by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In an apparent effort to improve its relations with Egypt’s Christian community, the Islamic Egyptian government last month approved the legalization of 293 previously unlicensed churches and service buildings, All Arab News (AAN) reports.
Following recommendations from the Main Committee under Article 8 of Law No. 80 from 2016, the legalization approval was given during a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly on October 21.
Egypt will now have 3,453 churches and worship centers with legal status,
“Since the passing of that law, Egypt has moved to legalize churches built without prior approval, as well as authorizing the construction of new churches,” AAN said in its report. “The law was meant to address significant administrative and security hurdles in approving the construction of new churches following complaints from the Coptic Christian community.”
In a recent report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom confirmed: “Religious freedom conditions in Egypt are trending tentatively in a positive direction.”
“The country has seen a decrease in radical Islamist violence and anti-Christian mob attacks, some progress in implementing the registration process for unlicensed churches and related buildings, and the launch of a government program to address religious intolerance in rural areas,” the USCIRF noted.
Nevertheless, the USCIRF cautioned: “Systematic and ongoing religious inequalities remain affixed in the Egyptian state and society, and various forms of religious bigotry and discrimination continue to plague the country’s Coptic Christians and other religious minorities.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Congressional efforts to halt the U.S. military’s operations in Iran have now failed twice, with the U.S. House tanking a War Powers Resolution only a day after it was rejected in the Senate.
A Christian man in Malta who faced jail time for publicly stating he had left the gay lifestyle said he “praises God” after being acquitted following a three-year legal battle in a case that could have wider European ramifications.
Israel says its war against Iran is entering a more intense phase after the Israeli Air Force achieved broad air superiority and severely weakened the regime’s military infrastructure.
Concerns grew Thursday that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran could affect the war in Ukraine, amid fears Washington may soon lack sufficient munitions to continue supporting Kyiv, including through its European allies.
The Trump administration has ended federal funding for gender-transition surgeries and cross-sex hormone treatments for transgender inmates in federal prisons, a policy shift officials say will save taxpayers nearly $2 million.
A widespread power outage plunged large portions of Cuba into darkness Wednesday, leaving millions without electricity across the island’s western and central regions, including the capital city of Havana.
Hundreds of Christians, including family members, have protested the killing of a young Christian agricultural worker by one or more Muslims in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province and the alleged reluctance by authorities to properly investigate the case.