Topic: Persecution of Copts in Egypt

[Stavro]

I think Stavro just means all the artwork & graffiti appearing around Cairo with Mina's image. I don't think he's comparing Mina's character to that Communist thug and murderer

Depends on which version of Che you like to adapt.

The legacy of Che can be discussed in a separate topic, but I meant the comparison in a very positive sense.

But, yes, most of Egypt's youth have been indoctrinated with Leftist ideology

No.

Anyone born after 1970 in Egypt would have been raised in an Islamic environment and Islamic ideology became the center of the social and political system. The left and right has to be defined with political Islam in the center.   

The youth who started the revolution before Islamists took over were leftist in that sense, liberated from the influence of political Islam and aiming toward as secular Egypt with the slogans of the French Revolutions on their banners. Mina was one of those and they are the exception.


     

[Salpy]

(AINA) -- Yesterday Muslim Salafis assaulted Christians after Sunday mass, angry that Christians from neighboring villages who have no churches attend mass in the village of Tala, el Fashn, in the Beni Suef Governorate. The pastor of St Georges Church Father Cheroubim Chehab could not go out of church for hours after mass.

Eyewitnesses reported that as Christians left the church, they found a huge mob of mostly young Salafi Muslims waiting for them, armed with batons. The assault lead to 5 Copts being hospitalized after suffering broken limbs, and the torching of two cars which transported the congregation from the other villages.

http://www.aina.org/news/20121029195111.htm

[Salpy]

(AINA) -- Although the abduction and forced Islamization of Coptic Christian minor girls in Egypt is quite common (AINA 8-11-2009), especially with the rise of Islamists in Egypt after the Muslims Brotherhood took over governing the country, the case of 14-year old Sarah has caused a stir.

Sarah Ishaq Abdelmalek, born on August 1, 1998 in the town of el-Dabaa, 130 kilometers from Mersa Matrouh, was on her way to school with her cousin Miriam on Sunday, September 30, when they stopped at a bookshop. Miriam want ahead of Sarah to school, leaving Sarah at the bookstore. No one has seen Sarah ever since.

After filing a missing person report with the police, her father received a call to tell him that he will never see his daughter again.

Read the rest here:

http://www.aina.org/news/20121101201755.htm

[biro]

Lord have mercy.

[mabsoota]

may God give them great strength to pass through this hard time.

[Salpy]

When Alber Saber's mother called police to protect him from a mob baying for his blood, something odd happened: they arrested him. They then threw him in prison, encouraged his cellmates to attack him, and finally took him to court where he was jailed for three months.

Mr Saber's alleged offence was all the more significant in light of the new constitution – being voted on by millions of Egyptians on Saturday – that is at the heart of Egypt's political crisis.

The mob in his Cairo suburb accused him of atheism and disrespect of the Prophet Mohammed, and demanded he be killed; a neighbour had alleged he had posted to his Facebook page the now notorious Islam-mocking video that triggered protests across the world in September.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/9762805/Egypt-constitutional-vote-Things-are-definitely-worse-than-under-the-old-regime.html

[Salpy]

Cairo -- The criminal court of Beni Suef (115 km south of Cairo) has sentenced an entire family to prison for converting to Christianity. Nadia Mohamed Ali and her children Mohab, Maged, Sherif, Amira, Amir, and Nancy Ahmed Mohamed abdel-Wahab will spend 15 years in prison. Seven other people involved in the case were sentenced to five years in prison.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130115124842.htm

[Salpy]

(AINA) -- Hundreds of Muslims came out of mosques today with hammers and destroyed a social services building belonging to the Coptic Church while chanting Islamic slogans. Security forces arrived after the building was completely razed. The 100 square meters social services building in the village of Fanous, Tamia district in Fayoum province, 130 KM south west of Cairo, had all the necessary government permits; it had a reception hall on the first floor and a kindergarten on the second.

But the Muslims insisted that it would become a church.

A meeting had taken place beforehand between the village mayor and elders from Muslim and Coptic sides and it was agreed that only the first floor was to remain and the second be demolished.

