Egyptian Unrest Hits Home with Coptic Christians in US, Canada

Isaiah 17:12 (NIV) - Woe to the many nations that rage--they rage like the raging sea, woe to the peoples who roar, they roar like the roaring of great waters!

Egypt is still suffering under great unrest and so are Coptic Christians as we see this story continue to unfold before our eyes.  I hope you are continuing to pray for this awful situation in Egypt.

According to the Catholic News Service Christians here in the United States are very concerned about their family members in Egypt and the country as a whole.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians were protesting in the streets of Cairo, calling for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate resignation and demanding political and economic reforms.

Egypt is home to a Coptic Christian population estimated at about 10 percent of the Egyptian population. Of that number, about 90 percent are Coptic Orthodox, with most of the remainder Coptic Catholic.

Most Coptic Catholics are concentrated in Upper Egypt, although in recent decades some have migrated to other parts of the country and other nations, including the United States and Canada.

Father Anis had a worried yet hopeful insight into the unrest plaguing Egypt.

He stressed in a phone interview with Catholic News Service Feb. 2 that he does not speak for the church but that he personally believes Christians and Muslims are brothers who will come together to rescue Egypt.

When asked if he believed the religious rights of minorities would be preserved, he replied, "We are not looking for protection for the minorities, we are looking for protection of the whole country. This is not just Christians and Muslims, we are Egyptians."

He said he hopes citizens will give the authorities a chance to rebuild the confidence of the people.

Father Anis and the 100 families in his congregation all have relatives throughout the country. He moved from Egypt eight years ago but still has family there, including a brother and sister from Assiut, in Upper Egypt. Currently, his family home was not in danger, but he expressed apprehension, especially with certain communication lines being disabled.

Please click here for more on this story.