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This year the Feast of Nayrouz, or Coptic New Year, is occurring against the unfortunate backdrop of a continuing terrorist threat, a government crackdown on civil society and sporadic sectarian attacks in Upper Egypt.

As the Coptic New Year begins, let’s pray for Christians in Egypt. Pray that this New Year brings reconciliation, peace and hope for the future.

Mina Thabet, a Christian human rights defender who was arrested in May, was released on bail in June. Thank God for his release and pray for all charges against him to be dropped.

Mr Thabet is just one of many activists who have suffered as a result of a government crackdown on human rights defenders and civil society. Thank God for the courage of lawyers, journalists, activists and church leaders, and pray for the government to view them as allies in the fight against extremism and the emergence of a just society.

In May, an elderly Christian woman in Upper Egypt was stripped naked and beaten because of allegations her son had had a relationship with a Muslim woman. Today, please pray for her recovery and for the perpetrators to face justice.

Many Egyptians aren’t treated as equal citizenship simply because their religion, belief or denomination is different from that of the majority religious community. This is particularly the case in Upper Egypt. Please pray that Egypt would become a country where Egyptians of all faiths enjoy equal rights, and thank God for the proposed new civil rights law that will abolish the requirement for a person’s religion on ID cards and official identity documents.

Over the past year, there’s been an increase in the number of people being charged for blasphemy (insulting Islam). The victims are often sentenced to imprisonment, and the accusations result in collective punishment of Christian communities in mob attacks. Those accused of blasphemy, their families and communities, desperately need your prayer for their safety and protection.

Lord, we pray for Egypt today. Please watch over the Christians as they celebrate the New Year. We pray that the year ahead would be one filled with peace and hope for all the people of Egypt. Amen