Assistant Principal Who Bullied Pro-Life Students Placed on Leave

By Trey Elmore
Church Militant

An assistant principal at Downington STEM Academy in Pennsylvania was caught on video harassing and threatening young pro-life students. A video published April 26 shows 16-year-old Conner Haines and his 19-year-old sister Lauren holding up pro-life signs on a public sidewalk near the high school. Assistant Principal Zach Ruff is shown yelling and cursing at them, cursing Jesus Christ, and admitting he is "gay as the day is long."

The high school has placed Ruff on administrative leave following the incident, issuing the following statement:

We have begun a thorough investigation into this unfortunate situation and have placed the staff member on administrative leave. We do not condone or support the conduct expressed in the video and are deeply disappointed that this incident occurred. His conduct does not represent the values of the school district or the respect we expect our employees to show for the civil rights of others.

This has now become a personnel matter, and we must follow the policies and procedures that we have in place concerning staff issues. We truly apologize to all for the actions of this employee.

Church Militant reached out to the high school for comment and contact information for Ruff. The email given to Church Militant ended up being non-functioning.

Throughout the confrontation, Conner spoke to the passing vehicles about abortion. Ruff walked up close to the student, stuck his finger in the teenager's face and snapped, 

"Don't talk to my students! I will call the police if you don't shut up."

A moment after Ruff began standing in front of the two activists, Conner remarked that the unborn victims of abortion are imagebearers of God. Ruff shouted, "You can go to Hell, where they are, too!"

When Conner told Ruff that children were being murdered, Ruff spun around and barked "They're not children; they're cells."

Ruff repeatedly threatened to call the police on the teenagers, accusing them of harassment. The first time Conner spoke the name of Our Lord, Ruff got in his face and said,

"Listen here, son, I'm as gay as the day is long, and twice as sunny. I don't give a f*** what you think Jesus tells me and what I should and should not be doing."

Conner didn't back down: "Jesus can set you free from your sins. It's the truth; it's the Gospel. He died on the Cross.

Church Militant article continues

Comments for the school? Call 610-269-8460 (ask for public relations) and Drexel Univ at 215-895-1965.  Mr. Ruff is a PhD student at Drexel.

Blogger's Note: God bless Conner and Lauren who did not back down from this person in authority. In attempting to intimidate them, he made a fool of himself. They stood their ground with grace and holy boldness; sharing the truth about Jesus and these babies being 'imagebearers' of God.  

Pray for this man's soul that their powerful message of salvation would pierce his heart. May he be saved and set free from the darkness and lies of the enemy.

TV Anchor Astonished by Egyptian Christian's Forgiveness for Husband's Killers

By Andy Walton
Christian Today

The forgiveness shown by a Coptic Christian woman to her husband's killers has rendered an Egyptian TV host speechless. [Blogger's note: please view video below of the powerful testimony of this wife's forgiveness and the stunning response from the TV anchor.]

Samira Fahmi's husband Naseem was one of the victims of the Palm Sunday bombings which targeted St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria.

Appearing on Egypt's ONTV she said during an interview: 'I ask the Lord to forgive them and let them try to think...May God forgive you and we also forgive you. Believe me, I forgive you.'

The response left the news anchor Amr Adeeb temporarily stunned. When he regained his composure, he said, 'Egyptian Christians are made of steel... Egyptian Christians for hundreds of years are bearing many atrocities and disasters. The Egyptian Christian deeply loves his country ... how great is this amount of forgiveness you have?'

The attack on St Mark's Cathedral killed 17 people and responsibility was claimed by ISIS. It is the latest in a long line of vicious attacks on the ancient Coptic Christian community, which makes up around 10 per cent of the population of Egypt. Pope Tawadros, the spiritual leader of the Copts, was in the cathedral at the time, marking Palm Sunday. It is thought Naseem Fahmi may have been one of his security officers.
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Copts are one of the most ancient Christian communities in the world, tracing their history back to St Mark, believed to have founded the cathedral at Alexandria 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus.