Mosques in surrounding villages called on their microphones this afternoon on Muslims to go and help their Muslim brethrens in the village of Fanous, because Christians were "building a church." According to rights activist Nader Shukry of Maspero Coptic Youth Organizations, nearly 5000 Muslims took part in demolishing the church property with their hammers, while shouting "Allahu Akbar." He said no one was arrested, not even the imams who called on Muslims to demolish the building; their calls fall under the crime of "enticement to violence."

http://www.aina.org/news/20130115185246.htm

[Kerdy]

Cairo -- The criminal court of Beni Suef (115 km south of Cairo) has sentenced an entire family to prison for converting to Christianity. Nadia Mohamed Ali and her children Mohab, Maged, Sherif, Amira, Amir, and Nancy Ahmed Mohamed abdel-Wahab will spend 15 years in prison. Seven other people involved in the case were sentenced to five years in prison.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130115124842.htm

Very sad!

[Cyrillic]

Sigh.

[Salpy]

(AINA) -- Thousands of Muslims from Marashda and surrounding villages attacked eight Coptic homes and businesses, including five pharmacies, which were looted and torched. Coptic-owned cars were also torched. The attack on the Christians was caused by rumor that a 55-year-old Coptic man, Nader Masoud, sexually assaulted a 6-year-old Muslim girl.

The Attacks on the village, which has a majority Christian population, started yesterday after 10 PM, when several Coptic businesses were torched, and Church of Abu Fam had its cross demolished and its glass smashed.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130118184819.htm

[Salpy]

Another kidnapping of a Coptic girl, but this time she was released due to publicity surrounding her case:

http://www.aina.org/news/20130202195322.htm

[psalm110]

What is goin on in Egypt again ??. and How are the Coptic people reacting to all this ? Are they rioting too ?. or staying indoors ?.

[mabsoota]

the coptic people are fasting and praying.
many neighbours see this and wonder from where the people get their strength and courage.
we don't talk about it much as we are aware too much talk can make things worse.
many friends of mine have travelled to egypt recently (business, weddings, funerals etc) and say the situation is delicate but people are living there and trusting God and He gives them the strength to go on.

above all it is good to pray for Christians who suffer.
prayer and fasting are the tools of our spiritual struggle.

[minasoliman]

A flow of refugees from Syria and Egypt is pouring into Moscow to escape from wars and violence in their country of origin bringing to light the inadequacy of facilities for the reception of immigrants in Russia. The complaint has been made by a veteran in migrant assistance, the president of the 'Civic Assistance Committee', Svetlana Gannushkina. In the past week a family of 10 Coptic Christians, including a child a few months old, presented themselves in their office.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130205165004.htm

[Salpy]

An Egyptian court is forcing two Coptic Christian boys, ages 10 and 9, to stand trial for "insulting the Quran," reports confirmed this week.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130212130446.htm

[Salpy]

(AINA) -- On Friday evening Muslims in the village of Sarsena, Tamiya district in Fayoum province (103 KM southwest of central Cairo) set fire to the church of St. George and hurled stones at it, causing damage to its dome; they broke the cross on top of the dome, demolished parts of its interior and defaced and destroyed its icons. This was prompted by Salafists Muslims who instigated the villagers to attack the church because the church is "an unlawful neighbor to the Muslims who live adjacent to it and must therefore be moved." They demanded the relocation of the church away from Muslim homes and are not allowing its priest Pastor Domadios to enter the church. All these events were witnessed by the security authorities but they did nothing to stop the attack.

The church was built in the mid-1980s and serves nearly 200 Coptic families. Three months ago the Muslims made a hole in the church to monitor the activities inside. Yesterday the Muslims said the church has to move and refused an offer from the church to buy the home of the Muslim neighbor. The Muslims also demanded the church not use a small plot of land it owns as a kindergarten.

The Muslim neighbor increased the size of the monitoring hole in the church to over one square meter.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130215203037.htm

[mabsoota]

Lord have mercy.

may the martyrs of fayoum pray for them.

thank God for those who stand up against the violence.

Muslims tried to assault Father Domadios and threw stones at him, but he was saved by a Muslim family who brought him away from the village in their car.
(quote from the same article).

may God bring peace to the hearts of those whose hearts are empty.

[Salpy]

ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) — Hundreds of Muslim villagers in Egypt's south have attacked Christian-owned stores in search of a girl whose family claims was abducted.

...

