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Christian persecution concerns rise in Egypt as State Department presses religious freedom
Christianity’s surge in Middle East sees millions of Muslim converts amid conflict
The Middle East experiences a significant spiritual shift as millions of Muslims convert to Christianity, a phenomenon tracked by Open Doors. Pastor Georges Houssney of Horizons International shares his 50 years of experience ministering in the region, detailing how many are disillusioned with Islam due to war and receiving visions of Christ, even risking death in Iran.
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A series of violent attacks on Egyptian Christians, including the incarceration of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity, prompted the U.S. State Department to urge that religious freedom be respected in the Muslim-majority country of Egypt.
The situation of the Christian minority in Egypt has implications for religious freedom in the northern African nation that receives $1.3 billion in annual funding from the U.S.
Raymond Ibrahim, an expert on Christians in the Muslim world, wrote on the website of the Gatestone Institute, that «Said Mansour Rezk Abdelrazek, a Muslim convert to Christianity, has become one of Egypt’s most prominent religious freedom cases.
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«After embracing Christianity in 2016, he endured years of harassment, detention, and abuse. On April 13, prosecutors referred him to a terrorism court, while his lawyers were denied access to the case file. He remains imprisoned, with advocates reporting torture, physical abuse, denial of adequate medical care, and repeated postponements of his trial.»
In another case, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) reported that a mob of Muslims tossed stones at a church in Upper Egypt on July 8, injuring Christians and causing damage to the building and a priest’s car.
Just days later, a group of men attacked Father Matta Roushdy, 49, a priest at the Virgin Mary and Saint Abanoub Coptic Orthodox Church in Dahab, South Sinai Governorate.
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A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that President Trump has stated that «America will always defend the right of every person to live out their faith openly, freely, and without fear.» The spokesperson added that «Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. We aspire for all others to enjoy the same freedom, protection, and benefits.»
However, there has been some progress in combating bias against Coptic Christians. The organization Coptic Solidarity wrote last week that a breakthrough unfolded with respect to the alleged longstanding discrimination against Coptic athletes in soccer.
Egyptian Coptic Christians attend the Resurrection Mass at the Monastery of Saint Simon Al-Kharaz during Holy Saturday services on April 19, 2025 in Cairo, Egypt. The Coptic Church observes the same liturgical calendar as the Eastern Orthodox Church, whose Easter date coincides with that of the Western Christian calendar this year. (Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
«In an unprecedented move, Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports announced that its investigation found sufficient evidence of misconduct by a coach at Alexandria’s Al-Ittihad Club who allegedly excluded a junior football player, Makari Younan, because of his Christian name,» the organization announced.
It added that, «The decision deserves recognition. Whether motivated by public pressure or a genuine policy shift, the Ministry’s response represents a notable departure from the longstanding official tendency to dismiss such allegations.»
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The organization continued, «It appears to be the first official acknowledgment that discrimination against Copts in Egyptian sport is not merely an allegation raised by disappointed families or human rights organizations, but a matter requiring government intervention.»
Open Doors, a global organization that aids persecuted Christians around the world, said of the attack on the priest that, «These types of attacks are usually committed by members of radical Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.»
Their statement added, «Their actions reflect a broader anti-Christian sentiment, especially in rural and village societies across the country where weak law enforcement leaves Christians vulnerable to attack. Though violent cases like this have decreased in the last decade, these attacks will continue until the state takes anti-Christian fanaticism as seriously as it deserves.»
Fox News Digital sent multiple press query emails to the Egyptian embassies in Washington and Tel Aviv and called the embassy in Washington.
Coptic Orthodox Christians gather for an Easter service at the Monastery of Saint Simon the Tanner, located in the Mokattam Mountain area of Cairo on April 19, 2025. Christians believe Holy Saturday is the day Jesus lay in the tomb after His crucifixion, a time of quiet reflection and waiting. It marks the transition between His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. (Ahmed Sayed/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Dalia Ziade, an Egyptian Middle East Scholar and Research Fellow at The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, told Fox News Digital that «These cases represent only a small fraction of what Coptic Christians endure in Egypt every day. We are speaking about a population of more than 20 million Egyptians. On paper, they are labeled a minority. In reality, they are at the essence of Egyptian identity. They are the preservers of the country’s history and cultural memory.»
According to Ziade, «Women and Coptic Christians constitute President El-Sisi’s most important political base. These were the two vulnerable groups that felt most threatened by the Muslim Brotherhood in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. They strongly supported El-Sisi then, and they continue to support him today. Consequently, he must maintain the appearance of protecting and pleasing them by visiting their church on Christmas every year. But beyond that, nothing is actually happening to make them less vulnerable.»
