Egypt president condoning Christian persecution in Egypt, claims new report

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has expanded efforts in his country to combat terrorism, however, a worrying new report has claimed he is condoning Christian persecution in his own country by opting to ignore instances where Christians are being targeted.

In an entry on the Council of Foreign Relations, Elliott Abrams says Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's supporters should be made aware that the Egyptian president is choosing not to act to effectively stop and prevent persecution of Christians in his country. He cites the situation of four Christian teenagers who were convicted of "blasphemy" and sentenced to five years in jail for mocking the ISIS in a video.

In a 30-second clip, the four Christian teens are seen making fun of ISIS' practice of reciting Muslim prayers before beheading their victims. The video, which was never meant to be shared publicly, was filmed after the terror group executed several Coptic Christians, the report details.

However, Muslims took offense to the video and the incident led to rioting and destruction of Christian homes. While nobody was punished for the riots, the four Christian teenagers were given the maximum penalty for "blasphemy" in Egypt.

Elliott says Sisi could have appealed to the Prosecutor General for the pardon of the four Christian teens, but he chose not to do anything. Blasphemy laws continue to be used in Egypt to persecute Christians, who are continuously being attacked for their beliefs.

Another report has highlighted the continued suffering of Coptic Christians in Egypt. Religious liberty human rights group Christian Freedom International (CFI) says Copts are often targeted for kidnap-for-ransom in the country, One News Now relays.

CFI executive director Lisa Jones said terrorists or crime groups make it part of their business to hold Coptic Christians hostage until they receive a ransom, and some of the victims end up dead. Jones called out the Egyptian government for its failure to help stop these crimes against Copts.

"Even if there was someone in authority who was sympathetic or was just trying to be just, they get so much pressure to go along with the anti-Christian feeling and sentiment there that they cave," said Jones.

Along this line, the CFI director said making the situation known to the world and calling out the kidnappers will make a big difference. She encouraged people to help protect and pray for the persecuted Christians in Egypt.