Egypt’s president on Sunday inaugurated both a new cathedral for the Coptic Orthodox Church and one of the region’s largest mosques, in a highly symbolic gesture at a time when Islamic militants are increasingly targeting the country’s minority Christians.
Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-president, has made sectarian harmony a cornerstone of his rule, fighting Islamic militancy, while advocating for equality between the overwhelming Muslim majority and Christians, who account for 10 percent of Egypt’s 100 million people.
Copts, the largest Christian minority in the Middle East, were due hold a midnight mass in the Cathedral of the Nativity, billed by the government as the Middle East’s largest church, a few hours after the inauguration.
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