True to their word, now that Morsi and the Brotherhood have been ousted, Egypt’s Christians are being heavily targeted by Brotherhood supporters. On July 3rd, in a village in al-Minya in Upper Egypt, the services building of St. George Church was looted and torched. Likewise, the evangelical Saleh Church in Delga was attacked and caught fire, while the villagers, the majority of whom are Copts, had their homes and businesses looted and torched. Two Christians were injured from the fires. According to the pastor of Delga Catholic Church, who was able to escape the fire only through the roof, “supporters of former President Morsi are engaged in continuous and unprecedented harassment of Copts. He said that a number of those people broke into the homes of Christians at gunpoint, terrorizing women, children and seizing gold jewelry and furniture. He contacted security forces, pleading for help. Witnesses said security arrived next morning.”
Another Islamic mob tried to “attack the main Coptic cathedral in Qena, but the military fought them off. The group moved on to attack Christian-owned homes and businesses in the area, sources said. Also on Wednesday (July 3), a mob attacked the Church of the Holy Virgin in the coastal town of Marsa Matrouh with stones, but the military also repelled them.” “It is a miracle no one was killed in the attacks” a woman told Morning Star News.
Unfortunately the miracle did not extend to other Copts attacked by Brotherhood supporters. On July 6, was shot dead as he left his church in al-Arish, north Sinai—near the same area where al-Qaeda linked Brotherhood affiliates attacked and expelled Christian Copts months ago.
Four more Christians were slaughtered by Muslims in Luxor province. The attack is being positioned as “collective punishment”: some Muslims accused Christians in the village of killing a Muslim, although Christians deny it, saying the Muslim was killed by another Muslim, but the mob decided to scapegoat the Copts. Dozens of Christian homes and businesses were looted and torched. Hundreds of Coptic villagers fled.
Elsewhere in Egypt, Christians are being kidnapped and held hostage for ransom money, a phenomenon that has been on the increase, particularly the targeting of Coptic children.
“This is just the beginning,” said one Coptic Christian woman from Upper Egypt who was interviewed. “They won’t be happy until they steal everything we own and kill us all. How can anyone be full of so much hate? If I took my eyes off God, I would shrink and die.”
Another Egyptian woman, incensed at the overthrow of the tyrannical Brotherhood, and like all Brotherhood supporters, scapegoating Egypt’s Christian minority, declared, “I am a religious [Muslim] Egyptian lady. I tell the Christians one word. You live by our side! We will set you on fire! We will set you on fire!”
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