Egypt: A Christian minority where Islam is the state religion
An interview with Patriarch Antonius Naguib the Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt.
Egypt has a population of over 77 million with 90% of the population belonging to the Muslim faith, but the country also has one of the largest and oldest Christian communities in the Middle East. It traces its history back to St. Mark who first evangelized in Egypt in the 1st century. In fact, the Church is often referred to as the Church of St. Mark. There are three main Christian communities in Egypt: The Coptic Orthodox, the Coptic Catholics and the Coptic Evangelicals or Protestant communities. Patriarch Antonius Naguib is Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church in Egypt.
It's difficult to be a minority, or religious minority in any country, but my feeling is that being a non-muslim in a Muslim country would be especially difficult. On top of that being of a religion that is a Western faith.
-Christen Ing