For Christians in Egypt, Work Hard to Find

Religion Today | Updated: May 30, 2013

For Christians in Egypt, Work Hard to Find

It's harder than ever to find a job in Egypt, where the unemployment rate has risen to a record 13 percent, Open Doors USA reports. For young Egyptians, the jobless rate is much higher. For out-of-work Christians, finding a job can be especially tough. They are 10 percent of a country where Islam is the state religion and where the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party holds the highest offices in the government. When quarreling citizens arrive at legal loggerheads, the new constitution turns to Islamic law to resolve the impasse. In the streets, kidnappings for ransom are increasing and churches are often attacked and burned. The International Monetary Fund, which is negotiating a multi-billion-dollar loan to Egypt, put the situation in diplomatic language in April: "Prolonged political and policy uncertainty, social unrest, and security problems have taken a toll on confidence. As a result, real GDP growth has remained sluggish."



For Christians in Egypt, Work Hard to Find