How Egypt's Government Is Trying to Get Christians to Follow Jesus

Christianity Today ^ | 12/23/14 | Jayson Casper

[marshmallow]

Long-dormant pilgrimage route focuses on Jesus' post-Christmas journey.

The sound bomb exploded right behind the Egyptian Museum on Cairo’s Tahrir Square, throwing Ibrahim Morgan’s Swedish tour group into a temporary panic.

Then they settled back down and finished their tea.

This latest tactic in Egypt’s Islamist insurgency is meant to instill terror without harming civilians. It seeks to convey a message to citizen and tourist alike: Egypt is unstable.

This has been the dominant narrative abroad regarding Egypt, thanks to three years of instability, four presidents, and two revolutions. However, some locals like Morgan disagree.

“We know it is nonsense what the media says about Egypt,” Morgan said after the November 28 incident. “This group is here and they have had a great time.” The Swedes nodded in appreciation.

But relatively speaking, they are among the few. Since hitting a highwater mark of 14.7 million visitors in 2010, Egypt’s tourism numbers declined by a third, devastating the economy. The sector represented more than one-tenth of Egypt’s GDP, and tens of thousands have lost their livelihood.

Once stability—or its perception—returns, the numbers will likely rebound. The Giza pyramids, the temples of Luxor and Aswan, and the medieval mosques of Islamic Cairo will long attract international visitors.

But in October, the government launched a unique campaign to increase a segment representing only 1.9 percent of total tourists: Christian pilgrims. To do so, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehlab and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II promoted the most noteworthy biblical example.

“Jesus was the first 'tourist' to Egypt," said Tawadros at the launch event, according to AsiaNews. "For us, for our community, his stay in this land has been a blessing for the present and for the future.”

Scholars would say Jesus was more akin to a refugee. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the......

[Oratam]

The sound bomb exploded right behind the Egyptian Museum on Cairo’s Tahrir Square, throwing Ibrahim Morgan . . . .

Wha wha what?!?

[grania]

How many dictators has the US toppled who once protected Christian communities that were thousands of years old? And for what?

[Olog-hai]

The Egyptian people are part of the Arab nation seeking to enhance its integration and unity. Egypt is part of the Islamic world, belongs to the African continent, cherishes its Asian dimension, and contributes to building human civilization.

Islam is the religion of the State and Arabic is its official language. The principles of Islamic Sharia are the main source of legislation. …

From Articles I and II of Egypt’s 2014 constitution. The language points to (guess what?) an Islamic Caliphate.

[Star Traveler]

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt had their chance at that, infiltrating the Presidency of Egypt and all other political levels.

The Egyptian Military had a thing to say about that, and deposed and jailed the Muslim Brotherhood President of Egypt, jailed and killed a lot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and made their political participation as a group illegal in Egypt.

I would say they lost that round ... :-) ...

[BlueDragon]

Yeah, they want Christians to follow Jesus (in being nailed to a tree).

[Olog-hai]

The MB has no power over the 2014 constitution.

[Praxeologue]

Thank for the link. There are protections for all, as well as the obligatory salaams to the Muslim majority that you have cited:

Article (3):

The principles of Christian and Jewish Sharia of Egyptian Christians and Jews are the main source of legislations that regulate their respective personal status, religious affairs, and selection of spiritual leaders.

Article (180):

Every local unit shall elect a local council by direct and secret ballot for a term of four years. A candidate shall be at least twenty one (21) Gregorian years of age. The law shall regulate the other conditions for candidacy and procedures of election, provided that one quarter of the seats shall be allocated to youth under thirty five (35) years of age and one quarter shall be allocated for women, and that workers and farmers shall be represented by no less than 50 percent of the total number of seats, and these percentages shall include an appropriate representation of Christians and people with disability.

Article (235):

In its first legislative term following the effective date of this Constitution, the House of Representatives shall issue a law to regulate constructing and renovating churches, in a manner that guarantees the freedom to practice religious rituals for Christians.

Article 244

The State shall endeavour that youth, Christians, persons with disability and Egyptians living abroad be appropriately represented in the first House of Representatives to be elected after this Constitution is approved, as regulated by law.

[Olog-hai]

Taqiyyah. An Islamic constitution regards those groups as second-class citizens by default.

[SunkenCiv]

Since hitting a highwater mark of 14.7 million visitors in 2010, Egypt’s tourism numbers declined by a third, devastating the economy. The sector represented more than one-tenth of Egypt's GDP, and tens of thousands have lost their livelihood... in October, the government launched a unique campaign to increase a segment representing only 1.9 percent of total tourists: Christian pilgrims. To do so, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehlab and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II promoted the most noteworthy biblical example.