Three staff members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) were arrested last November and released a few weeks later, following international pressure.
Gasser Abdel-Razek, the CEO, and directors Mohammad Basheer and Karim Ennara, were arrested following interrogations about their meetings with foreign diplomats. The EIPR is one of the few human rights organisations still operating in Egypt.
Although the release of the EIPR staff is good news, these arrests and attacks are a worrying indication that the country’s ongoing crackdown on civil society may be intensifying. 2020 also saw an increase in the number of people arrested on charges related to contempt of religion and blasphemy. Find out more at csw.org.uk/egypt
Sunday 2 May
Thank God for the release from jail of the three staff members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. Pray that they will be completely healed of any lasting trauma from their experience.
Monday 3 May
Last November sectarian violence broke out in the village of Barsha in Minya governorate, Upper Egypt. Hundreds of Muslim villagers attacked the homes and properties of local Christians. No one was hurt and police were deployed quickly. Thank God for the swift police response.
Tuesday 4 May
The attacks began after rumours circulated that a Christian man had posted a comment on Facebook that was deemed insulting to Islam. The man claims his page was hacked. We are seeing an increase of this kind of incident in many countries, where social media is used to inflame existing religious tensions. Pray for an end to this trend.
Wednesday 5 May
Youssef Hani, a Christian teacher, and a Muslim girl named Sundos were arrested in November, following an exchange on Facebook which was considered by the authorities to be ‘insulting to Christianity and Islam’. They were released the next day after they apologised. Pray that the authorities would refrain from this kind of heavy-handed response.
Thursday 6 May
Last June two men, Mustafa Al-Ramli and Mahmoud Youssef, were each sentenced to one year in prison for ‘spreading and promoting’ Shi’a Islam. Adhering to the Shi’a faith remains difficult in Egypt, where Sunni Islam is the majority religion; those who choose to do so face deep societal hostility and risk being arrested and imprisoned. Pray that the men would be released.
Friday 7 May
‘Seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.’ (Isaiah 1:17 ESV) Pray these verses over those in positions of authority who are responsible for administering justice.
Saturday 8 May
Heavenly Father, thank you for the courage of those who not only continue to follow their own convictions, even when this could be risky, but also defend the rights of others to do the same. Protect these human rights defenders we pray, ensure justice for the oppressed, reconcile religious communities and hasten the day when equal citizenship will be a reality. Amen.