Coptic Solidarity

09/02/2026

St. Catherine’s Monastery is in danger of losing ownership of land it has held for centuries.

During U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas’s recent visit, Egyptian officials reportedly remained closely present around the monks, limiting opportunities for private discussion. Sources also say the Brotherhood has faced pressure to quickly accept a proposed agreement.

Allowing the monks to remain is not the same as protecting the Monastery. Its historic property rights and independence must also be preserved.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor

By Coptic Solidarity – The visit of U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas to St. Catherine’s Monastery, which began on August 27 and extended through August 30, offered an unusually revealing snapshot of the forces now surrounding the sixth-century monastery. Publicly, the visit appeared ...

09/02/2026

Jomana Kamal’s graduation should have been a celebration. Instead, she was publicly singled out and humiliated—raising serious concerns about religious discrimination and accountability.

Help Coptic Solidarity continue documenting abuses and advocating for equal rights. Visit our Newsroom and support our work through the donation link—both in the comments.

09/01/2026

A Coptic priest confronted in the street. Another incident that deserves answers—not dismissal.

A disturbing video circulating from Alexandria, Egypt, shows a confrontation involving a Coptic priest and a taxi driver. Reports circulating with the footage identify the priest as Fr. Mina Sobhy and place the incident near 45th Street.

While the full circumstances and motive have not yet been officially established, one principle should not be controversial: Coptic clergy—and all religious minorities—have the right to move through public spaces without violence, intimidation, or harassment.

Incidents involving religious minorities deserve a serious, transparent investigation. They should not be minimized before the facts are established.

Protect Coptic clergy. Protect religious minorities. Demand equal protection under the law.

For more reporting and updates concerning Copts and religious freedom in Egypt, visit Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom — link in the comments.

08/31/2026

Five years in prison with hard labor for religious expression.

Dr. Augustinos Samaan, a 37-year-old Coptic Christian researcher and apologist, was arrested on October 1, 2025 after publishing religious educational content and responding to anti-Christian arguments online. He was prosecuted under Egypt’s Article 98(f), commonly known as its blasphemy or “contempt of religion” law, and sentenced on January 3, 2026, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor. His appeal was later upheld.

Now, November 15, 2026, could mark a critical stage in his case, when Egypt’s Court of Cassation is scheduled to consider his challenge to the conviction. His lawyers have also raised serious concerns about the proceedings, including lack of notice and access to the case file before his conviction.

No one should be imprisoned for peacefully discussing, defending, or expressing religious beliefs. Demand the release of Dr. Augustinos Samaan. Share his story and help keep international attention on his case.

For the full case background, latest developments, and more reporting on religious freedom in Egypt, visit Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom — link in the comments.

08/30/2026

Why are more than 100 Christian detainees being held in a single Egyptian prison on similar terrorism-related charges?

A public appeal by Egyptian lawyer Said Fayez has raised serious questions about 106–107 Christian detainees reportedly held at Rehabilitation Prison No. 6 in the Tenth of Ramadan Correctional Complex. According to the appeal, the prisoners have gone months without access to Mass, Holy Communion, or a priest for confession, despite provisions for religious practice within Egypt’s prison system.

The cases may differ, but the scale of the disclosure demands transparency. Why are so many Christian detainees concentrated in one facility under similar charges? How many remain in prolonged pretrial detention? And why have their basic religious rights reportedly been restricted?
These questions deserve answers.

For the full story and more reporting on religious freedom, human rights, and the situation of Christians in Egypt, visit Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom — link in the comments.

08/29/2026

Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christians continue to face deadly violence.

On July 22, a reported drone strike hit Abbay Giyorgis St. Arsema Unity Monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, killing civilians and injuring others who had gathered at the monastery for a religious commemoration. The World Council of Churches condemned the attack and called for an immediate, credible, and impartial investigation.

Places of worship must never become targets of violence. The international community must continue to press for the protection of civilians, religious communities, and Ethiopia’s ancient Christian heritage.

Stay informed about this and other issues affecting Christians in the Middle East and Africa by visiting Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom — link in the comments.

08/29/2026

“There is no compulsion in religion”—yet Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam says Muslims should offer an enemy three choices before war: Islam, peace, or fighting.

If war is purely defensive, why is conversion the first option?

Our latest examines the contradiction in Al-Azhar’s message—and why it matters when delivered before Egypt’s president.

08/27/2026

Egypt’s 2026 diplomatic appointments expose a stark pattern of systematic Coptic exclusion: just 1 Copt among 52 new diplomatic attachés, 0 among 24 senior headquarters appointments, and only 1 among 37 ambassadors.

This is not ordinary underrepresentation. It is an institutional system that restricts Copts at entry, advancement, and positions of real authority—while a few visible exceptions create the appearance of inclusion.

Read the report: Egypt’s Self-Perpetuating Architecture of Exclusion -

08/27/2026

Were Copts more equal in 19th-century Egypt than they are today?

In this discussion, Magdi Khalil and Magdi Samaan examine a striking historical comparison: the position of Egypt’s Coptic Christians under Muhammad Ali versus their status in modern Egypt.

Magdi Khalil points to Copts who held senior government positions, served in public life, and gained greater participation in state institutions during the 19th century—raising a difficult question about how much genuine equality has been achieved since.

The discussion also highlights an issue that remains central to religious freedom today: Whether Egyptians are truly free to choose, change, and publicly practice their religion without discrimination or coercion.

Watch the full discussion and consider the question: Has modern Egypt delivered genuine equal citizenship for its Coptic population?

For more reporting and analysis on the situation of Copts and religious freedom in Egypt, visit Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom. Link in the comments.

08/26/2026

Brother Rachid exposes a fundamental contradiction at the heart of Egypt’s treatment of religion.

While the Egyptian government speaks publicly about religious tolerance and equal citizenship, it continues to reinforce **Al-Azhar’s extraordinary institutional influence, authority, and state-backed power**—while Coptic Christians continue to face discrimination, restrictions, and unequal treatment.

Under **Article 7 of Egypt’s Constitution**, Al-Azhar is not merely recognized as a religious institution. It is designated the principal authority for Islamic religious sciences and affairs, granted independence over its own affairs, and—critically—the **Egyptian state is constitutionally required to provide it with sufficient financial allocations to fulfill its mission**.

Those public funds come from a state budget financed by Egyptian citizens—including **Coptic Christians as well as Muslims**.

Yet there is no equivalent constitutional guarantee requiring the Egyptian state to fund or empower the Coptic Church. Instead, Copts continue to confront discriminatory restrictions on religious life, including unequal rules affecting churches and places of worship.

This raises a fundamental question of equal citizenship:

**Why should Coptic citizens be compelled to help finance a religious institution whose enormous state-backed authority they do not share, while their own religious community receives no comparable constitutional protection, authority, or financial guarantee?**

Religious equality cannot exist when the state structurally privileges one religious institution while restricting another.

Watch Brother Rachid’s full remarks and visit **Coptic Solidarity’s official Newsroom** for more reporting and analysis on religious freedom and the rights of Egypt’s Coptic Christians.

🔗 **Newsroom link in the comments.**