Egyptian Christians and their property were attacked twice last week in the town of Isna, located about 560 kilometres south of Cairo. At least thirteen Christian-owned shops were vandalized or burned and a church building was damaged. Fifteen Muslims were arrested for their participation in the riots but seven suspects who were believed to be the main culprits were released two days later.
The riots were the result of increasing tension in the community between the Coptic and Muslim residents. Last Wednesday (December 12) local Muslims rioted after reports circulated that some local Christian young men had raped a teen-aged Muslim girl. The rioters hurled stones and smashed windows of a pharmacy where they suspected the Copts had forced the girl to have sex with them. Sunday's rioting followed reports that two Coptic Christians had pulled down the veil of a Muslim woman in a car park the previous evening.
Glenn Penner, Chief Executive Officer for The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada noted that the release of the main culprits is hardly surprising. "It is really quite rare in situations like this when they take place in Egypt that any Muslim is ever convicted and punished. There is a system of justice for Christians and a far more lenient one for Muslims. Make no mistake, though. If it can be shown that there was wrongdoing done here by Christians, it is right that they be punished to the full extent of the law. But it should go both ways. Nevertheless, innocent people should not have to suffer loss and live in fear for their safety simply because of their identity as Christians (regardless of any wrongdoing by their fellow co-religionists) and watch their attackers go free without repercussions. This is exactly why these religious tensions continue in Egypt."
Pray that those responsible for this violence will be held accountable and that justice will be fairly distributed. Pray for those who must now rebuild their businesses in the wake of this violence.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.
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