The 46th Cairo International Book Fair is coming to a close on February 12, and I enjoyed strolling through the hundreds of booths selling mostly Arabic books from around the world. The guest of honor this year is Saudi Arabia, but prominent also in a central location are more than a dozen Christian publishing booths selling their products freely.
This is not a surprise. Each is registered with the Egyptian Publishing Union and they have long had a presence at the fair. But this images to follow may not be familiar to many readers who assume either one of these two common perceptions.
First, that Christians are persecuted by a majority Muslim country. Second, that censorship is rampant as the government clamps down on alternate voices.
Both of these perceptions deserve their own comment, but here take a moment to see the diversity of Christian representation. Around two million people frequent the book fair over a two week period, browsing the marketplace as they see fit.
I am hopeful a full article about the Christian presence at the book fair will soon follow. Please stay tuned.
Update: The article was tied into the story about the 21 Christians killed by the Islamic State, and How Libya’s Martyrs are Witnessing to Egypt.
Jayson Casper 