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Egypt On the Cross
Orphans remember their martyred father in a meeting with ICC staff
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INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
Families respond to the martyrdom of the twenty-one young men in Libya.
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INTERNATIO NAL CHRIST IAN CO N CERN
MAY 2015
President’s Letter
Two rows of men walked the shore of the sea, On a day when the world’s tears would run free, One a row of assassins, who thought they did right, The other of innocents, true sons of the light, One row stood steady, pall-bearers of death, The other knelt ready, welcoming heaven’s breath, A Question …
This snippet from George Shady’s poem (full poem on the next page) so perfectly lays out the spiritual battle that is expressed on earth and finds its center in the Middle East and Egypt.
Jeff King, President International Christian Concern
Hell’s forces have broken through the front lines and captured huge swathes of territory. The old order lies in ruins. The ground smolders and is stained in blood. As we survey the battlefield and look to Egypt, we find so much cause for hope in the future and yet we still despair in the present. In Egypt, after scheming and maneuvering for 70 years, the Muslim Brotherhood gained power. They immediately began to flesh out their plans to turn Egypt into a radical Islamic State. They installed their Islamic radicals into the judicial and legislative branches of government and went after the Press as well. The good news? The Islamic populace quickly threw them out on the street. The Islamic world is getting wiser and doesn’t want to be ruled by radicals. They look to Iran and want no part of life under the Mullahs. Egypt’s new president has made some unprecedented statements and political moves in support of Christians. The bad news is that Egypt sill terribly persecutes its Christian population and they are leaving in droves. So while the battle rages, please join us as we fight with and for them, as we bandage them and help those that stay to build His Church. As always, your donations will be used efficiently, effectively, and ethically. I promise! Jeff King
President, International Christian Concern www.persecution.org
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“Two Rows” A poem by Dr. Shady George in response to the brutal execution of 21 Egyptian Christians by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Libya in February 2015.
Two rows of men walked the shore of the sea, On a day when the world’s tears would run free, One a row of assassins, who thought they did right, The other of innocents, true sons of the light, One holding knives in hands held high, The other with hands empty, defenseless and tied, One row of slits to conceal glaring-dead eyes, The other with living eyes raised to the skies, One row stood steady, pall-bearers of death, The other knelt ready, welcoming heaven’s breath, One row spewed wretched, contemptible threats, The other spread God-given peace and rest. A Question … Who fears the other? The row in orange, watching paradise open? Or the row in black, with minds evil and broken?
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Romany Aziz
The brother of Mina Fayez Aziz, one of the 21 Coptic Christians martyred in Libya, shared this photo of his brother with ICC during a meeting with the martyrs’ families in Egypt. Photo: ICC
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To the Nation of the Cross
Remembering the 21 Martyrs “We thank God that he kept the faith.” — Mother of Milad “He kept the faith and was martyred for the Name of Jesus Christ. His faith was very strong. I’m proud of him.” — Wife of Malak “I was very comforted when I watched them crying the name of Jesus Christ during their execution. I’m very proud of my two brothers and their strong faith.” — Brother of Bishoy and Samuel
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art of ICC’s recent trip to Egypt was spent meeting with the family members of the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were beheaded on the beach in Libya. Testimonies like those above were echoed by all as we talked with one heartbroken family member after another. While the massive heartache from losing a son, husband or brother in the most horrific way was plainly evident, there was at the same time an incredible sense of peace in the air, and praise to God flowed from the lips and hearts of the families during our visit.
