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Funerals have been held for 26 victims of an attack against Christian protestors in which hundreds were wounded, in what was possibly the worst violence against Egyptian Christians in modern history. The Coptic Orthodox Church held three days of fasting, prayer for divine intervention and mourning. An email from Archbishop Mouneer said, ‘I request your urgent prayers as the situation here in Cairo is very inflamed. Many Christians demonstrated after the incident of the burning of a church building (see P.A.40-2011). The demonstrations started peacefully as the people were requesting investigations for incidents of burning and demolishing churches to be completed; and the new law for building churches (promised four months ago) to be passed. Then it turned very violent between demonstrators and the military. On Wednesday there were separate meetings with the House of Bishops and political leaders to discuss a way out of this very difficult situation. I would appreciate your prayers for our beloved country.’
Pray: that the Christian and Muslim religious leaders would be able to discuss and implement a way forward for the situation to be defused; also for Christians to know the presence and peace of Jesus. (Ps.3:3)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/egypt/article_121782.html
Two nuns in Upper Egypt faced ‘unimaginable fear’ – with one later hospitalized over the emotional trauma – when 1,500 Muslim villagers brandishing swords and knives trapped them inside a guesthouse last week and threatened to burn them out. The next day, the assailants frightened children at the school; attendance has since dropped by more than a third. Accusing the nuns of building a church at the site, the throng chanted Islamic slogans as they surrounded the guesthouse of a privately run, public school in the village of Abu Al-Reesh, in Aswan Province. Two nuns, volunteer teachers at Notre Dame Language Schools, barricaded themselves into the school’s guesthouse for about eight hours. The women were ‘terrified,’ said Magdy Melad, director of the school. School workers hid a third nun from the mob in a separate building on the campus out of fear that the mob would attack her as well.
Pray: for all God’s people in Egypt that God will strengthen and protect them from their enemies. (Ps.12:5)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/egypt/article_1449790.html
Islamist investigators, judges and psychiatrists are only too willing to go with the pretext of insanity plea of 'insanity' to allow fellow Muslims to ‘get away with murder’ based on the Islamic law - Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one.’ The latest example of the insanity defence was the murder of a Coptic Christian deacon, George Fathi, who was killed last October deliberately and with premeditation, by two fundamentalist brothers who visited George in his flat , then strangled and electrocuted him until his intestines burst out. His father was sitting in a coffee house facing their flat, saw smoke coming out and when he opened the door he found his son dead and disfigured. The killers opened a butane cylinder and made a fire to cause an explosion but this was averted by the father and neighbours, who testified having seen three bearded men enter the flat earlier. On April 24 the presiding judge in the brothers' case stated that the psychiatric assessment confirmed insanity. At the request of the victim's lawyers, the judge said they could refer the defendant to a psychiatric committee.
Pray: for global condemnation to cause a reversal in Egypt’s edicts, for the victims of brutal attacks to be conscious of God’s presence. (1Pe.2:19)
A mob of nearly four thousand Muslims has attacked Coptic homes in Soul, Atfif in Helwan Governorate, and torched the Church of St Mina and St George. According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), there are conflicting reports about the whereabouts of the church pastor, Father Yosha, and three deacons who were at church. Some say they died in the fire and others believe they are being held captive by the Muslims inside the church. AINA said witnesses report that the mob prevented the fire department from entering the village. The army, which has been stationed seven kilometres away, initially refused to go into Soul. When the army finally sent three tanks to the village, Muslim elders sent them away, saying that everything was ‘in order now’. According to AINA, a curfew has been imposed on the 12,000 Christians in the village. Pray: for the Church as it faces this specific persecution following the recent troubles in Egypt. (Ps.5:11) More: http://www.aina.org/news/20110304222016.htm
Twelve hours after the military expelled Mohamed Morsi and his cabinet from office reports from scattered locations across Egypt of attacks against Christians by Morsi supporters began. Angry over what they saw as a coup hard-line Muslims attacked Christian homes, business and church buildings as part of nationwide protests culminating in a ‘Friday of rage.’ On Friday afternoon the national police notified church leaders to be on the lookout for license plate numbers of several cars that informants said terrorists had packed with explosives and were heading toward churches in Cairo and the surrounding area looking for targets. Christians across the country are uncertain about their future. Is the past week’s violence the start of a civil war in which they would be targeted as the Christians in Syria are targeted? Meanwhile the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain announced three days of prayer for Egypt's minority Coptic Christians. See http://www.bosnewslife.com/29427-egypt-christians-pray-after-massacre-amid-concerns-over-nations-future
Pray: for protection for those caught up in the confusion and violence in Egypt, pray that the turmoil would be short-lived and a workable government and constitution be agreed upon quickly. May this be a real moment of opportunity for Christians to share the gospel of peace with those around them. (Ps.4:6-8)
Opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi say they will continue their demonstration against a controversial draft constitution and Morsi’s decree granting himself wide-ranging new powers. Police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse them. Mr Morsi's Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement has called for demonstrations in his support outside the palace. Some anti-Morsi protesters have erected tents around the perimeter wall after Tuesday saw tens of thousands of demonstrators besiege the palace and clash with police. Eighteen people were injured in the brief burst of violence, the Mena news agency reported. At one point, the security forces issued a statement saying President Morsi had to be hustled away for his own safety. It was another sign of how deeply divided this country is as a referendum on a new constitution approaches in less than two weeks. Several newspapers refused to go to press on Tuesday in protest at what they said was the lack of press freedom in the constitution.
