International Christian Concern | Nov. 17, 2018
An Egyptian Member of Parliament is drafting a bill which would remove religion from the national ID cards, according to al-Bawaba News. While the bill has not been officially introduced, it has already stirred up controversy.
An al-Azhar professor argues that there is no point in removing religion from the ID cards since Islam respects religious freedom and Christians are “safe” in Egypt. However, many Egyptian Christians have directly pointed to al-Azhar as a significant driver for the violent persecution which they face. Al-Azhar has a strong political influence in the country and also controls an educational curriculum used by millions of Muslims in Egypt.