“A Message Signed With Blood to the Nation of the Cross” On February 15, social media accounts linked with the Islamic jihadists known as ISIS (also ISIL, or Islamic State) released a highly produced video showing the brutal execution of 21 Christians, 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians and one believed to be from Ghana, along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in northern Libya. The video confirmed the threats that had been made in the seventh issue of the ISIS propaganda magazine, Dabiq, that linked the abduction and execution of these Egyptian 6
Christians with a 2010 bombing of a church in Baghdad in response to perceived mistreatment of Egyptian converts to Islam. The 20 Egyptians had traveled to Libya to work in the country’s construction industry, something thousands of Egyptian men have done to be able to support their family in Upper Egypt, where there are few jobs available to Christians. On December 30, 2014, seven of the men were on a microbus attempting to return to Egypt when it was stopped near Sirte, Libya. The militants took only the seven Christians from the bus and allowed the others to leave. Then, in the morning hours of January 3, an estimated 15 militants raided a housing complex of foreign workers and went door to door searching for Christians. They found and abducted another 13 Coptic Christians.
‘We will conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission, the promise of our prophet.’ PERSECU ION.org
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The video closes with one of the jihadists stating, “We will conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission, the promise of our prophet.” ISIS has as its goal not only the control of land in Iraq and Syria, but to destroy those “who’ve carried the cross.” They are targeting Christians not only in the Middle East, but around the world.
Help After the Massacre, Where Was the Help Before? In the hours and days following the execution of the 21, help poured in from around the world. Churches were moved to respond, fundraising campaigns were launched and pledges were made by government leaders to care for the families of these men — for the very same widows and orphans we met with — to build churches in their honor. While these efforts are part of a noble and needed response, they are only reactive to the much larger problems facing Christians in Egypt. It is not just poverty that forced these men to leave their homes, but the persecution (including job discrimination) that is rampant in their own country. In Egypt, Christians are not being murdered on highly produced films, but they are being gunned down in the streets. To prevent other martyrdoms like those of the 21, changes have to start in Egypt and must confront the hostilities directed at “the nation of the cross.”
MAY 2015
Many Egyptians Approve of Slaughter The day the video of the 21 was released, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called an urgent meeting of the National Defense Council. The next day, a week-long period of mourning was declared, and Egypt launched a series of airstrikes on ISIS targets in Libya. The country was shocked by the brutality of Islamic extremists who would take the lives of Christians simply because of their faith. This reaction caused some leaders to point out that Egypt harbors its own Islamic extremists who hold an ideology that permits them to murder those outside their own faith. “In Egypt, we have millions of Egyptian DAESH (Arabic acronym for ISIS) who, though dressed in a suit and tie, are waiting for their signal or opportunity to act on their own beliefs,” said Khaled Montaser, an Egyptian writer. This is something Egyptians are starting to wake up to following a year under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, elected in 2012 with over 13 million votes. In 2014, 75 percent of Egyptians told the Pew Forum they were concerned about Islamic extremism in their country, up from 69 percent in 2013 and 61 percent in 2010. The roots of Islamic extremism run deep in the country. “The beginning of the solution is that the ideology of DAESH is an external belief, not an internal ideology,” Montaser said. Changing this will require massive changes in the mindset of Egypt’s religious and political leaders, as well as those on the street. The rhetoric from Islamic teachers, the textbooks used in schools and popular culture have all planted the seeds that say it is permissible, even praise-worthy, to persecute the khafir (non-believers). It is not a far step from there to holding a knife on a beach in Libya. Until Egypt deals with its own extremism, Christians will continue to be attacked and assaulted by Islamic extremists in their own lands, as well as at the hands of ISIS.
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Families Share the Stories of t
Samuel Alham Wilson
Malak Ibrahim Sinweet
Loka Nagaty Anees
28 | Married | Father of Three
26 | Married | Father of One
27 | Married | Father of One
amuel was one of the twelve men who traveled from Al-Our village in Upper Egypt to find work in Libya. Al-Our is a rural village in Egypt where many Christians are unable to find work. The opportunity provided in Libya was one of the few options Samuel had in order to care for his family. The entire village was affected by this tragedy, but Samuel’s mother shared with ICC the incredible grace that she has found since her son’s death. “I thank God for choosing my son to be with Him in heaven, and for being one of the martyrs for Jesus Christ,” she said. In one of the most remarkable statements we have heard, Samuel’s mother added that she and her family were praying for ISIS — the very men who brutally executed her son. Samuel’s wife, Antsal, said, “God has put comfort and grace in our hearts.”
