has participated in The Celebration of Coptic Christmas in the Cathedral of the new capital of Egypt, President Sisi, is a powerful sign that Christians have, even if difficult, place in the countries of the Middle East. The Egyptian leadership has assigned to the highly visible Cathedral, a prominent place in the new, only partially-related capital, near Cairo.

This underlines that both belong to the national unity of Egypt, the Muslims as well as Christians. Has improved under President Sisi, the relationship between the state authorities and the Church considerably. Although it is more complained about social discrimination, especially in rural areas. On the other hand, the state facilitates, more recently, the construction of new churches.

The IS will the Egyptian government

the Islamist terrorist take the Copts and their churches are easily vulnerable, a “soft” target. The last big stop is a good two years, smaller attacks are always perpetrated again. In General, the “Islamic state is committed” to the terrorist. The IS aims to the Christians, wants to meet, he in the first line of the Egyptian state.

After an attack on a Coptic Church in the beginning of 2011, Pope Benedict XVI had reprimanded the state because of the (allegedly) doing enough for the protection of the Coptic minority. The Azhar, the leading Sunni institution broke off, protesting all the contacts to the Vatican. Under Pope Francis, they were resumed, he visited Cairo, and in the end of the year new year message, he expressed himself more discreet than its predecessor. He asked the Arab States to protect their Christian citizens and to enable them to build up the countries to participate. The middle Eastern Christians, he urged, return to their home countries.

at the beginning of February, Pope Francis, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates will visit, at the invitation of the crown Prince. There he will speak with Christians from all over the world can practice their Religion freely. Such beacons of freedom of religion may not, however, obscure the fact that worldwide two out of three people live in States which do not respect freedom of religion – many of them Christians.