spirit of prayer arising in all the churches," he explains. He says it's also serving to bring churches into a new spirit of unity.

"The churches are going to a new season," says Mike. "We've never experienced this before, so we need to train the leaders of the churches."

That's exactly what IN Network is doing: equipping pastors to reach an ever-changing Egypt. For three to five days, hundreds of church leaders are equipped with training and the skills they need to reach their communities for Christ.

Mike says they also put a curriculum together for Sunday School teachers who work with kids between the ages of 4 and 11.

"Many families are very poor, are not able to take care of their kids," explains Mike. "So we train Sunday School teachers how to reach the children, how to help poor children and even how to support some of their needs."

The training is given free to church leaders, but it costs IN Network approximately $15 per attendant to provide this type of resource. President of IN Network USA Rody Rodenhaver says they hope to raise $5000 to cover their training needs for the next two years.

Can you help? Click here .

"Egypt is a very important country, and whatever happens in Egypt, it affects the whole Arab world," says Mike, "so please pray for wisdom to the leaders, pray for stability in the government, and pray for resources, so the people do not suffer more than this."

Egyptian in 'Second Day of Rage'

(Cover photo by Sharif Hassan.
Story photo by MA3T, file footage Egypt protests 2011)

Egypt (MNN) ― A potentially ugly confrontation is brewing in one of the Arab Spring countries.

Friday August 24 has been dubbed Egypt's "Second Day of Anger." The actions of President Mohamed Morsi 12 days ago fueled the tensions.Open Doors President and CEO Carl Moeller explains, "There's a lot of disaffection among Coptic Christians about the one-party de facto situation in Egypt with the Muslim Brotherhood being the primary winner of all the elections and everything that has gone on--the power that's being consolidated in the presidency right now."

Fearing a turn toward an Islamic state, Moeller adds, "Many in Egypt, including secularists and evangelicals, also feel like the Revolution has been stolen, and so they're calling on people to take to the streets in opposition to this 'one-party man' show, they're saying, which, in effect, could be highly confrontational. "

Hostility ratcheted up a notch when the top Sunni Muslim cleric issued a fatwa. His decree labeled demonstrators as "infidel," which essentially legitimized the killing of protestors who were marching in the nationwide rallies.

Christians say all they want to do is restore the objectives and accomplishments of Egypt's historic January 25th Revolution. Being on the streets will be dangerous in two ways, Moeller says. One: if there is a violent response to the demonstration, and two: "As the Muslim Brotherhood, they've called for people to stay home. Those that come out in the streets are obviously singling themselves out as not participating in the Muslim Brotherhood, not listening to their agenda, and it could be violent against, what is essentially, the Christian community."

People are nervous, dreading the potential chaos that could erupt and drag on. "Who knows what tomorrow holds? In something like this, the Church can easily be the target of the anger of a mob because it represents sort of 'opposition' to what's happening politically," he adds, but that's where prayer comes in. "The Church is praying that this protest, this demonstration, remains peaceful. [They're praying] that, on the Christian side, they are not going to do anything to provoke or overly antagonize the government. They're praying that the government shows great restraint in allowing this protest to take place."

The scenario is vague. There could be a swift, irrevocable response. The response could be delayed, or there may not be an official response at all. Moeller says the last time the Christian community was silenced, the end result was not a squashing of faith, at all. In fact, he says marginal Muslims have been drawn to the message of Christ. "The need for Bibles, the desire for Bibles, training, Muslims coming to faith in Christ: those numbers are all way, way up. A lot of the overt Christian ministry has been reduced somewhat because there's difficulty in carrying on programs if there's no infrastructure and no security to carry them out."

Crackdowns would only slow things down, but not stop the advance of the Gospel. The question is: how extreme will the response be?

Egypt is holding her breath, on her knees. Will you join her? Our Featured Links Section has more.  

Egypt's new president makes history again

(Photo courtesy of Jonathan Rashad)
President-elect Morsi.
 (Story photo courtesy SAT7)

Egypt (MNN) ― Egypt's first-ever democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, has already made history.

Now, he'll do it again by appointing a Christian vice president as one of his first acts. He will also choose another vice president who is a woman.

The Islamist figure, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, promised to ensure rights of minorities. Farid Samir, the Executive Director of *SAT-7's studios in Cairo, says despite the show of good will, "Although most of the promises that he had made are positive, it's not the promises. [Minorities] had fears of being treated as second-class citizens."

