Accusations of blasphemy, a criminal offense under Egypt's new Islamist-backed constitution, have been leveled more frequently against writers, activists, and Christians in recent months.

The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang in unison, "All except the Prophet Muhammad."

When it comes to the news, it seems like ecumenical efforts directed at restoring full Christian communion are taking place under the radar. Even so, I suspect it is a sleeping giant, for when unification is achieved, all of heaven will rejoice and the world will change.

The escalation of Muslim attacks on Christian churches in Egypt continues unabated. This week two attacks were carried out, one in Alexandria and one in Menbal in Upper Egypt -- both allegedly prompted by harassment of Muslim women.

Egypt is suffering its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a former finance minister of the country and one of its leading economists have warned.

In terms of its devastating effect on Egypt's poorest, the country's current economic predicament is at its most dire since the 1930s, Galal Amin, professor of economics at the American University in Cairo, and Samir Radwan, finance minister in the months after Egypt's 2011 uprising, said in separate interviews with the Guardian.

Dr. Mohamed Mounir Meghaed, coordinator for Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination (MARED), said that the Muslim Brotherhood uses religious defamation accusations as a way to terrorize religious minorities in Egypt.

He added that the law is used against ordinary citizens but not public figures. “The judiciary is not separate from society so it can adopt double standards regarding these cases,” he stated.

“President Mohamed Morsi is not a president of all Egyptians as he claims, rather he is the Brotherhood’s representative in the presidency.”