Rev. Refaat Fikri, head of the Media Center for the Evangelical Church in Egypt, said the problems facing Egyptian Christians have been going on since the 1970s and looks to continue as there is a lack of political will by the ruling regime to solve them.

This came in response to the initiative launched on Wednesday by the Building and Development Party, the political arm of Gamaat Islamiyya under the title "A Unified Nation."

It aims to "strengthen the national fabric and maintain strong relations among all Muslim and Christian communities of the Egyptian society." more >>

Coptic-owned businesses and pharmacies in Menbal village, Minya in northern Egypt were attacked by a mob, resulting in extensive damage and several injuries.

"The thugs attacked my shop, assaulting it with stones. Some of the contents were damaged … they destroyed a number of Coptic-owned shops and pharmacies," Michael Sobhi, a witness from the village, told Mideast Christian News.

"The Copts of the village couldn't confront the thugs, as their numbers increased. They had firearms and blades, so Copts tried to avoid fighting with them," he added. more >>

St. Mina's Church in Port Said was the site of a deadly police shootout with thieves, who had previously stolen a container containing an estimated two million Egyptian pounds.

The suspects stormed the courtyard of the church to take shelter from security forces as they demanded safe passage. Security forces disappeared from the area around the church as the members attempted to protect the church from the suspects.

The priest of the church attempted to calm the suspects to avoid any potential disaster, given recent clashes between security forces and members of the local population. more >>

Samir Sabri, a lawyer, filed a complaint to the Supreme State Security Prosecution against Ahmed Mamhoud Abdullah, also known as Abu Islam, because he threatened Christians in Egypt.

Abu Islam said that Muslims would be able to eliminate the country's Christians in just two days in one of the episodes on his Al-Ummah Islamic channel.

Sabri said in the complaint that there is a video clip, which activists have been sharing on social media sites, where Abu Islam claims that Copts are to blame for all the sectarian violence, but are playing the victim's role. He goes on to demand they stop "evangelizing Muslims." more >>

An Egyptian Christian teacher who claims to have been falsely accused of denouncing Islam has been released on bail after being imprisoned in the southern city of Luxor.

Dimiana Abdel-Nour, a 24-year-old history and geography teacher, was originally ordered by a judge to remain in jail for 14 days pending an investigation, but the young teacher reportedly paid a fee of LE 20,000 ($2,870) to be freed while the investigation takes place.

Abdel-Nour was arrested last week after parents of three children attending her class at the Sheikh Sultan Primary School in Luxor complained that she had insulted Islam by saying the recently deceased Coptic Pope Shenouda was better than the Prophet Muhammad. more >>

A Coptic Christian schoolteacher, who is being held in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor on allegedly false charges of blasphemy and preaching Christianity, will be in custody for another 15 days, prosecutors decided Saturday.

Dimiana Abdel-Nour, a 24-year-old history and geography teacher at the Sheik Sultan Primary School in Luxor, will be held for another 2 weeks, The Associated Press said Saturday quoting prosecutors.

To protest alleged false charges, Abdel-Nour went on hunger strike days ago, and was sent to a local hospital. She believes Islamist extremists urged students to make false allegations against her, that she insulted the Prophet Muhammad while talking about Islam in class last month. more >>