The U.S. State Department 2025 report on Christians depicts a bleak situation for the Egyptian Christian community. The community makes up an estimated 10% of the nation’s 120 million people.
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According to the State Department report on Egyptian Christians, «Despite efforts for greater representation, Christians remain underrepresented in senior positions across the public sector. Currently, only two Christians – the minister of local development and the minister of parliamentary affairs – serve in Egypt’s 31-member cabinet,» wrote the State Department, adding: «Of 27 appointed governors, only one is Christian. In the senate, 24 Christians (17 elected and seven appointed) hold seats, out of 300 senators. One serves as deputy speaker. A Coptic Christian is the head of the constitutional court. No Christian serves as president of any of the country’s 27 public universities. Employment discrimination against Christians – especially within the security services, judiciary, and senior civil service – remains a significant issue.»
According to an April 29 Christian Today report, a Coptic Christian YouTuber, Augustinos Samaan, was sentenced to five years in prison for insulting Islam because he published videos defending the Christian faith.
christianity religion, faith, religion us, human rights, persecutions
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France’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva launched a verbal attack against the U.S. following a contentious vote to give U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk another four-year term, accusing Washington of abandoning its role as a global human rights leader.
«The US used to be a beacon of human rights. Not anymore,» the official French mission account posted on X Saturday. «Today, it stands alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia, isolated. And the world no longer listens to it.»
The mission added the hashtag «#AmericaAlone.»
IRAN SECURES UN ROLE WITH BACKING FROM UK, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA AS US STANDS ALONE
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk speaks at a press conference at the UN Offices in Geneva on Dec. 9, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz fired back, accusing France of using the attack to distract from its support for Türk.
«It is disappointing — though not surprising — that this is how France deflects on its shameful vote to coddle some of the worst human rights abusers,» Waltz wrote on X. «France voted for someone who has been lecturing free, sovereign democracies like the United States, the UK, and Israel, while cozying up to the world’s worst oppressors.»
During the vote by Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the U.S. representative for U.N. management and reform, declared that the U.N. human rights system «has been losing credibility for decades.»
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Ambassador Michael Waltz testifies during a House Foreign Affairs hearing on the United Nations in the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2026. (CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«Mr. Türk has guided it to its deathbed,» Bartos said. «And if you vote to reappoint Volker Türk for a four-year term, it will kick the bucket.»
Bartos accused Türk of disproportionately condemning democracies while failing to respond adequately to abuses committed by authoritarian governments.
He said Türk had criticized the United States, Britain, France, Australia, Italy and, more than any other country, Israel. Bartos also accused Türk of remaining silent for 12 days after the Iranian government allegedly began a new wave of violence against its citizens, while quickly condemning U.S. military action against Iran.
Bartos further criticized Türk’s office for calling on Washington to lift sanctions on Cuba, maintaining what he called a discriminatory database targeting American companies and enabling the U.N.’s «anti-Israel machinery.»
ISRAEL ACCUSES UN OF PLACING IT ON SAME SEXUAL VIOLENCE BLACKLIST AS HAMAS TERRORISTS, SEVERS TIES
U.N. Human Rights Council President Jurg Lauber, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stand for a minute of silence honoring victims of human rights violations, at the opening of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, on Feb. 24, 2025. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
France’s U.N. Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont offered a sharply different assessment during the General Assembly debate, saying Türk had demonstrated «rigor and impartiality» during a first term marked by growing attacks on multilateral institutions and the universality of human rights.
«He has been a voice of conscience, confronting states with reality and their responsibilities,» Bonnafont said.
An official familiar with the U.S. position told Fox News Digital on background that American officials were surprised by France’s «brazen» public attack and rejected the suggestion that opposing one U.N. official’s reappointment amounted to opposing human rights.
The official said Washington and other delegations were also caught off guard by the expedited vote because Türk’s current term does not expire until Oct. 11.
The United States sought to postpone consideration for one week to allow additional consultations, but member states rejected the request. The General Assembly then approved Türk’s reappointment by a vote of 144-10, with 13 abstentions, extending his tenure from Oct. 12, 2026, through Oct. 11, 2030.
The assembly also rejected a Russian proposal to extend Türk’s term only through the end of 2026, which would have allowed the next U.N. secretary-general to participate in selecting the human rights chief.
WORLD COURT PROSECUTOR WHO WENT AFTER NETANYAHU FOR WAR CRIMES SUSPENDED OVER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, right, greets Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Cernay-la-Ville outside Paris, France, Friday, March 27, 2026. (Michel Euler/AP Photo)
France’s post grouped Washington with authoritarian governments that also opposed Türk, but did not address whether those countries voted against his reappointment for the same reasons. The U.S. said its opposition reflected both concerns about Türk’s record and objections to the accelerated process.
