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Egypt

• Islamists use Rumours to Attack Christians

  Tensions remain high in an Egyptian village where several thousand Muslims went on a rampage on February 12 over a false rumour that a church was holding a 14-year-old girl against her will in order to convert her back to Christianity. Sources said that between 2,000 and 5,000 hard-line Muslims, most of them from the Salafi movement, harassed Christian villagers in Meet Bahsar in the Nile Delta, attacked a church building to "save" the girl, damaged a priest's house and then destroyed his car. The girl was not in the church.

  The girl's father, an ethnic Copt who converted to Islam, had stirred the crowd up on the mistaken notions that his daughter had converted to Islam and that Christians had kidnapped her. It was unclear if the girl's father was merely mistaken about her location or if he intentionally misled villagers.

  The Salafi movement is made up of extremely conservative Muslims increasingly known for their hateful rhetoric and attacks against churches in Egypt. The Salafis have used rumours of kidnappings or relationships between Christians and Muslims to incite other attacks against Christians.

  Please pray the Lord will use those in authority to protect Christians in Egypt. Ask the Lord to strengthen the faith of believers during this time of unrest in Egypt. Pray that Egyptian believers will rejoice in the opportunity to grow in Christlikeness through the ongoing opposition they face (James 1:2-4). Pray that the Spirit will move in the hearts of this girl and her father.

  For more on persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

• Christian teenager abducted

  Amira Gamal Saber, a 16-year-old Egyptian Christian, was abducted in early December 2011 from Saft-el-Khamar village, Minya Province. The head of security in Minya confirmed her kidnapping but failed to act. A few weeks later, a man phoned Amira's family demanding a ransom. The family travelled to Giza with the ransom money, but once they arrived they were directed to the police station and informed that government prosecutors were handling the case. In court, a prosecutor backed by 12 lawyers told Amira's parents that their daughter wanted to convert to Islam. He ruled therefore, that Amira be sent to a state-run care facility in Giza until she turns 18 and may legally profess Islam for herself. Her father is appealing to the Attorney General.

  Please pray the Lord will intervene in Amira's situation. Ask Him to give her and her family the strength to endure this current hardship. Pray for all believers in Egypt; may they keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in their faith, and not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1-3).

  To learn more about the suffering of believers in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

• Update: One year later, no answers to church bombing

  Survivors of the Saints Church’s bombing in Alexandria examine bodies of victims. Photo from Watani

  Just over a year ago, Amira Maurice was attending a New Year's Eve Mass in the Saints Church in Egypt's Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria with her fiancé, their marriage set for only a few months away. Then a bomb blast ripped through the church. Now, the 28-year-old pharmacist is in Germany undergoing the latest in a string of surgeries to save her leg and deal with her burns. Her fiancé is dead, one of the 21 people killed in the suicide bombing targeting the church (for more on the attack, click here).

  The one year anniversary of the bombing of the Saints Church in Alexandria has passed with no new insights to the case. Named as Egypt's most dramatic anti-Christian attack, the bombing killed 21 people and wounded many more. While a few suspects were detained, they have since been released and no other inroads have been made in the investigation.

  Pray for those who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones. Pray for the wounded who continue to heal from the attack. Pray that the perpetrators will be located and that the authorities will justly investigate the event. Pray that religious freedom will be respected in Egypt.

  For more on the trials believers face in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

• Update: Religious identification of two boys restored to Christianity

  Mario and Andrew’s religious identifications were restored to Christianity. Photo: Compass Direct News

  A positive development has ended a long running case concerning twin boys in Egypt. Mario and Andrew's religious registration was changed to "Muslim" by their father when he converted to Islam and divorced their mother, Kamilia. Although Kamilia won a custody battle in 2009, a court ruled in 2010 that the twins' religious registration should remain "Muslim." Kamilia later submitted an appeal (for more information, click here).

  The twins have now been issued with new identity cards that state their religious registration as "Christian." This was made possible because of a Supreme Administrative Court ruling in July that explicitly overrode all previous rulings. The court ruling applies to any who were originally registered as "Christian," but whose registration was subsequently changed to "Muslim," whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

  One implication of having these amended identity cards is that the twins should now be ‘treated as Christians within the education system. In 2008 they were held back for a school year after refusing to take an end-of-year examination for an Islamic class. They should now be exempt from those classes.

