Christians in Egypt are criticising the Coptic Church, which represents about 10 per cent of the population, for its closeness to the country's military ruler, General el Sisi.

The concern comes after rallies in New York which took place to coincide with the General's visit to the UN General Assembly.

AP reports that, "Two senior Christian clerics travelled there ahead of the president and met with Egyptian Christian expatriates to urge them to take part in rallies outside el-Sisi's residence and the U.N. headquarters."

The rallies took place with hundreds of people waving Egyptian flags and praising el Sisi.

Now there's been a strong reaction from some Christians back in Egypt, with 800 signing an online letter protesting the Church's increasingly prominent political stance. The letter says: "We urge Egyptian churches to stay clear of politics and restrict themselves to their spiritual and religious tasks."

Some Coptic Christians are enthusiastic supporters of el Sisi because of the persecution which took place under his predecessor, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi.

Morsi, elected after the Arab Spring revolution, was removed by the Egyptian Military, which installed el Sisi in 2013.

Despite offering protection for churches and Christians, el Sisi's autocratic rule has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations.

For his part, the Coptic Pope Tawadros II told Cairo's Al-Masry Al-Youm,:"Let us welcome Egypt as represented by its loved president... before every nation, as a manifestation of appreciation, dignity and love."