Egyptian Mufti Downplays Christian Persecution

Religion Today | Published: Nov 25, 2011

Egyptian Mufti Downplays Christian Persecution

November 28, 2011

Egypt's highest Islamic legal official denied last week that minority Christians faced religious discrimination, and said the radical Muslim Brotherhood would win no more than 20 percent of votes in this week's elections, Reuters reports. Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa said Egypt had done its best to abolish discrimination against Coptic Christians, who make up 10 percent of the population. He said a small minority of radical Islamists were causing problems and denied that the army's massacre of 27 Coptic protesters on Oct. 9 was sectarian violence. Coptic leaders, however, insist that the military government continues to crack down harshly on them.

Egyptian Mufti Downplays Christian Persecution