One Saint
  • Home
  • Jesus Said
    • Matthew
    • Mark
    • Luke
    • John
    • Acts
    • I Corinthians
    • II Corinthians
    • Revelation
  • One Saint Blogs
    • Eschatology
    • Annie
    • All Saints
    • One Saint
    • David
    • Askakido
  • The Persecuted Church
    • Prayer
    • Crown of Life
  • Library
  • MP3s
    • Mystery Babylon
    • Pastors, Ministers and Priests
    • Run from the Devil
    • Miscellaneous Teachings
  • Music
    • Music of Heaven
    • Handel's Messiah
    • Miscellaneous Music >
      • Musical Library XXIII
      • Musical Library XXII
      • Musical Library XXI
      • Musical Library XX
      • Musical Library XIX
      • Musical Library XVIII
      • Musical Library XVII
      • Musical Library XVI
      • Musical Library XV
      • Musical Library XIV
      • Musical Library XIII
      • Musical Library XII
      • Musical Library XI
      • Musical Library X
      • Musical Library IX
      • Musical Library VIII
      • Musical Library VII
      • Musical Library VI
      • Musical Library V
      • Musical Library IV
      • Musical Library III
      • Musical Library II
      • Musical Library I
  • Video
    • Acts Of The Apostles
    • Albert Einstein On God
    • Ancient Aliens Debunked
    • DR S M Lockridge, Full Sermon
    • Enoch
    • Genesis
    • Gospel Of John
    • Gospel Of Luke
    • Gospel Of Matthew
    • Greatest Biblical Archaeological Discoveries Of All Time
    • Heroic Men Of The Bible: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob And Joseph
    • Isaiah
    • Jeremiah
    • King David
    • King Solomon
    • Leonard Ravenhill
    • One Saint
    • Paul, The Apostle
    • Rabbi Jonathan Cahn
    • Revelation, The Book
    • Revelation, The Movie
    • Roger Morneau
    • Ruth
    • Secrets In Plain Sight
    • Sermon On The Mount
    • That's My King!
    • The Bride, The Beast & Babylon
    • The Cross And The Switchblade
    • The Jesus Movie
    • The New Age, The Enemy Of Christ Exposed
  • Links

The Egyptian Church is the Target

12/17/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture

 









The Egyptian Church is the Target
Regular Attacks Continue on Egyptian Churches
 
Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East with ICC's Egypt Representative
 
Washington, D.C.
December 14, 2013


An increasingly vulnerable Egyptian Church continues to serve as a convenient target for pro-Morsi supporters to vent their rage as tensions in the country show no sign of abating following the Muslim Brotherhood's removal from power in July.  Islamist crowds coalesce weekly in front of one of the major churches in the Cairo suburbs following Friday prayers, leaving behind scrawls of anti-Christian graffiti, vandalism, and threats of violence.

Even more worrisome, however, is the continuation of shooting attacks carried out by gunmen on motorcycles. For the Christian community in the greater Cairo area, these assaults are a painful reminder of the devastating October terrorist attack on a wedding service at the Church of St. Mary and St. Michael in a suburb of Cairo in which five were killed and nearly twenty were wounded.

St. Mary's Church, located in al Zeitoun, a northern suburb of Cairo about 30 km from the scene of the October shooting, has served as the focal point for the anger of pro-Morsi supporters in the area. In a scene which has now been repeated for six consecutive Fridays, worshippers emerge from the nearby Aziz Bellah Mosque and descend on the church, spray-painting curses and threats like "Here is the place of pigs and slaves," "This is the church of whores," and "Egypt is an Islamic country, and will be soon." Moreover, on November 22, following an attack in which gunmen opened fire on the church, some Christian youth chose to attempt to prevent the vandalism and were attacked as government security forces looked on. 

Fady Ramzy, a member of St. Mary's, told International Christian Concern (ICC), "Every Friday after their departure from the front of the Church we have to paint all the walls of the church to erase their phrases, and that takes a great effort from all of us." He went on to describe the danger they face in trying to protect themselves. "Some of us have been injured during our intervention to prevent them from vandalizing our Church. How long will we suffer from these attacks on our Churches?" 
 
