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For an admission fee of only about 10 cents, even the poor could afford to enjoy Cairo’s 34th International Book Fair last January 17-February 4. The majority of the 3.5 million books, videos and tapes offered obviously targeted Muslim readers. But the event also offered an exciting array of Christian resources in Arabic and English. The Bible Society of Egypt alone had 60 staff members working at four large booths in different locations.

One of this year’s hot sellers was a new video on the life of Abraham, which had been advertised in local newspapers. Low-priced sets of dramatized Bible cassettes also went fast. A package of two booklets, two cassettes and the Jesus film sold for the equivalent of $1.20, and a 6-tape dramatized series on Old Testament prophets for only $1.40. An official ban on selling videos and cassettes was lifted after the first three days due to strong protests from publishers and fairgoers.

One booth alone reported selling 400 Bibles the first week, many of them to Muslims. “This book fair is a golden chance for Arabs from the Gulf and other areas to buy,” explained one worker. “Sometimes they ask for Bibles without any lettering on the cover.”

Foreigners were not allowed to sell books at the fair, and official staff at booths were forbidden to share their faith. However, much went on behind the scenes. Teams of local believers prayed and fasted throughout the event. Others took time from jobs and studies to distribute tracts and engage others in meaningful conversation around the site.

One such volunteer, a 22-year-old student from Aswan, related that one man he had witnessed to at last year’s fair was now a Christian and he was giving out tracts this year. Several hundred Arabic New Testaments and many thousands of leaflets were discreetly placed into visitors’ hands. Very few were trashed, said workers, due to the Muslim reluctance to throw anything away that bears God’s name. Their conversations often led to appointments to meet interested persons again in other places around the city. After personal Bible studies, some of these people placed their faith in Christ.

A Cairo businessman who wrote one of the tracts distributed at the fair enjoys the annual opportunity to witness. He and his wife actively encourage Christian young people to get involved as well. Their concern that so few Egyptian believers know how to witness, or defend their faith, has motivated them to devote much of their spare time to training during the last dozen years.

A lot of young people grow up with only Christian friends. Even at school they have no contact with Muslims. There is a saying among them, ‘If your finger is Muslim, better to cut it off and throw it out.’ We want to encourage young people of all denominations to love Muslims and show them love. We give them basic training in ministry with Muslims, with a strong Bible background.

One of the aims is to break the fear barriers. We help local believers to get involved in outreaches in other countries. Every year some 50 Egyptians participate in evangelism in the Middle East and Europe. Egyptian churches have (unofficially) sent out many workers. But our main goal now is our own land. We want to spread the vision that it is our responsibility to reach our own people.

Ten years ago the atmosphere was so different. Year by year we have seen believers open up towards Muslims, even though, officially, there can be no evangelism. But now we have people ready to pay the cost. Some of the people working at the book fair have been arrested in other outreaches. This [kind of example] is very important.

As a local businessman and church leader, this same man has noted a rising tide of support for extreme Islam, especially among Egypt’s university students and the upper class. “But even as the Islamic stream goes deeper, the evangelical stream increases. Some Islamic fundamentalists are sincerely seeking to have a relationship with God. But when they get to the end, they still have question marks in their minds. They are disappointed in the Islamic model. If the Lord opens their eyes, they are ready to accept Jesus. So it’s good. I’m not sad that the Islamic stream goes deeper. I’d like to evangelize more among fundamentalists. “

In the last decade Egyptian Christians have experienced great persecution at Islamic hands; many thousands each year buckle under the pressure and convert to Islam. Unsurprisingly, few of the country’s 60 million Muslims have had an opportunity to hear a believer’s testimony. But God is blessing the efforts of those with the courage to reach out. The number of Muslim background believers is growing. And he is building his church.

Deborah Jones is the pseudonym of a Christian writer who attended the Cairo Book Fair.

May 24, 2002