Problems for Egyptian Christians

By Ethel C. Fenig

Last Christmas, many Christian clerics condemned Israel for erecting barriers to protect itself from Arab terrorist bombers. This measure had the side effect of increasing the difficulty of traveling to Christian religious sites related to the holiday. Israel was anti-Christian, these officials charged, ignoring the threats to Israel and the plight of Christians in Arab Moslem lands.

The situation of Christians in Moslem countries, though, continues to be at best minimized or usually ignored by Christian officials fearful of antagonizing the dominant Moslem rulers, thus worsening the lives of their co religionists. Perhaps that is the reason for the deafening silence following an Egyptian announcement that

Some 2,000 Coptic and Greek Orthodox Christians in Egypt have been forbidden from making a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in east Jerusalem this coming Easter.

Egyptian travel agents have informed their Israeli counterparts that the authorities in Cairo have decided not to allow this year's pilgrimage, Yedioth Ahronoth has learned.

Will Copt and Greek Orthodox priests around the world complain about this blatant discrimination against their people? How about the Presbyterian Church, USA?