Coptic Christians are 11-15% of Egypt’s population and the largest Christian community in the Middle East. The Zabbaleen, known in Arabic as ‘the garbage collectors,’ are the largest single concentration of Egyptian Coptics (70,000). For eight generations they have been Cairo’s unofficial trash collectors, living in harsh conditions harvesting garbage from streets and businesses and transporting it to their communities in the hills where it is sorted and sold. Father Samaan Ibrahim presides over the Zabbaleen’s ‘garbage city. His church has supported many of the social services vital to the Zabbaleen people since the 1970’s. Like many in Egypt Samaan is uneasy about the future. Sectarian attacks have increased over the past year and conditions in the community have not improved since the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s government. ‘We are awaiting the new constitution that we might expect something good for us in it, especially the article concerning building churches in Egypt,’ he says. The building or repair of churches is outlawed.
Pray: for those who are and may become leaders in Egypt to represent the values of a society which God can bless; and for positive reforms for Christians.(1Tim. 2:1-2)