A iniciativa religiosa é do Vaticano e reconhece a situação muito difícil em que (sobre)vivem os cristãos no Norte de África e no Médio Oriente.

Month of prayer for Christians in Egypt.

(…) Release has produced a prayer guide, focusing prayer throughout May on Egypt, Libya, Syria, Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia and Bahrain. Right now, the greatest concern is Egypt, where Christians are worried that persecution will increase following the presidential elections on May 23-24.

Boyd says that up to 100,000 Christians have already left the country since last year’s uprising, and persecution has increased as Islamist groups have grown in influence over the past two decades.

And he talks of Egypt’s Christian roots and heritage. Egypt in fact was a majority Christian country for more than 1,000 years. Last year’s parliamentary elections led to a huge victory for the Islamist parties, especially the Muslim Brotherhood and the hard-line Salafist Nour. Extremist groups want to introduce strict Sharia (Islamic) law across Egypt and have launched attacks on Christians, public officials and foreigners.

Those who argue that Sharia affects only the muslims, Boyd says, are wrong: Sharia affects Christians as well as it will not allow them to share their faith. Sometimes with tragic consequences.

And Boyd mentions the current situation in Nigeria where Christians are undergoing bloody attacks that are forcing many to flee their homes. (…)

“The more people I meet during my travels across the world for Release who are suffering persecution for their faith”, says Boyd, “the more I realise that they have an overcoming joy-filled faith and a love of freedom which we need to tak hold of. We need them more than they need us. They need us to stand with them to share our freedom and to share our resources, We need to capture thier overcoming spirit and their determination to make a stand and to be joyful witnesses to the Gospel of Christ. That’s their gift to us”.