Scripture passage and dates
taken as evidence in the case
against three Christians.
Photo: Morning Star News
The case against three Christians who were arrested last summer in Alexandria has been dismissed after an appeal was made by their lawyer. The young men, one of them a minor, were accused of blasphemy during an evangelistic outreach. All three were being investigated, pending possible charges of "showing disdain to a heavenly religion" under a statute that in every way -- except for its official title -- constitutes a blasphemy law. Thankfully, the Attorney General of Alexandria dismissed the case on February 2nd, although the ruling was not officially issued until the 24th.
Osama (Fawzi) Ibrahim, 16, was arrested for handing out small bags of dates to passersby on the streets of Alexandria. In addition to the fruit, each bag contained a statement about God's love, as well as the name of an Arabic-language website providing information about Jesus and the Christian faith. When friends Stephen Boutros Fayed, 21, and Shady Saeed, 20, went to the police station where Osama was being held, they were also arrested. Despite there being no evidence that the young people were handing out the bags together, police held all three of them in jail. An initial report on their arrest can be found here.
During this Easter season, let us give praise to God who came "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" (Isaiah 61:1b). This includes His intervention in the lives of these three young Christian men. Pray that they will not be deterred by this incident, but rather spurred on to continue sharing the good news of the Gospel. May all those in their sphere of influence be likewise encouraged to fan into flame the gift of God within them (2 Timothy 1:6), holding out the Word of Life to those who so desperately need it -- resulting in a plentiful harvest of spiritual fruit for God's glorious Kingdom.
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