Many Christians reportedly voted for the Egyptian Bloc, a coalition of three left-wing, secular parties sponsored by Naguib Sawiris, a Christian entrepreneur and one of the richest men in Egypt. Amid long election lines, elderly Christians waited in folding chairs along with younger Christians who took time off from work to cast their vote. All were motivated by a deep-rooted fear that the election will be the gateway for Islamic extremists to officially step into power.

At the top of the list of Islamic parties most likely to win the election is the Muslim Brotherhood, the most prominent and organized political group in Egypt. But Christians are even more concerned about the Salafis, an ultraconservative Muslim group that has accused Christians of attempting to take over “Islamic” Egypt, and is predicted to win second place to the Brotherhood in the elections.

Christian persecution has been steadily on the rise in Egypt since former president Hosni Mubarak, whose regime provided marginal protection for the country’s minority Christian population, was removed from office in early 2011. As religious freedom becomes increasingly marginalized, many Egyptian Christians, who comprise about 10 percent of the general population, believe it is imperative that they stand up for themselves in their own country.
But as they await the election results and continue to fear the future, other Christians talk of leaving Egypt altogether. Since the onset of the Arab Spring — a general rise in Islamic power throughout Middle Eastern and African nations — more than 95,000 Christians have already fled Egypt to seek refuge in other countries.

To learn more about the Arab Spring and rising Christian persecution, visit www.christianfreedom.org/the-christian-winter.

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