Bani Suef's prosecutor, Hamdi Farouk, said there was no reason to believe Christians were involved in her disappearance.
Security chief Ibrahim Hudeib said the girl left her house with her gold and passport in hand and may have fled with a local Muslim boy.

http://news.yahoo.com/muslims-attack-christians-egypts-south-205610047.html

[Salpy]

A political tangent was split off and put in the Private Forum.

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,50627.msg899618.html#msg899618

Anyone who wants access to the Private Forum needs to pm Fr. George and ask him for admission.

[Salpy]

More on the story from a couple of days ago:

Egytian Muslims Accuse Priest of Using Black Magic on Muslim Girl

(AINA) -- Hundreds of Muslims marched for the second day through the street of the Egyptian town of El-Wasta, 90 kilometers south of Cairo in Beni Suef Province, to protest the disappearance of a young Muslim girl, Rania Shazli, and accuse the priest of St. George's Church in Wasta of using black magic to lure her to Christianity.

The girl's uncle lead a group of Muslims to force the Copts in town to close all their businesses until the girl is brought back to her family. Coptic owners who refused were forcefully shut down. The Shazli family, supported by local Salafists, threatened to kidnap a Christian girl if their daughter is not brought back and vowed to destroy the church after prayers on Friday, March 22nd.

...

Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Hodeib, head of Beni Suef Security, said the girl has contacted her father more than once to inform him that she is out of the country and married to a Muslim man named Ahmed. He added that security forces are stationed in front of the church buildings, and warned against rioting, and that he would deal firmly with any violation of the law.

[mabsoota]

Lord have mercy.

[Salpy]

http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/2013/03/militias-of-the-mb-seriously-injured-coptic-activist-amir-ayad/

Militias of the MB seriously injured Coptic activist Amir Ayad

Mina Thabet – 26/3/13

Amir Ayad, member of Maspero Youth Union, founder of Christian Brotherhood group, and member of the fact-finding committee investigating the torture and imprisonment of Copts in Libya, was found Saturday morning at Al-Helal Hospital; with signs of torture across his body, after he had disappeared near the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Moqattam.

He said before he entered coma that he was kidnapped by the Muslim Brotherhood while participating in demonstrations near the MB headquarter in Moqattam. He was dragged into a mosque before they start torturing and beating him for hours with other demonstrators, and finally he jumped of a window and was saved by some people who live near that mosque.

[Dominika]

http://www.aina.org/news/20130406140653.htm - 10 Christians killed while they're defending the church in Al-Khousous.

Pictures of the new martyrs and from their burials: https://www.facebook.com/3adma.Zar2a

Lord have mercy! 

[DuxI]

May God help the Christians that suffer there!  Is the international community watching this?!

I have friend from Egypt, but after all these clashes, I lost contact with her. I  don't know what happened to her.

May the Mother of God protect them with Her prayers.

[The least of all]

Lord have Mercy on all those in Egypt

https://www.copticworld.org/articles/1901/

[Salpy]

The Copts can't even bury their dead in peace.  The following is from a lengthy article about an attack on the cathedral during the funeral for the above victims.  It seems security forces were joining in on the attack.  At least one Copt was killed:

Hundreds of Christians were under siege inside Cairo’s Coptic cathedral last night as security forces and local residents, some armed with handguns, launched a prolonged and unprecedented attack on the seat of Egypt’s ancient Church.

At least one person was killed and at least 84 injured as Christians inside the walled St Mark’s cathedral compound came under a frenzied assault from their assailants in the main road outside

...

Earlier, witnesses described how they were attacked by locals from Abbasiyya, the north-east Cairo neighbourhood where the cathedral is located. After being hit by rocks from the roofs of nearby buildings, the mourners were reportedly forced back into the cathedral compound.

...

The security forces positioned outside the cathedral launched volley after volley of tear gas into the compound. Some of the thousands of onlookers gathered in the road cheered as the canisters rocketed towards Christians perched on the walls overlooking the main street.

One young man, his right hand clasped around a shiny steel handgun, clambered on top of a petrol station alongside the cathedral and blasted a single round at those trapped inside. He was helped down by a friend who was also carrying a handgun, before they both jogged off through a nearby line of riot police who had been watching the young man take aim. Soon afterwards there was a flash from inside the compound as a young man stepped up on to the perimeter wall and fired a weapon towards the thousands of onlookers below.

...

