Day of prayer planned for Christians in Egypt

The interdenominational event is being held in London on January 29 in association with United Action for Egyptian Christians.

It follows the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria on New Year's Eve which killed 23 people and injured another 80, and the murder of a 71-year-old Christian man who was travelling with his wife on a train bound for Cairo when a gunman opened fire. His wife and four others were injured in the attack.

Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Church in the UK, will be joined on the day of prayer by Dr Raafat Girgis, a leading expert on the history of Christianity in Egypt, Pastor Wagih Abdelmassih of the Arab evangelical church and Pastor Ian McCormack of the Assemblies of God.

Ibrahim Habib of United Copts of Great Britain and representatives from CSW will discuss the challenges facing Christians in Egypt.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: “We are delighted to join with United Action for Egyptian Christians, United Copts of Great Britain and members of interdenominational churches to pray for peace in Egypt.

"We look forward to welcoming church leaders and experts on Egypt to pray with us and to stand in solidarity with the church of Egypt at this time.”

The last year has seen an escalation in violence against Egypt's minority Coptic community. Earlier this week, a man was sentenced to death for his part in the killing of six Copts as they left a Coptic Christmas Mass in Nag Hammadi on 6 January 2010.



The day of prayer will take place from 10am to 4pm on 29 January at St Marys Church, Bryanston Square, Wyndham Place, London W1H 1PQ. For more information visit: www.csw.org.uk/prayforegypt