An attack on November 19 in Kafr, west of Cairo, seems to be a continuation of an increasing number of motorcycle attacks. Two Islamist gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on the Church of St. Abu Abu Seifein. The shooters wounded two of the security forces. Fr. Kerolos, the priest of St. Abu Abu Seifein, told ICC, "I was at my home when the church was shot at. The Christian guard who was staying inside the Church called me and told me that two gunmen on a motorcycle shot at the main door of the Church and at the security forces who were guarding the Church and then fled." Arrested the following day, the attackers were revealed to be members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who have come to see the Egyptian Church as the main reason for their removal from power.  

An attack in late October at St. Mary Ardel Sherka Church in the suburbs north of Cairo is an example of what the Egpytian Christian community considers to be an increasing boldness on the part of those who are seeking to intimidate them. Two Muslim men on a motorcycle attacked and robbed a Christian journalist named Hanan Fekry in the front the church. As she was pleading for help from passers-by, one of the attackers pointed a pistol at her face before fleeing. 

"These attacks against Christians and kidnappings aren't something new in Egypt, these were taking place in the past also, in the days of Mubarak and before that," Tony Sabry, spokesman for the Maspero Youth Union told ICC. "But the attacks against Christians and kidnappings have increased since the 2011 Revolution, even more during the days of Morsi, and especially now after the ousting of Morsi," Sabry continued. 

The inability or the unwillingness of the Egyptian security forces to protect the Christian community from these attacks is disturbing. Some activists believe that the attacks are part of an intentional plan targeting the Church and questioning the legitimacy of the current government. 

Romany Michelle, a Christian activist, told ICC of plans to attack churches and maps designating churches as targets that have been seized by the government during raids on terrorist elements in the Sinai and Gaza areas. "The motive of this scheme," Michelle told ICC, "is to put the current government in a critical situation and prove its failure in protecting the Copts and their houses of worship in front of the international community." This plan targets the Christians as collateral damage as these Islamist groups attempt to wrestle back political power from the military and more secular Egyptian leaders.

The negotiation process to establish a new, more inclusive political order that protects the rights of its citizens is seeing some success, though there is a long road ahead. In the meantime, the country's leaders must ensure, as a first priority, the physical protection of its citizens, especially the Christian community.

For interviews, contact Todd Daniels, Regional Manager for the Middle East: RM-ME@persecution.org
 
# # #

You are free to disseminate this news story. We request that you reference ICC (International Christian Concern) and include our web address, www.persecution.org. ICC is a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization that exists to help persecuted Christians worldwide. ICC provides Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance to the worldwide persecuted Church.  For additional information or for an interview, contact ICC at 800-422-5441.

International Christian Concern

2020 Pennsylvania Ave. NW #241
Washington, D.C. 20006
www.persecution.org  |  E-mail: icc@persecution.org

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    Crown of Life Blog

    Picture
    The Martyrdom of ST Stephen, Pietro da Cortona, 1660

    News and Information about
    Persecuted Christians from all around the
    World

    Persecuted saints benefit most from your heartfelt and earnest prayer.

    Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;
    for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him
    .
    James 1:12

    'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the
    devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so
    that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
    Revelation 2:10

    New American Standard Bible 
    (NASB)

    Copyright © 
    1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
    1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
    by
    The Lockman Foundation


    Picture

    HOW TO READ A PERSECUTION NEWS STORY

    Trials make the promise sweet;
    Trials give new life to prayer;
    Trials bring me to His feet,
    Lay me low, and keep me there.


    "God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and subjecting them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many long miles with heavy backpacks of sorrow. Well, Christian, may this not account for the troubles through which you are passing? Is the Lord bringing out your graces and making them grow? Is it for this reason He contends with you?"

    Read Why Do I Face Trials?,
    by Alistair Begg, Truth for Life Daily, at One Place

    Christian persecution is just a phenomenon in the
    Middle East.

    Christians aren’t greatly
    impacted by persecution.

    Whatever persecution there is, the damage is superficial - more a loss of multicultural diversity than anything else.

    Christians supposedly bring persecution upon themselves by proselytizing.

    Persecution couldn’t
    happen here.

    Please read 5 Myths about Persecution of Christians, by
    Kristin Wright, at Religion Today.


    Share



    email the webmaster

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    January 2018
    November 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012