Egypt: Priest sentenced to six months for his church’s “excess height”

Originally published in Worthy News

CAIRO, EGYPT — A court in Edfu sentenced the pastor of St. George’s Church to six months in prison and a fine of 300 pounds for violations pertaining to the height of his church.

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Reverend Makarios Bolous is not even allowed to enter the village of Elmarinab, Edfu, in Aswan province where the church is located.

St. George’s had received a building permit from the Governor of Aswan and was still under construction when it was torched by a Muslim mob last September.

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“Since then no work has been done to it,” said Rev. Salib el-Deek of the Coptic diocese of Edfu. “We are not allowed to pray there, or come near it by order of the authorities.”

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According to the Umdat al-Salik, a manual of Islamic jurisprudence: “The subject peoples … may not build higher than or as high as the Muslims’ buildings…”

They are also forbidden to recite the Torah, or Evangel aloud, make a public display of their funerals and feast days and they may not build any new churches.

The church intends to appeal the ruling.

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