Source: www.csw.org.uk
Date: December 12, 2020
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. (Psalm 84:5-6 NLT)
The psalmist here writes of how when our strength comes from the Lord, we can find blessing even in the midst of the hardest times. Pray these verses over Egypt, where recent arrests and attacks are a worrying indication that the country’s ongoing crackdown on human rights may be intensifying.
Three staff members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) were recently released from jail, following international pressure to secure their freedom.
Gasser Abdel-Razek, the CEO of the EIPR, and Mohammad Basheer and Karim Ennara, two directors of the organisation, were arrested in mid-November, following interrogations about their meetings with foreign diplomats. The EIPR is one of the few human rights organisations still operating in Egypt.
Attacks on Christian homes and churches
Meanwhile sectarian violence broke out in the village of Barsha in Minya governorate, Upper Egypt, on 25 November, when hundreds of Muslim villagers attacked the homes and properties of local Christians. No one was hurt and police were deployed quickly.
The incident began after rumours circulated that a Christian man had posted a comment on Facebook that was deemed insulting to Islam. The man claims his page had been hacked.
In summary, please pray:
- Thank God for the release of the human rights activists.
- Pray for those whose homes and properties were damaged in the November attack, that they would have everything they need to repair the damage.
- Pray for an end to the recent increase in the number of people arrested on blasphemy-related charges.