Read the entire account here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/coptic-christians-under-siege-as-mob-attacks-cairo-cathedral-8563600.html

[CoptoGeek]

After the savagery at Maspero, nothing shocks me about Egypt anymore.

Bitter funeral for Khusous Copts   
Sunday 07 Apr 2013 - 08:01 PM

excerpt:
 
Once the funeral was over and the congregation began spilling out of the cathedral, they found themselves under attacked by unknown assailants who threw stones at them and hurled Molotov bottles at the cathedral. The Copts were forced to go back into the cathedral grounds and shut the gates for safety, but this was only a safety of sorts, since the assailants continued to target them with Molotovs and gunfire which they shot from the roofs of neighbouring buildings. Several climbed the top of the cathedral walls and shot at the Copts inside.

An Interior Ministry source accused the Copts of having started the violence, and said that the locals answered back in counter-violence. The Copts say this does not make sense since they had been leaving the cathedral to head to the cemetery to bury their dead, an act which they must traditionally complete before sundown.

The attack against the cathedral has been lasting for more than five hours; Coptic eyewitnesses insist they were being attacked by Muslim Brotherhood militias and hooligans. The security forces came in but, according to eyewitnesses, did nothing to disperse the attackers or to stop the attack. Instead, they fired tear gas canisters into the cathedral grounds where the terrorised Copts had taken refuge. Some 25 Copts were injured, while no injuries occurred among the attackers outside the cathedral.

In the meantime, the Copts in Khusous were again under attack. The Mar-Girgis church and the Copts who were going in and out of it were targeted with stones and gunfire. The Copts, who have lost all hope that the security forces will protect them, have been sending out frantic calls for the army to defend them

http://www.wataninet.com/watani_Article_Details.aspx?A=38821

[DuxI]

May God forgive me for saying this, but, it is time for USA and Israel again to install a puppet regime there and deal with this hooligans as needed.

May the Most Holy Mother of God protect the Christians there.

[Balthasar]

Children of Satan are waging a stealth genocide against Christians by using different tactics, hitting and running, and coming back when the foolish Christian is asleep while continuing to lead the usual hahaha, hihihi way of life with the enemies of God. How long does it take for Orthodox Christians to realize that socializing with the Muslims means energizing and empowering their own enemies.

Please stop socializing yourselves with the Muslims now!

The silence of the world is deafening!

Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalms 5: 10-12)

[Ansgar]

Children of Satan are waging a stealth genocide against Christians by using different tactics, hitting and running, and coming back when the foolish Christian is asleep while continuing to lead the usual hahaha, hihihi way of life with the enemies of God. How long does it take for Orthodox Christians to realize that socializing with the Muslims means energizing and empowering their own enemies.

Please stop socializing yourselves with the Muslims now!

The silence of the world is deafening!

Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalms 5: 10-12)

We are all angry, so I can understand your comment. However, there are two very good reasons why we should not do that.

1. That tactic has often proved to have the opposite effect.

2. Not socializing with muslims will destroy nearly all possibilities of convertion.

[minasoliman]

Children of Satan are waging a stealth genocide against Christians by using different tactics, hitting and running, and coming back when the foolish Christian is asleep while continuing to lead the usual hahaha, hihihi way of life with the enemies of God. How long does it take for Orthodox Christians to realize that socializing with the Muslims means energizing and empowering their own enemies.

Please stop socializing yourselves with the Muslims now!

The silence of the world is deafening!

Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalms 5: 10-12)

I'd rather listen to His Grace Bishop Rafael on this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIuQa7LDvjs

[CoptoGeek]

Radio Interview - Premier Christian Radio interview
HG Bishop Angaelos RE attack on Coptic Patriarchate and Grand Cathedral of St. Mark in Egypt

Marcus Jones from Premier Christian Media Group speaks to His Grace Bishop Angaelos about the attack on the Coptic patriarchate and Grand Cathedral of St Mark in Cairo that occurred on 7 April 2013. The full statement by His Grace with regards to this can be viewed online via www.CopticMediaUK.com

http://www.bishopangaelos.org/node/643

[mabsoota]

very good speech by anba raphael above.
Lord have mercy.

here is an example of the young Christians showing love:
http://news.yahoo.com/lightbox/muslims-pray-during-funeral-victims-saturdays-clashes-between-photo-203629268.html

[Balthasar]

Egypt presidential aide blames Christians for cathedral attack, sparks fury

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/10/Egypt-presidential-aide-blames-Christians-for-cathedral-attack-sparks-fury.html

These lazy donkeys (an insutlt to the poor donkey) never, ever take responsibility for their own actions, always blame them on their victims.

