Christianity in Minya Governorate

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Christianity is the religion of large part of the population in Minya Governorate in Egypt. The Copts made up 19.4% of the population in the year 1914 [1] and even today they form the majority in some parts of the governorate, as Copts presently account approximately 40% of Minya Government region. [2] There exists a Minya eparchy of the Coptic Catholic Church, which is part of the Roman Catholic Church. Antonios Naguib, the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, was born in Salamout in 1935. [3] The area also has a quite large Protestant population. [4]

Coptic-Muslim relations

After living peacefully for centuries under the recurrent Islamic governments, and after several shady influences exerted on both Muslims and Copts, more than 10,000 Copts marched in January 2011, demanding the governor Ahmed Dia-el-Din to step down as he wanted to demolish a welfare centre for the disabled in the village of Deir Barsha, due to its being deemed uninhabitable. [5] In the village Bani Ahmed, a Coptic church was destroyed by alleged Salafists. [6] There have been clashes between Copts and Muslims. [7] Abu Fana monastery (which has been run as a separate government) in Minya Governorate was attacked in 2008 by Bedouins from surrounding villages. [8]

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Christianity is the religion of a major part of the population in Sohag Governorate in Egypt. The Minya Governorate, Asyut Governorate and Qena Governorate has also a sizable Christian populations. Important Christian landmarks in the Sohag Goverorate includeWhite Monastery and the Red Monastery of the Copts. Sohag is the seat of a bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. A diocese of Sohag under the Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts exists. In 2000, 21 Christians were killed in an attack by Muslims of Arab tribes. Security forces (SSI) arrested over one thousand two hundred Coptic Christians in Sohag on the 15th of August 1998. There were riots between Copts and Muslims of Arab tribes in 1999. Monk and prophet Shenute was a key figure in the struggle against idolatry. The governorate was the site of violent clashes of Islamists versus the government. The late Patriarch Stéphanos II Ghattas of the Coptic Catholic Church, a cardinal, was born in Sohag Governorate.

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On 26 May 2017, masked gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying Copts from Maghagha in Egypt's Minya Governorate to the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor, killing at least 28 people and injuring 22 others.

On November 2, 2018, masked gunmen opened fire on a group of Egyptian Christians traveling by bus through Minya. There was a convoy of three vehicles and two of them managed to escape. The vehicles were carrying Copts traveling from Sohag Governorate and Minya Governorate in Egypt to the Monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor. At least 7 people from Minya were killed while 12 others were injured. A similar attack near the same place had happened in 2017.

References

  1. http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Christians_of_ME_1914_lg.png [ bare URL image file ]
  2. http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Mid_East_Religion_lg.png [ bare URL image file ]
  3. "Card. Antonios Naguib su santiebeati.it". Santiebeati.it. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  4. "Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo". Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  5. AsiaNews.it. "EGYPT Minya: Copts protest after governor decides to tear down Church building". www.asianews.it. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  6. "EGITTO/ Cristiani perseguitati, aumentano le violenze e i rapimenti". Il Sussidiario.net. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  7. "Afrika.info | Religiöse Spannungen in Ägypten". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  8. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2011-07-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)