Coptic Christians decry closure of four churches in southern Egypt

Coptic Christians are calling on Egyptian authorities to put an end to discrimination after the government closed down four churches in the southern province of Minya in the past few weeks.

On Sunday, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of Minya governorate issued a statement lamenting that the churches were shut down, as if the prayer of Coptic Christians is a crime.

"We stayed silent for two weeks after the closure of a church hoping that the officials would do the job they were assigned to do by the state. However, this silence has led to something worse, as if prayer is a crime the Copts should be punished for," the archbishop said, according to Egypt Independent.

"What happened within two weeks, hasn't happen over years; churches are closed, the Coptic Christians are being attacked and their property destroyed, and there is no deterrent. The bargaining and the balance are usually used under the name of peaceful coexistence. The Copts always pay the price of this coexistence, not the aggressors," he added.

The statement noted that the some of the churches had been closed following attacks from extremists.

The Church of al-Azraa (Virgin Mary) in the village of Sheikh Alaa in Minya city was closed after it was attacked by extremists in 2015. Coptic Christians reopened the church on Oct. 15, but it was shut down again after some people harassed the worshippers on the same day.

On Oct. 22, the church of Anba Mousa in al-Qushairy village of Abu Qurqas city was closed after extremists hurled stones at worshippers, injuring four Copts. The church remained closed despite a reconciliation session between Copts and Muslims.

Local authorities also closed down the Abu Sayfen church in the village of al-Karm due to concerns about a possible attack, even though no Muslims complained about the existence of the church.

Last Friday, the church of Mar Gerges (Saint George) in Ezbet Zakaria was shut down after an attempted attack. The perpetrators were reportedly confronted, and one Coptic woman was injured in the incident.

The Minya security directorate has not yet responded to the statement from the Minya diocese. The Egyptian government has vowed to protect Christians from violent attacks on a number of occasions, but Christians have complained that not enough is being done to ensure their safety.

In May, 29 Coptic Christians were killed and 24 were injured after gunmen ambushed them while they were on their way to a monastery in Minya. The Islamic State, which has long waged a low-level war against soldiers and police in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Coptic Christians, who make up 10 percent of Egypt's population of nearly 95 million, are vocal supporters of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has vowed to crush Islamic extremism. The president declared a three-month state of emergency after two churches were attacked in April.