Muslim response to the church missionary society's activities in Egypt: 1936-1959

Abstract EN

The Church Missionary Society's (CMS) work in Egypt is eye-catching and thought provoquing.

The CMS crystalysed an interest in the Muslim world, namely the Middle East, germinated in the nineteenth century.

This early interest, followed by efforts of Missions to Muslims in the Middle East arose as a result of an alarming feeling of anxiety that the Society developed vis àvis its neglect and lack of interest in the evangelization of Muslims.

The CMS missionary activities in Egypt from 1936 to 1959 were of a multi-faceted approach.

It used different mediums and methods of approach fo evangelizing Muslim Egyptians like education, medical work, literature and Church activity.

The latter revealed much about the nature and work of the CMS Egypt Mission and its policy in Egypt for that period.

The present article gives an overview of the CMS missionary activities and considers particularly the nature of the Muslim response to the CMS missionary activities in Egypt from 1936 to 1959.

The Muslim response highlighted is that of the Egyptian government, the Egyptian press, the Azhari Ulema and their opposition to the CMS and all missionary work in Egypt from 1936 to 1959.

The former date marks the signing of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and the latter relates to the CMS Headquarters' release of its archive materials till 1959; released for researchers in the year 2000.