alak is with Jesus now. He kept the faith and was martyred for the name of Christ. His faith was very strong. I’m proud of him,” said Mariam, the wife of Malak Ibrahim Sinweet. Malak, from the Al-Our village in Upper Egypt, had started working as a young man and was never able to complete his education. In 2011, Malak traveled to Libya for the first time in order to find work. Malak returned to Egypt a few times after that, and a year later married a girl named Mariam. Shortly thereafter, Malak became a father when his wife gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. In June 2014, driven to provide for his wife and now 2-year-old son, Malak traveled back to Libya to work again as a builder. It was then that he was abducted and ultimately martyred. Asked about her husband’s faith, Mariam said, “I hope that the faith of my son will be like the faith of his father.”
oka was never able to meet his daughter Mariam, his first and only child. In 2012, Loka had traveled to work as a painter in Libya, where he stayed for a year to save money so that he could start a family. He returned to Al-Gebaly, Egypt, in May 2013 and was married the next month. By October 2013, his wife was expecting their first child, and Loka made the decision to return to work in Libya to support their growing family. His daughter, Mariam, was born in March 2014. The situation continued to deteriorate as Muslim extremists controlled more land and made travel back to Egypt extremely dangerous. On December 30, 2014, Loka decided to take the risk to see his daughter for the first time. He boarded a minibus in Sirte, Libya, but the bus was stopped by Islamic militants before it made it back to Egypt. Loka never made it home to meet his little girl.
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MAY 2015
f their Martyred Loved Ones
Bishoy and Samuel Kamel
Kirollos Mina Fayez Boushra Fawzy Aziz
28 and 24 | Single
23 | Single
24 | Single
irollos was just a teenager when he traveled to Libya for the first time in 2010. As the oldest of six children, he was the primary source of income for his family. The income from his construction job was vital if his younger siblings were to have an opportunity to get an education. Despite their pain, Kirollos’ family said they were strengthened and inspired by his faith. “I loved my brother when he was alive on earth, but now I love him even more than before because he died for his faith,” said Neven, Kirollos’ sister. “He said ‘Jesus’ in his last moment. His faith was very strong. I’m proud of him.” Kirollos’ uncle, Fr. Philemon, told ICC, “The news of executing our sons was very painful for us, but God has strengthened us. They kept the faith until the last breath. We thank God for supporting and giving them the strength of endurance.”
ina was another of the young men who went to Libya to work with the hope of a bright future ahead of him. In January 2014, Mina finished his compulsory military service. With that completed, he began looking for work. In Egypt, the opportunities for Christians to find work with sufficient income are few and far between. After a few months of searching, Mina took a construction job in Libya, where his older brother, Romany, was also working. The job appeared to be a good opportunity to help take care of his family and save for the future. Romany was able to safely return to Egypt in August 2014, but Mina was still working when he was abducted in January 2015. “His departure is very difficult for us, but we are very happy because he knew his fate,” said Kirollos, Mina’s younger brother. “I love my brother so much. I wish I could be with him now.”
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hile entire villages and multiple families were impacted by the brutal beheading of the 21 martyrs, one family lost two of their sons that day. After their abduction, the fear for their fate was unimaginable. “We were living in such hard times during the period of the captivity of my brothers before their martyrdom,” Beshir said of his two brothers, Bishoy and Samuel. “This period, which lasted more than 40 days, was a period of anguish, torment and torture for us.” Bishoy had been working in Libya for over two years. Samuel first went to Libya in 2012, but returned a year later before going back in June 2014 to work as an electrician. “I was very comforted when I watched them crying the name of Jesus Christ during their execution,” Beshir said. “I’m very proud of my two brothers and their strong faith.”
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