I like His Holiness, Pope Tawadros' statement:

„There has been no positive and clear action from the state, but there is a God. The church does not ask for anyone's protection, only from God.

Why is there no video about the mob? Watch these images:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/10/troubling-photos-suggest-some-egyptian-police-stood-by-while-mob-attacked-christian-cathedral-burned-bible/

[Salpy]

None of those who attacked the cathedral have been arrested, but it seems four of the Copts who were in the cathedral when it was attacked have been arrested.  The victim-blaming continues:

http://www.aina.org/news/20130413143455.htm

[CoptoGeek]

The Siege of Egypt's St. Mark Cathedral
An Insider's Account
by Raymond Ibrahim
April 22, 2013 at 4:00 am


"So that's what we did, thinking police would come to protect and separate the clashers. We were surprised to find that the police began to intervene and become another party to the conflict, attacking the Copts who were fighting back against the [Muslim] youth who were attacking them, and shooting gas bombs into the cathedral compound, which caused extreme poisoning, to the point that the ambulance cars were not enough to take the sick."

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3680/egypt-st-mark-cathedral

[Salpy]

Video of the attack on the cathedral:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/28/new-video-shows-egyptian-police-allowing-attack-on-coptic-cathedral/#

It's very disturbing.

[Balthasar]

Video of the attack on the cathedral:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/28/new-video-shows-egyptian-police-allowing-attack-on-coptic-cathedral/#

It's very disturbing.

Very disturbing, indeed, dear Salpy!

The US Commissionon on Religious Freedom just released its 2013 Annual Report

http://www.uscirf.gov/images/2013%20USCIRF%20Annual%20Report%20%282%29.pdf

The report on Egypt is detailed, but soft, and politically correct

A Blessed Pasha!

[Salpy]

I just read the section on Egypt, and yes, they seem to have softened their tone since last year.  Too bad.  I thought they were more independent.

[Salpy]

CAIRO (AP) -- Amnesty International has called on Egyptian authorities to release a Coptic Christian schoolteacher held for contempt of Islam.

The rights group on Friday denounced the detention of 24-year-old Dimiana Abdel-Nour, a social studies teacher in a southern village near the famed city of Luxor. She was accused by some students of allegedly showing contempt while talking about Islam in class last month.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130510200413.htm

[Salpy]

Coptic-owned businesses and pharmacies in Menbal village, Minya in northern Egypt were attacked by a mob, resulting in extensive damage and several injuries.

"The thugs attacked my shop, assaulting it with stones. Some of the contents were damaged … they destroyed a number of Coptic-owned shops and pharmacies," Michael Sobhi, a witness from the village, told Mideast Christian News.

"The Copts of the village couldn't confront the thugs, as their numbers increased. They had firearms and blades, so Copts tried to avoid fighting with them," he added.

http://www.aina.org/news/20130515191744.htm

[DuxI]

Lord have mercy! 

[Tommelomsky]

Lord have mercy!
Please Lord: make these acts and attacks stop.

Godspodi pomiluj!
Godspodi pomiluj!
Godspodi pomiluj!

[CoptoGeek]

Egyptian Christians weather ‘climate of impunity,’ says U.S. State Dept.
May 21, 2013 By Joel J. Miller

excerpt:

"Despite protests inside Egypt and advocacy abroad, the mood is decisively against Copts and other religious minorities. Journalist Rayyan Al-Shawaf speaks of widespread “anti-Coptic stereotypes among ordinary Muslims” — not just radicals — “the sort that depict Copts as treacherous manipulators of the economy, and the Coptic Orthodox Church as a sinister and disloyal institution.”

“Manipulators of the economy” is reminiscent of German stereotypes against the country’s Jewish minority in the 1930s. So is the rhetoric of imaginary power and influence. Islamists like Mohamed El-Zawahiri, brother of al-Qaeda leader Ayman El-Zawahiri, for instance, make the preposterous claim that Copts are close to “triumph” because the new government has failed to effectively institute Sharia."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/joeljmiller/2013/05/egyptian-christians-weather-climate-of-impunity/