The recent violence in Egypt is being portrayed in American media as a conflict between good and evil, between the leaders of a military coup and the followers of the ousted democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood. The following reports compiled by Tom Davis in his newsletter, "Today's Martyrs" indicate that there is more going on in Egypt than meets our eyes.
Egypt
Fr Rafik Greich (Church spokesman, UPDATE: described how the Muslim Brotherhood has attacked at least 22 churches and church schools within the last few hours, and how the international media is not reporting the attacks)
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Cairo
Source: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Egypt,-Muslim-Brotherhood-assaults-22-Christian-churches-28745.html
Samuel Tadros (Research Fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said that the Islamist attacks on more than 50 churches - with at least 20 destroyed - appears to be the single worst day of violence in the country against Christians since the 14th century)
Date: August 16, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Dr Terence Ascott (CEO Christian Satellite Television, signed a letter stating he was "appalled" at the BBC and other western news media portrayal of the Muslim Brotherhood as the victims in the current conflict)
Ramez Atallah (General Secretary for The Bible Society of Egypt, signed a letter stating he was "appalled" at the BBC and other western news media portrayal of the Muslim Brotherhood as the victims in the current conflict)
Pastor Fayez Ishaq (Kasr El Dubarrah Evangelical Church, signed a letter stating he was "appalled" at the BBC and other western news media portrayal of the Muslim Brotherhood as the victims in the current conflict)
Date: August 16, 2013
Farid Garas (Executive Director Christian Satellite Television, said "Many church leaders have made statements stressing that church buildings don't make the church but the church is the body of Christ made of people and their faith in him, and that is getting stronger facing these challenges...Some Muslims have gone to protect churches, and alot of Christians are sending messages to their fellow Muslim citizens saying, 'Buildings can be rebuilt again, but you are priceless, so stay safe, and don't worry about the churches'...It seems like we are experiencing a pruning process of the living body of Egypt. It sure hurts, but it is important and we are sure we will see the fruit of freedom, and we trust the Creator who is in control")
Date: August 15, 2013
Rev Ehab Ayoub (automobile destroyed)
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Suez
Milad Ebeed (grocer, abducted, parents and brother shot, released after ransom paid)
Sadek Ebeed (father of Milad Ebeed, shot dead, wife and another son shot and seriously wounded)
Date: August 6, 2013
Location: Souhag
Nevine Kamal (aged 40, pharmacist, mother of two teens, said "We had never experienced the kind of persecution we suffer now. We are insulted every day")
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Assiut
Mitri Shawqi Mitri (aged 53, shopkeeper, son abducted, said "We are living in a state of constant terror, but we see nothing from the police or the army. Everything has stopped for us, there is no work, all the churches have closed, the priests have fled")
Mina (son of Mitri Shawqi Mitri, abducted)
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Sinai
Shenouda El Sayeh (described the arson and looting of the Virgin Mary Church)
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Hafr Hakim, Giza
Wael Ibrahim (Egyptian Bible Society, said “I watched from afar, and I saw the Muslim Brotherhood people divide up into teams of 10 to attack anyone who approached the store. I eventually left and I called the police because it was all I could do. I left, and half an hour later I got a call, and someone told me the Bible Society was on fire, so I quickly went back. But I couldn’t get close enough to defend the place. They didn’t just attack the store, they attacked the café and every store on the street that had any connection with Christians – they destroyed so many stores. All the books were burned. There is nothing left”)
Pastor Nasralla Salib (along with his wife was the victim of an abduction attempt by the Muslim brotherhood, rescued by Muslim neighbors)
Date: August 14, 2013
Location: Assuit
Iskander Rizk Allah (killed)
Date reported: August 14, 2013
Location: Delga, Minya province
Rami Zakria (shot to death)
Date reported: August 14, 2013
Location: Alexandria
Mina Thabet (spokesman of the Maspero Students Union, said that Copts were angry because they believed the world has abandoned them)
Date: August 14, 2013
Bishop Kyrillos William Samaan (UPDATE: said "The Islamists are taking revenge on us Christians")
Date: August 12, 2013
Location: Assuit
Source [with photo]: http://members4.boardhost.com/acnaus/msg/1376523036.html
Egypt
Girgis Waheeb (activist, reported that Christians and moderate Muslims joined en masse to protect two local monasteries from looters)
Sr Manal (aged 47, principal of a Franciscan school that was looted and burned, said "We are nuns. We rely on God and the angels to protect us...At the end, they paraded us like prisoners of war and hurled abuse at us as they led us from one alley to another without telling us where they were taking us", rescued by a Muslim former teacher)
Wardah (sister of Bedour, Franciscan school employee, beaten and sexually assaulted while escaping from the burning Franciscan school)
Bedour (sister of Wardah, Franciscan school employee, beaten and sexually assaulted while escaping from the burning Franciscan school)
Fr Boulos Fahmy (said after the burning of the nearby Franciscan school "I am terrified and unable to focus. I am expecting an attack on my church any time now")
Date reported: August 18, 2013
Location: Bani Suef
Bishoy Alfons Naguib (aged 33, home supplies store burned, threatened with stabbing)
Ezzat Ibrahim Izzat (activist; UPDATE: said that police have disappeared from seven of the nine districts in the local region)
Date reported: August 18, 2013
Location: Minya
Bishop Ibram (described how five churches were looted and burned: "The looters were so diligent that they came back to one of the five churches they had ransacked to see if they can get more. They were loading our chairs and benches on trucks and when they had no space for more, they destroyed them")
Date reported: August 18, 2013
Location: Fayoum
Pope Twardos II (UPDATE: wrote that "the side of Egyptian law, the armed forces and all the Egyptian civil institutions when it comes to confronting violent armed organizations and terrorizing forces, either within the country or from abroad...The attacks on government buildings and peaceful churches terrorize everyone, whether they be Copts or Muslims. These actions go against any religion, any moral code and any sense of humanity")
Date: August 17, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment