The Risk of Attending Church as a Convert in Egypt

Egyptian ID cards clearly list a person’s religion. And to prevent jihadist bombings, many churches in Egypt tend to require that unfamiliar visitors show an ID card before gaining entry. Such a protocol is understandable, but it also makes things very difficult for converts to Christianity: Because basically all Egyptian converts must be discreet about their status, their ID cards still say they are “Muslim.” This means people at the church entrance might suspect they are a jihadist. And even…