UN Watch, a Geneva-based watchdog, published a 2024 analysis of public statements initiated by Türk or his office between Oct. 17, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2024.
The organization concluded that Türk criticized the United States more frequently than China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined. It also said it found no self-initiated criticism during that period concerning abuses by Cuba, North Korea, Algeria, Eritrea, Mauritania, Lebanon or Qatar.
UN Watch’s methodology excluded statements required by the Human Rights Council, comments in mandated reports, broad updates to the council and other remarks that were not initiated at Türk’s discretion. Its findings therefore do not encompass every country reference, report or action by Türk’s office.
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer called the renewal «rushed and unprecedented» and said it was «unseemly» for French President Emmanuel Macron’s government to attack the United States while celebrating Türk’s reappointment.
Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, responded more bluntly.
«Perhaps show some gratitude instead?» Gardiner wrote on X. «The French owe their very existence as a sovereign nation to The United States.»
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FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron and President Donald Trump. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Türk’s supporters argue that his willingness to criticize powerful democracies is part of his responsibility to apply human rights standards universally. France and the European Union maintained that he had performed his duties objectively and that Secretary-General António Guterres acted within the rules allowing a high commissioner to serve a second four-year term.
Türk is set to become the first U.N. human rights chief to serve two complete four-year terms since the position was established in 1993.
united nations, human rights united nations, france, world, politics
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Santiago, República Dominicana: se duplica la demanda de atención por trastornos del neurodesarrollo en los últimos años
El aumento de la demanda de atención por trastornos del neurodesarrollo en Santiago ha llevado a una transformación en la dinámica de los servicios de salud mental infantil y adolescente.
En los últimos cinco años, la Unidad de Psicología Especializada (UPSE) de la Clínica Corominas ha duplicado el número de pacientes, lo que refleja una mayor conciencia social y una búsqueda activa de ayuda profesional por parte de las familias.
Actualmente, la UPSE programa cerca de 132 citas diarias, con un 70 % destinadas a niños y adolescentes. La agenda de los sábados permanece llena desde las 8:00 hasta las 15:00. Según la neuropsicóloga clínica Saray Espinal Gómez, fundadora de la unidad, predominan los casos de trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH), trastornos del espectro autista (TEA), dificultades de aprendizaje y alteraciones conductuales. Este panorama ha sido detallado recientemente por Listín Diario al analizar la situación en la provincia.
El entorno escolar es el principal punto de detección, ya que los docentes suelen ser quienes observan las primeras señales de dificultades en el aprendizaje, la atención o la socialización. Espinal Gómez señala que “la mayoría de los niños vienen referidos por las escuelas”, aunque cada vez más padres, al comparar el desarrollo de sus hijos, deciden buscar ayuda de manera preventiva.
Los menores que llegan a consulta normalmente tienen entre 3 y 12 años. Todavía se reciben adolescentes de hasta 14 años que no fueron diagnosticados a tiempo y presentan problemas de habla, aprendizaje o síntomas de autismo no identificados previamente.
En cada caso, la UPSE realiza una evaluación científica antes de iniciar cualquier tratamiento. El diagnóstico permite diseñar un plan integral que puede incluir terapias conductuales, del habla, ocupacionales, estimulación temprana, terapia familiar o rehabilitación cognitiva.
El acompañamiento emocional a los padres es el primer paso tras el diagnóstico. Espinal Gómez enfatiza que “un diagnóstico no limita el futuro de un niño, sino que nos da las herramientas para potenciar sus capacidades”. La colaboración entre el consultorio, la familia y el colegio, junto a rutinas claras en el hogar, es fundamental para el éxito terapéutico.
La especialista destaca la urgencia de fortalecer la detección temprana desde el sector médico, en especial entre pediatras: “Debemos seguir trabajando con los pediatras para que hagan más referencias tempranas; mientras más rápido evaluemos a un niño, mayores serán sus oportunidades”, precisó a Listín Diario.
Al llegar a la adolescencia, las consultas cambian de foco y se concentran en la salud emocional, con la ansiedad, la depresión y los trastornos de la conducta en primer plano. Muchos de estos casos están relacionados con conflictos familiares, dificultades de adaptación y acoso escolar.
Espinal Gómez advierte que “muchas familias llegan pensando que el adolescente tiene depresión, pero al profundizar descubrimos que ha sido víctima de bullying durante mucho tiempo”.
La aparición temprana del consumo de sustancias como marihuana, vapeadores y alcohol agrava los cuadros de ansiedad y afecta el desarrollo cerebral en esta etapa.
En la clínica, es frecuente ver a madres solteras y abuelas tomando la responsabilidad principal en el proceso terapéutico y logístico de los menores. Espinal Gómez reconoce que “vemos a muchas mujeres haciendo el rol de madre y padre al mismo tiempo, realizando un trabajo extraordinario para sostener las terapias y la crianza”. Además, observa una tendencia positiva con más padres participando activamente en consultas y reuniones escolares.
