Egypts impoverished Christians struggling as unrest continues

Fresh protests are set to rumble across Egypt after President Hosni Mubarak’s announcement yesterday that he would not step down until after elections in September.

With the economy at a virtual standstill, Barnabas Fund said there was a “free for all” that was pricing Christians out of the market.

Since demonstrations broke out two weeks ago, the price of rice, potatoes and lentils has doubled.

Barnabas Fund, which supports persecuted Christians worldwide, said food was the most pressing need for many Christian families.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said: “Please give all you can to help our Egyptian brothers and sisters at this time of great uncertainty and upheaval.

“The majority of Egyptian Christians were already living in extreme poverty, and this present crisis has made their circumstances even more woeful.”

The charity warned that Christians, who suffer widespread discrimination in the majority-Muslim country, remain “extremely vulnerable” to attack as the unrest continues.

In January, more than 20 Coptic Christians were killed in a car bomb attack on a church in Alexandria. Just over a week later, a Christian man was shot dead on a train bound for Cairo. Last week, two Christian families were killed by Islamists, followed by another bomb attack on a church in Rafa, which was luckily empty at the time.

Despite the violence, many Christians have taken to the streets to protest side by side with Muslims. Some Christians have been pictured holding their cross in one hand and the arm of a Muslim clutching his Koran in the other. The cross and the crescent could be seen on many placards and handmade posters.

However Barnabas Fund warned that Christians in Egypt face an uncertain future. While Vice President Omar Suleiman has been in talks with the Muslim Brotherhood about the leadership of the country post-Mubarak, the group says that Christians are being excluded from the dialogue.

Churches in the country want a new constitution that upholds democratic principles and does not regard Christians as second-class citizens.

Barnabas Fund said it is already planning long-term assistance for Christians whose businesses have been severely damaged.

To donate to Barnabas Fund’s appeal for Egyptian Christians, go to: barnabasfund.org/donations/?id=11-220