In a May 12th speech at Cairo University, Morsi said, "The Koran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader, jihad is our path, and death in the name of Allah is our goal.

"   

However, the greater concern for Christians came from a report Monday from Iranian state media. Samir says, "They're afraid of following Iran's regime because the first announcement he made, he said, 'We want to restore our relationships with Iran.'"

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Morsi views a renewal of diplomatic ties with Tehran as a way to achieve "strategic balance" in the region. Samir says nobody is sure how far that renewal will go. "They have two armies. One army is the official army, and the other army is to protect Islam and to protect the regime. So we don't know if this is what he means by 'following the Iranian regime' or learning from that."

Then, in what seems to be an about face, Morsi's policy adviser this week emphasized that Egypt "definitely" would not be an "Islamic Republic."

Meanwhile, Egypt's courts suspended a ruling that said the military could arrest citizens, forcing the military back from what was perceived to be a move toward martial law.

What does all this mean? It seems it's an effort to allay fears of sharia, jihad, and religicide. Samir notes, "We can't forget that this Muslim Brotherhood didn't just start now, but it was there for 80 years, working underground. But now, it's official." There's good reason for concern. "There is a lot of fear, also, about seeing the same violent acts against Christians, but this time, with legal coverage."

Christians may face losing more of their voice, more rights, and possibly, face more trouble. Reports of widespread evacuation have already begun to file in.

The greatest concern: who will Morsi be to believers after the "honeymoon" period is over? Samir says, first, "Church leaders are trying their best to strengthen the faith of people trying to talk about higher authority of God over any humans, and that God's will is over all that's happening."

Then, SAT-7 studios in Cairo began offering a forum for viewers. Samir explains, "We started a current affairs show called 'Salt of the Earth,' bringing hope, encouraging Christians to share in the community."

The events of the past few weeks have revealed serious divisions in society, and many Egyptians are stunned. Samir adds that the uncertainty has had an interesting effect on ministry. "They'll talk about our role as Christians in the region, and the important thing is that the churches are full of people now. The same day that they announced Morsi as president, the churches were full of people. They seek God more now."

As an organization that does not take political positions, SAT-7 supports viewers by teaching how they can apply Christian principles to everyday life. In this case, says Samir, "We need this to be effective. We include a dialogue between denominations, and between Christians and Muslims, also."

Biblical perspective helps. It emphasizes the need for an attitude of reconciliation between election winners and losers, as well as a readiness for participating in writing a new constitution. Samir adds, "Fear is not really logical, but when we give some logic, and some biblical facts, it helps ease the fears down a little bit."

In the days ahead, there is a lot at stake. Samir encourages believers to stay involved in Egypt's emergence. It's a painstaking process, and what the nation will look like on the other side remains undetermined. "Pray for protection for the staff and the facilities, for wisdom for producers, for presenters to speak the truth. Pray also...for people to read the Word of God."

*A Christian satellite and television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa.

Protestors gather to remind government of revolution demands

Protestors in Tahrir one year later.
 (Photo by Bora S. Kameel)

Egypt (MNN) ― Egypt's military ruler has decreed a partial lifting of the nation's hated emergency laws effective today--the first anniversary of the start of the popular uprising that toppled longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

The move caps off a wild beginning for Egypt's first democratically -elected parliament in 60 years.

A top priority will be for the chamber to elect a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution, which will have to be put to a vote in a referendum. The next major step in the transition will be a presidential election, scheduled to be held before the end of June.

However, the changes are not going in the direction revolutionary groups wanted. They're calling for mass demonstrations against the military rule on January 25, the one-year anniversary of the uprising that eventually led to former President Hosni Mubarak's ouster. SAT-7 USA President Rex Rogers says, "There's a lot of hope tempered by realism. There have certainly been some positive changes. Things have opened up."

That's a step in the right direction, but it hasn't come easily. SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, has an office in Cairo. Despite the weeks of unrest, their team has kept up with the events and adjusted accordingly. Rogers notes, "We've done a lot more live programming. We've tried to interact with people's on-the-ground needs. We've tried to share with them how practical Christianity is for life, and at the same time, continue to pray because we don't know exactly which direction this is going to go."

Daily live TV shows gave an outlet for the building emotional tension. Egyptian church leaders created an opportunity to calm angry spirits, to call for peace and to explain the Gospel. Rogers explains, "We try to encourage people, we try to help them understand how do you stand up for your rights, and at the same time turn the other cheek? We try to get in and understand 'what does the Word of God say?' 'When is it right to do one thing and right to do another?' "

Even as protestors gather in Tahrir Square to remind Parliament of the revolution's demands, Rogers says, "Pray for safety, obviously. Pray for an understanding of individuals different from oneself. I mean that religiously, and otherwise. You pray for people, and have a concern those that do not believe as you believe because ultimately, you want to reach out to them."