Los signos de alerta más frecuentes incluyen retrasos en el habla, cambios abruptos de conducta y dificultades para socializar. Una intervención oportuna y la detección precoz son claves para transformar las perspectivas de desarrollo de los niños con trastornos del neurodesarrollo.
Un diagnóstico temprano permite acceder a recursos y estrategias que favorecen el crecimiento y la integración plena.
aula,vacío,escuela,niños,educación,aprendizaje,preescolar,jardín de infancia,mesas,sillas
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9/11 families push to ban Mamdani from 25th anniversary remembrance over ‘hostile’ record
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Families of 9/11 victims are urging organizers to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending this year’s 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony in Lower Manhattan.
Several families of 9/11 victims published a petition urging the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the annual remembrance, to reconsider inviting Mayor Zohran Mamdani, citing a laundry list of criticisms of the Uganda-born socialist Democrat.
«Concerns have been raised about Mr. Mamdani’s public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to these shared values,» a Change.org petition organized by several victims’ families states.
«Given these concerns, we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy.»
FIREFIGHTER BROTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM INCENSED BY ‘RADICAL’ MUSLIMS WINNING KEY DEM PRIMARIES
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces that five upcoming city-owned grocery stores will offer a 30 percent discount on produce, meat, bread, and milk when they open next year. The discount on essential items will potentially save shoppers an estimated $90 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year. Mamdani has pledged one community grocery store for each borough. July 27, 2026, in Brooklyn. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Concerns listed include a «perceived reluctance» by Mamdani to unequivocally condemn phrases like «globalize the intifada» — a slogan associated with calls for the eradication of Jews.
They also expressed concern over Mamdani’s alleged support for or association with individuals either dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.
A 2025 release by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, outlined one such association with a radical Bed-Stuy imam who hosted the Blind Sheikh, mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and has made controversial statements about jihad.
MAMDANI’S POLITICS LINKED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IDEOLOGY AS NEW YORK VIOLENCE ESCALATES: REPORT
Janlyn Scauso, whose husband was a New York City firefighter killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, holds family photos during a rally near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 20, 2026. Groups representing victims of Iranian-linked terrorism urged the U.S. not to release any money to Tehran, underscoring the political risks for President Donald Trump of fulfilling a key demand under a possible peace deal. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Siraj Wahhaj, born Jeffrey Kearse, hosted Mamdani at his At-Taqwa mosque during the campaign and received criticism at the time from former FBI agents for failing to condemn the cleric.
The victims’ families also called out Mamdani’s father, Columbia government professor Mahmood Mamdani, whom they cite as authoring a book shortly after the attacks in which he argued suicide bombers should be «understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism.»
They wrote that Professor Mamdani’s book – «Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror» – also included a passage arguing a moral equivalency between the United States and Al Qaeda.
FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS
Names of victims are read during the commemoration ceremony on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. (AP/Yuki Iwamura)
When the passage was resurfaced in 2025, prominent New York billionaire Bill Ackman quipped on X that the «apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.»
Fox News Digital reached out to both Mamdanis for comment.
While the mayor did not immediately return a request for comment, he told a reporter at an unrelated press conference Monday that he still plans to attend.
«I will proudly honor families the survivors the first resp forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration — reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day…,» he said.
Victims’ families also excoriated the mayor for supporting and standing with socialist candidates they said hold radically anti-American views, including the DSA-endorsed woman who defeated left-wing Rep. Adriano Espaillat in Washington Heights.
The petition noted Darializa Chevalier once tweeted that she nonchalantly wiped soiled hands on an American flag after running out of napkins.
«For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony—it is a deeply personal day of mourning. The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain,» the consortium wrote.
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Olga Colon, 65, blows a kiss as she finds the name of her brother, Carlos Rey Lillo, a paramedic killed when the South Tower collapsed, at the south reflecting pool during the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Sept. 11, 2025, in New York City. Government officials joined family, friends and first responders at Ground Zero on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks at the World Trade Center. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
One organizer told the New York Post that mourning dignitaries from both parties will be welcomed, but emphasized they have all been involved in the healing process for years, citing former mayors Rudolph Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, former Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, D-Upper East Side.
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The memorial museum said it has «intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics because remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue,» according to a statement to the Post from staffer Julie Wood.
The petition comes amid elevated rhetoric directed at Mamdani as he prepares to take office before his first September 11 commemoration as mayor, as Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., and radio host Sidney Rosenberg both recently declared the mayor a «terrorist.»
zohran mamdani, terrorism, new york city, september 11, politics
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