Pray: for peace and not war to dominate. (Ps.122:7)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20605134
The interim leader has sworn in a Cabinet that includes women and Christians but no Islamists as it moved swiftly to formalise the new political order and present a more liberal face that is markedly at odds with the deposed president and his supporters. The changes came as bloody clashes continued following the coup that removed President Morsi from office and cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood. For two years Egypt has been split between Morsi, his Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist allies, and secular Egyptians, liberals, Christians and moderate Muslims. The fault lines remain. US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said, ‘We have encouraged the leaders to be inclusive, bringing all political parties in to allow them to participate in the writing of the constitution and the elections.’ The Cabinet includes three Christians. Successive governments had no more than one or two Christians.
Pray: for God to enable the leaders to agree on a constitution that is workable and accepted by the population. (Ps.106:3)
More: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10899001
Egypt's Coptic minority has become increasingly concerned by the growing number of Christians who have been kidnapped, across the country say Christian activists. More than 30 Christians were reportedly abducted in the southern province of Minya last month alone. Local observers say the situation is especially serious in Minya, a provincial capital, which has been dubbed the ‘kidnapping capital of Egypt’. Most Christians are kidnapped for ransom, but there have also been reports that believers were abducted by Islamic hardliners, including girls who were forced to marry Muslim men. International Christian Concern (ICC), a major advocacy group, cited friends and families of some of those who were abducted as saying that even children have been targeted. ‘The kidnapping of Christians is an urgent issue that must be addressed by the political leadership.’ Christians comprise roughly 10 percent of Egypt's mainly Muslim population of 85 million.
Pray: against the kidnapping trend among Christians and pray for their safety and protection. (Ps.5:11)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/31255-kidnapping-of-egypt-christians-seen-rising
Anti-Christian violence swept Egypt Wednesday in the bloodiest day yet of Egypt's revolution. World Watch Monitor reported, ‘Islamist protesters took out their anger Wednesday on government and dozens of]Christian buildings and homes.’ The Bible Society of Egypt reported 15 churches and three Christian schools being attacked, and two Christian bookshops completely destroyed by fire. Attacks by Islamist protestors recently forced Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II to cancel speaking engagements and prompted 16 human-rights groups to voice concern. On June 30th the President of Cairo’s Evangelical Theological Seminary said, ‘Previous regimes pushed the Church to give them support, by controlling Christians and calling them not to oppose standing regimes. This minimized the effectiveness of Christians, separating them from the rest of society and depriving them of the liberty to act independently according to their faith and conscience. Now we have learned our lesson and refuse to be a tool in the hand of any regime.’
Pray: for the Lord to protect Egypt, ask Him to give Church leaders special wisdom and unity, may they positively engage in this season of change and transformation. Pray against corruption, injustice and division that could damage communities. Pray for Egyptians across the country who are caught in a climate of fear and uncertainty. (Ps.1:6)
In an effort to prevent Coptic Christians using the newly built Church of St. Mary and St. Michaels for prayer services the Giza Governorate converted a four storey house facing the church into a mosque secretly during Thursday night, and hastily hung a cloth sign outside advertising the new Ekhlass mosque. Due to the minimum distance required by law between a church and a mosque Copts view this conversion of the house into a new mosque ‘as a trick on the part of the government to make the completion and use of St. Mary's Church an impossibility.’ On Friday morning over 3000 Muslims prayed there despite the presence of an established large mosque not far from the new mosque. In November the same Coptic Church was the scene of security forces using tear gas on women, children and youths at the church, in an attempt to halt construction of the new church building. Pray: for a peaceful and just resolution to a potentially inflammatory situation. (Ps.5:11)