What does the practice of interreligious dialogue and intercommunal relations look like in Egypt? Who are the main actors working in these fields? What motivates them? For many people living outside the country, the interreligious and intercommunal landscape in Egypt remains opaque. Even for those living inside the country, it can be confusing to understand the key institutions involved and their animating principles. For these reasons, Dialogue Across Borders is very pleased to publish an important study authored by our database editor and intern coordinator, Luka Renić. 

Based partially on his 2024 M.A. thesis completed at St. Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut, The Impact of Civil Society Organizations on Intercommunal and Interreligious Relations in Egypt presents one of the most in-depth studies of intercommunal and dialogue institutions in Egypt of which we are aware. The study profiles the history and contributions of nine institutions, including the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), the Centre for Christian-Muslim Understanding and Partnership (CCMUP), the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies (IDEO), the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), Misryoun (Egyptians) Against Religious Discrimination (MARED), the Al-Karma Center for Human Development, the Association of Upper Egypt for Education and Development, Bayt al-ʿĀʾila (‘The Egyptian Family House’), and the Center for Arab-West Understanding. The study classifies these organizations and initiatives into three broad approaches: advocacy/citizenship, dialogue, and development.

(Luka with Coptic Orthodox Bishop Armia after a discussion on Bayt al-ʿĀʾila, a quasi-governmental organization that consists of Muslim and Christian leaders working toward harmonious interreligious relations.)

While these institutional case studies should be considered representative rather than comprehensive, the institutions selected and Luka’s methodology provide readers with an invaluable overview of key institutions working in the dialogue and intercommunal sector in Egypt. The numerous interviews in the study offer deep insights into the history of these organizations, their guiding principles, and the challenges they have faced. Readers of the study will be given a clearer sense of the dynamism of Egyptian civil society rather than the monolithic and sluggish portrayal sometimes portrayed in popular media. We are proud that the Center for Arab-West Understanding was able to serve as Luka’s host institution while he completed this important study. 

A summary, detailed table of contents, and methodological introduction to the study can be found here.

Matthew Anderson

Director - Center for Arab-West Understanding

Executive Editor - Dialogue Across Borders (Brill)

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October 12, 2025