Egypt: Government begins restoration work on 500 vandalised churches

Source: Fides

To mark the inauguration of the national social construction plan, President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi has renewed his commitment to restore churches destroyed or vandalised by the Muslim Brotherhood - a project that was neglected by previous governments. At the same time, the Egyptian government is working to legalize other Christian holy buildings and is granting permits for the construction of new Coptic churches and institutes.

Since 2013 there have been more than 90 attacks by Muslim Brotherhood on churches and church social, hospital and educational facilities, mostly in Minya, but also in Asyut, Fayoum, Giza, Suez, Sohag, Luxor and Beni Suef.

The government of President al-Sisi has paid great attention to the construction of churches. A bill, approved on August 30 2016, was the first concerning Christian buildings of worship since a decree issued in the days of the Ottoman Empire.

Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria said in a recent statement that the current government "is healing scars left by deep wounds, considered necessary for the stability of society and to affirm the values of genuine citizenship."

Currently 2,500 land registry documents provided by the Coptic Orthodox Church, regarding the identification and architecture of several churches and liturgical halls are being examined by the government with a view to authorising their use.