Governor of Minya issues a statement on the crisis of «closing churches»

Minya Governor Major General Essam al-Badawi issued a statement on the closure of four churches in the province due to extremists attacks referring to the churches a “houses”!!!.

The statement stressed that the province of Minya with all its authorities, officials and governors firmly believe in the right of every Egyptian to perform his religious rites freely and easily.

The statement stressed that since the the governor of Minya took office in September 2016, he puts the issue worship places and facilitate prayer in it, especially Christian one, on the priority of his concerns in the belief that there will be no real development for the province of Minya in particular and our beloved Egypt in general if we do not solve our internal problems.

He added that the high status of His Grace Bishop Makarios, Bishop of Minya and Abu Qorkas, in the hearts of the people of Minya governorate makes us point to the need to ascertain the information presented to him, especially with regard to the practice of religious rites in unlicensed homes before issuing statements.
The statement underestimate the crisis of attacks on churches and Copts in the province and described the churches as houses and unlicensed places where praying forbidden.