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Egypt Receives Official Warning From UN Lawyer Over Closure of Churches

November 13, 2017

Fellow of the UN High Commissioner for Minority Affairs, Joseph Malak, sent a warning on Sunday to Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and other officials, urging them to stop the closure of churches. He added that the government will be given one-week to reopen the closed churches and adhere to the law and constitution. At least four churches were closed down in Minya governorate, over the past few weeks, in what was viewed, by several Copts, as a take over by extremists in Upper Egypt. The archbishop of el-Minya governorate, Makarios, released a statement in response to the closure of the churches. The statement said “We adhered to silence after the closure of one church, on the off chance that officials would intervene. However, this closure was followed by others, as if praying is a crime and Copts should be punished for it.” Archbishop Makarios added that compromises are always offered for peaceful coexistence. Nonetheless, Copts are the only ones who pay for the coexistence, not the violators and extremists. The statement listed the closed churches, with dates of their closure, according to Youm7. On 15 October, the first church, which was…


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