  Thank the Lord for this positive development! Pray that the twins' education will be uninterrupted. Pray that the numerous other Christians in similar positions will quickly and efficiently receive identity cards stating their religious registration as "Christian." Pray for religious freedom in Egypt.

  For more information on the trials Egyptian believers face, please visit the Egypt Country Report.

• Thousands of Christians gather to pray for country

  Tens of thousands of Christians recently gathered for prayer in Egypt. Photo: Dr. Wafik Wahba

  On November 11, an estimated 70,000 Christians gathered for worship and prayer at St. Simon Church (also called the Cave church) in Cairo, Egypt, while millions more around the globe watched the live broadcast on TV and the Internet. From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning, Christians from varying denominations focused their prayers on repenting, forgiving, and dedicating themselves to live consecrated lives.

  The prayer event, the largest of its kind in Egypt's modern history, comes during a tumultuous time for the country. In February, the former president was forced out of office and Egyptians have since faced continuing chaos, brutality, and frustration. The culmination of this sense of despair reached an unprecedented level on October 9, when at least 26 people were killed and hundreds more were injured when army personnel attacked a large gathering of predominately Christian protestors (for more, click here).

  Elections for the next house of parliament are set to begin on November 28. The elected parliament will be entrusted with the task of drafting a new constitution and establishing a new government. There are currently 25 parties competing for the nearly 500 seats in parliament, contributing to the complexity of Egypt's election process. These parties vary from Islamic fundamentalists to Marxists. Christians and Muslims alike worry that their dreams of a free and democratic country that respects religious freedom will be undermined by Islamic extremism.

  Despite the unrest and uncertainty, Christians in Egypt are looking to the Lord for protection and guidance. A prayer movement has been growing for the past few years and is now spreading to churches across the country.

  Pray that Christians in Egypt will place their hope and trust in Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Ask the Lord to bless and protect His children in Egypt. Pray for continued unity among believers. Pray for peaceful and just elections.

  To learn more about persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

• Coptic student murdered by classmates for wearing a cross

  Ayman Nabil Labib Photo: Assist News

  Seventeen-year-old Ayman Nabil Labib was murdered following a classroom altercation in Mallawi, Minya province, on October 16. Although Egyptian media reported the incident as non-sectarian, his parents reported that their son was murdered "in cold blood because he refused to take off his crucifix as ordered by his Muslim teacher." Ayman also had a cross tattooed on his wrist, as per the Coptic tradition, as well as another cross which he wore under his clothes. According to witnesses, he was told to cover up his cross tattoo, but refused and defiantly exposed the second cross he wore under his shirt.

  While official sources reported that Ayman was beaten up in the school yard, in reality he was severely beaten in the classroom in the presence of the teacher, who allegedly attempted to choke him. Ayman was then followed as he fled to the washroom, where the attack continued. He was still breathing when a supervisor took him to his room, but was dead an hour later when an ambulance transported his body.

  Two Muslim students were detained in connection with the murder. However, there are grave concerns that local officials may be "hiding" the evidence and trying to influence witnesses, claiming that the attack took place as a result of friction between students. Meanwhile the governor of Minya has suspended the school's headmaster, two supervisors, and two social workers who were on duty when Ayman was killed. Since then, all five have reportedly disappeared.

  Please pray the Lord will comfort this family and the entire Coptic community over this most recent tragedy. Please pray the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Pray that the Lord will use this difficult situation to spread His goodness and grace throughout Egypt.

  Go to the Egypt Country Report for more details on the persecuted Church in Egypt.

• Christians in mourning after massacre

  Hundreds were wounded in the military attack on Christians protesting a church burning, besides 26 who were killed. Photo: Compass Direct News

  Funeral services were held on October 10 in Cairo for some of the victims of a military attack against a group of Christian protestors that left at least 26 dead and hundreds wounded. The attack began in the late afternoon on October 9, when Christian protestors marching through Cairo began getting pelted with rocks and other projectiles near an overpass that cuts through the downtown. By the time the protestors were able to make it to a television and radio broadcasting building commonly known as the Maspero Building, the army began shooting into the crowd and ramming riot-control vehicles into the protestors. Later in the evening there were reports of sporadic violence against Christian-owned businesses and fighting close to the Coptic Hospital, where most of the bodies of the dead and wounded had been brought.

