Slain Copt: Latest Victim of Egypt’s “Military Jihad” on Christians?

A familiar scene recently took place in Egypt: yet another Coptic Christian soldier was found dead in his (Muslim majority) unit. 

Bishoy Nata‘i Bushri Kamal, 21, was found dead in his military unit in Cairo under “mysterious circumstances.”  The military told the family that he was found hanging, and thus committed suicide.  However, Sami Bushri, the young Copt’s uncle and family spokesman, said: “We completely reject this [assertion that he had committed suicide].”  Such an act, said the uncle, contradicts the disposition of the slain, which was one of cheerfulness, contentment and peace of mind.

Moreover, he had recently gotten into a quarrel with a certain “Mustafa,” a fellow soldier, said the uncle.  And although there are injuries to his neck, indicative of hanging, injuries were also found on his back and abdomen, as well as facial scars—all of which indicate that he was tortured and murdered, claim the family, which is pursuing the matter with a lawyer. 

Perhaps most indicative that the young Christian was murdered is that every aspect of this episode has played out over and over in Egypt.

Read here for five more examples of Christian soldiers being found dead, the military claims suicide or some other “accident,” the family reject this excuse pointing to conflicts with other soldiers in the unit—including attempts to force the Christian to convert to Islam—and forensic evidence of murder.