Despite a growing sense of disillusionment that's been widely purported, Rogers adds, "Staff is hopeful. They continue to pray. They are optimistic, but at the same time, they recognize there are a lot of political tensions taking place."

SAT-7's five channels include: SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS (Farsi), SAT-7 TÜRK (Turkish), SAT-7 KIDS (Arabic) and SAT-7 PLUS (Arabic). SAT-7 has an estimated 15 million viewers (Intermedia research, 2009) and broadcasts in three languages: Arabic, Farsi and Turkish. SAT-7 can be viewed via satellite in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, much of Central Asia and worldwide atwww.SAT7.org.

Christians hold worship service in Tahrir Square to kick off New Year

Egypt (MNN) ― Thousands of Christians started out the New Year taking a risk in Egypt.

Tahrir Square in Cairo has been the hub for all sorts of protests and even atrocities in Egypt over the last year. But a church near the Square was ready to turn it into something else.

A New Year's Eve praise and worship service was scheduled to be held at Kasr El Dobara Church near Tahrir Square. The church body was hoping to better "share with those who need to understand our hope more fully." What better place to go than to the nearby Square?

According to SAT-7, a satellite television service for Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, between 5,000 and 10,000 people joined the worship service as it moved from the church to the Square. The congregation calmly proceeded down the street holding candles and singing to God.

All went peacefully as Christians and non-Christians alike gathered to pray and call out to God. At least one believer was confident the event would be peaceful, noting, "It'll be peaceful because we've been praying a lot for this."

Thousands more across the nation were able to gather to pray for the country when SAT-7 was able to broadcast the service via satellite television.

Egypt remains in turmoil, but many have now been alerted to the words of Christ. Pray for many to turn to the Lord as a result of this event and other SAT-7 programming.

To learn more about SAT-7, click here. 

Muslim Brotherhood likely to take over in Egyptian elections

Cover photo: Protests in Tahrir
 Square (Naicomeno). Story photo:
 Protests go into the night (Ramy Raoof).

Egypt (MNN) ― After days of protests, Egypt's military rulers have not only accepted the cabinet's resignation, but they have even agreed to speed up presidential elections to July 2012, according to BBC News.

Three-month preliminary elections are still scheduled to begin Monday, November 28.

Regardless of these new promises, however, clashes continue. Reports agree that since protests began in Tahrir Square on Saturday, at least 29 have died and several hundred have been injured as the police have fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and more into crowds.

The election conditions agreed upon by the Egyptian military do not seem to have satisfied most protesters. Many protesters fear that even if a new president is elected fairly, the military will not recognize the leader but will instead hold on to power.

If the military is true to their word and a new government is elected, things may not get much better for Egypt though.

Tom Doyle, Middle East-Central Asia Director for E3Partners, warns, "This just plays into kind of the worst scenario with a vacuum of power and the Muslim Brotherhood stepping up and saying, ‘We'll restore order.'"

Doyle says Christians in particular are nervous for what may come. "It's always who's lurking around the corner. Most of the leaders in Egypt seem to think it's going to be Islamic Brotherhood."

At this point, says Doyle, there is no other contender for the Muslim Brotherhood in the coming elections. No other group seems altogether organized or prepared to step in.

"The Christians have never had a real political stand there, haven't had much influence. Then you've got the secular Muslims that were pretty much with Mubarak, and they were thrown out because of the corruption," Doyle explains. "So then you have moderates and radicals. And it just always seems when it's moderates versus radicals, it's the radicals that win."

Opening the door for the Muslim Brotherhood could easily mean hard-line Islamic law in Egypt.

"We've heard talk about Sharia law," notes Doyle. "Islam started in the Arab world, and they do not like that Iran has the platform as the leader of Islam, if you will, today. And they want that back."

The prospect for Egypt's future looks grim. But while bad news gets worse, believers are actually getting bolder. Doyle says if Muslim fundamentalists take over, the church is likely to grow even more.

"When the hard-liners get in, that's when the church flourishes. We certainly don't want to see our brothers and sisters in persecution, but when the difficult government takes over--like in Iran, then the church grows."

Pray that the church would grow whatever happens, and that believers would have the strength for what is to come.