President Mubarak of Egypt has declared Christmas Day a National Holiday for the first time.

Coptic Christians represent ten percent of the population of Egypt. They celebrate Christmas on January 7 and from 2003, this date will be an official public holiday.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide Web site, December 19 2002

The leadership of the Egyptian Christian Coptic community has recently begun to express in public positions and complaints in a way uncommon in the past.
The Copt weekly Watani recently ran an editorial criticizing the treatment of Christians in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world in general

Memri Web site, Special For Come and See, Nov 19, 2002

That remarks made by Jerry Falwell earlier this month describing the Prophet Mohamed as "a terrorist" have caused Christians in the Middle East to feel very uncomfortable.

Egypt's Al-Ahram writes about the reactions among the Egyption Copts, the biggest group of Christians in the Arab world.

Omayma Abdel-Latif , Al-Haram, October 26, 2002

The Spectacular Center Was Major Production Hub For Arabic Christian Broadcasting In The Middle East And North Africa

By Dan Wooding, Sep 4, ASSIST Ministries

A group of six women representing Open Doors traveled to Egypt last month. Women of the Way is a program of Open Doors that delivers hope to "women who share our faith but not our freedom".

Assist Minstries, Monday, June 24, 2002

"When we first got to Egypt a few years ago, the Egyptian Christians told us, 'Don't tell any Muslim about Jesus, even if they ask you'.
Now, a lot of the same people are coming up and asking, 'How can we share with Muslims? What do we do?' I think it's the beginning of something big."

Baptist Press, May 13, 2002

SAT-7 broadcasting group is a partnership of some 30 agencies, including the United Bible Societies, Campus Crusade for Christ and local churches in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon and Kuwait

Dan Wooding, Assist Ministries

The trouble is reported to have broken out after church bells rang out - in defiance of warnings by Muslims that they should remain silent.
Two years ago 23 people were killed in sectarian clashes

BBC News, Sunday Feb 10, 2002

The permission was given to sell at the Cairo International Book Fair.
In Addition, the Bible Society had a very large advertisement for its "Abraham" video on the front page of Egypt's most popular daily newspaper.

by John M. Lindner, Christian Aid Mission

Jewish Chief Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Melchior to join Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi at the conference, pulled together by the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem to attend

By The Associated Press, Jan 20, 2002