  In the wake of what could be the worst act of violence against Egyptian Christians in modern history, leaders of the Coptic Orthodox Church called for three days of fasting and prayer for divine intervention, along with three days of mourning. Coptic Christians, once a majority in Egypt, now make up 7 to 10 per cent of the country's 80 million people.

  Please pray for rest, peace and justice in Egypt. Pray for the leaders of this nation; ask the Lord to give them wisdom. Pray God will minister to those who are mourning and give those who are victims of violence the grace to forgive their attackers. Ask the Lord to protect and strengthen His Church in Egypt.

  For more information on the persecuted Church in Egypt, please visit the Egypt Country Report.

• Muslim extremists destroy church building, homes

  Egyptian church buildings are being attacked. Pray for the believers!

  A group of hard-line Muslims attacked a church building in Upper Egypt on September 30, torching the structure and then looting and burning nearby Christian-owned homes and businesses. The 3,000-strong mob of Muslims gutted the Mar Gerges Church in the village of Elmarenab in Aswan province, then demolished much of its remains, multiple witnesses at the scene said. The mob also razed four homes near the church and two businesses, all Christian-owned. Looting was also reported.

  The Mar Gerges burning is the third church in Egypt in seven months to be burned down by a mob. No casualties have yet been reported in the attack. The tension in Elmarenab started the last week of August, when Muslim extremists voiced anger over renovations taking place at the church. They also opposed any Christian symbols that could be seen from the outside. To force the Christians to acquiesce to their demands, the Muslim extremists blockaded the entrance to the church and threatened believers on the streets, in effect making them hostages in their own homes.

  Please pray the government will do all they can to protect Christians from this kind of violence. Pray the Christians will not lose heart but continue to take every opportunity to meet together to worship the Lord and provide encouragement to one another. May the Lord use the conduct of Egyptian Christians to act as a witness for the gospel.

  For more information on persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

• Christian killed, others injured in mob attack

  A Christian was killed and several others were injured by a mob of Muslims who recently attacked the predominantly Christian village of Nazlet Faragallah in Al-Minya, Upper Egypt. The attack was reportedly sparked by an August 6 argument between a Muslim man and a Coptic Christian woman. The nature of the argument could not be confirmed, but several Christian men allegedly came to the aid of the woman, ending the dispute. Several hours later, a group of Muslims arrived at the village church and started pelting congregants with rocks as they left the building. The Christians responded in kind. Several people suffered cuts and bruises, and some of the windows of the church building were broken.

  The next day, Muslims armed with long swords and guns then rampaged through the community, looting and burning several homes and businesses belonging to Christians. At least eight homes were torched to the ground. A Christian farmer, Maher Nassif (46), was killed when he tried to defend his home. The men then looted the home and stole Maher's livestock as his teenage son, who witnessed the attack, escaped into the night. The violence raged on until the next morning.

  According to villagers, tension between Muslims and Christians has intensified in the country since the revolution earlier this year. One local Christian blamed worsened relations on the increased radicalization of certain Muslims in Egypt who want to "complete their faith by killing Christians."

  Pray that the Christians in this region will not be ruled by fear but trust in Christ (1 Peter 3:14-15). Pray that those who mourn for Maher will find comfort in the fact that Christ has triumphed over death and that those who die in the Lord will be raised with Him (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Ask God to equip Egyptian Christians to demonstrate His peace and grace, even to those who target them for their faith.

  For more on the trials facing Christians in Egypt, visit the Egypt Country Report.

• Muslim mob besieges church

  Thousands of Muslims protested the reopening of the St. Mary and St. Abraham Church in the Cairo neighbourhood of Ain Shams on May 19. The church was forced to close in 2008 because of severe protests occurring against Christians. When the church attempted to reopen, the priests were met with the same protests and violence. Muslims are protesting the church's dome and cross, which reportedly violate the Muslim custom of "dhimmitude." The custom considers displays of faith by religious minorities to be intolerable. Eight Coptic Christians were arrested and charged with rioting and violence, three of whom have been sentenced to five years in prison for firearms and weapons possession. Although these three maintain that the evidence was planted, their criminal charges remain. Conversely, the three Muslims arrested during the riots were released.

  Pray for justice for the imprisoned Christians. Ask the Lord to strengthen the faith of the believers in the community and pray they will exemplify the love of God through consistent love and prayer for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:43-48).

  Read more about the persecution of Egyptian Christians at the Egypt Country Report.