Jehovah’s Witnesses demand recognition in Egypt

The Jehovah’s Witnesses Cairo – Akram Ali The Jehovah’s Witnesses have renewed their call to the Egyptian government to be an officially recognised religious organisation. The Christian sect has demanded to be represented in the new Egyptian constitution in order to practice their religion freely without being persecuted. Professor of religious studies Mamdouh Hana told Arabstoday: “They believe that Jesus Christ is a demi-God. They wrote their own Bible. They believe that the Church has misinterpreted the Bible over a long period of time; they follow the writings of Charles Russell, the founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses sect was founded in 1870 in Pennsylvania. A group of Christian enthusiasts led by Charles Russell gathered in order to study the Bible.
The professor added: "In this sect, giving or receiving blood is prohibited. They also reject all celebrations like birthdays and Christmas. They never get involved in politics.”
There are seven million Jehovah’s witnesses in the world, spread in 239 states.
A member of the sect, who wished to remain anonymous, talked to Arabstoday: “They are growing in this country. They allow anyone who has participated to one meeting to create their own Jehovah’s Witnesses group.
“During Mubarak’s regime we had to organise meetings in secret as we were being persecuted by the Coptic Church. When the revolution happened we thought that it was time for a change and to be recognised and represented in Egyptian society.”
The sect was founded in Egypt by Greek national Bnayuty Aspiro Polo. He founded the Watchtower in 1955 as he was working as a waiter in Tahrir Square, Cairo. While President Nasser was in power, Jehovah’s witnesses were not allowed to build churches in the country.
There are seven million Jehovah’s witnesses in the world, spread in 239 states.