Website: christiantoday.com

You can watch the video here:

Pastor Arrested Over 'Extremist' Josh McDowell Book 'More Than A Carpenter'

By Mark Woods

Christian Today

A pastor in Tajikistan has been arrested on charges of 'extremism' for having a book by a well-known US Christian author. 

Bakhrom Kholmatov is a pastor in the Sunmin Sunbogym (Good News of Grace) Protestant Church, whose congregations have been raided by secret police. He was arrested at his Khujand church in April.

The church is an officially registered congregation. However, according to the Forum 18 news service, authorities put pressure on the congregation in an attempt to close it. 

'Officers insulted the believers by shouting and swearing at them. They demanded that they renounce their faith and leave the Church,' members of the congregation said. They claimed some were beaten and others forced out of their jobs.

According to Forum 18, officers of the secret police told members that the words of hymns and Christian books, including More Than A Carpenter by American author Josh McDowell, were 'extremist'.

Among the 'extremist' hymns were ones with lyrics saying, 'Praise God, oh the godless country,' 'God's army is marching' and 'Our fight is not against flesh and blood'. Church members pointed out that the words of these songs are references to texts in the Bible.

Christian Today article continues

Blogger's note: 'More Than a Carpenter' has been used by God to bring countless souls to faith in Christ. Link to Josh McDowell's bio. 

Please pray for Pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov and his congregation as they face persecution for their faith in Christ.

Persecution Unveiled has been called by God to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to speak up and act on behalf of those who have no voice.  Follow us on  Pinterest, and Google; like us on Facebook, and visit our website using this link.  

Most Persecuted Christians: Evangelicals, Pentecostals

More than 90,000 Christians were murdered last year, with 30 percent of them being slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in the name of jihad.

By Michael Haverluck
One News Now

A newly released study reveals that evangelicals and Pentecostals are persecuted more than any other Christians on the face of the planet – a fact that is mainly credited to their passion to evangelize … even in regions that are hostile to Christianity.

According to research published by Notre Dame University’s Under Caesar's Sword project, the two groups of Christians are targeted most for violence, affliction, oppression and even death because of their zeal to share and live out their faith.

“Protestant evangelical and Pentecostal Christians are more likely to be persecuted than mainline Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox Christians or other Christians associated with ancient churches,” Notre Dame’s report titled “In Response to Persecution” report disclosed. 

 “In response to persecution, evangelical and Pentecostal Christians are more likely to engage in strategies of survival or – on rare occasion – confrontation.”

Other religious groups rooted in the Christian faith and tradition are less likely to draw attention to their beliefs – that are in conflict with other religions where they live – meaning that they are more prone to blend in with the prevailing religious culture and traditions in a way that does not offend others.

“Mainline Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, are more likely to respond through strategies of association,” the report continued.

Read more compelling facts disclosed in this and other reports

The Mutation of Anti-Semitism and Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Campaign

By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks served as Britain’s chief rabbi from 1991 to 2013. He was recently named as the 2016 Templeton Prize Laureate. His latest book is Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence

Mutation of Anti-Semitism

Yom HaShoah – the day in the Jewish calendar set aside for Holocaust remembrance – takes place on 27th Nisan which this year corresponds to the evening of Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th April 2017. But how has antisemitism mutated over time? And why does its return today present a danger not just for Jews, but for all who care about our common humanity?

In recent months and years we have seen the return and rise of antisemitism across Europe and around the world.

But how has antisemitism mutated over time? And why does its return today present a danger not just for Jews, but for all who care about our common humanity? Please watch and share my new whiteboard animation and this important message.

Watch You Tube: the Mutation of Anti-Semitism

Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) Campaign

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel is dangerously wrong because beneath the surface it's an attempt to delegtimize Israel as a prelude to its elimination. No Jew and no humanitarian can stand by and see that happen. Let me explain why.

Watch You Tube: Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Campaign

Supporters of BDS are waging a political, economic, cultural, and ideological campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel.

Dr. James Dobson Urges Christians to Flee Public Schools

Dr. James Dobson, Pro-Family Advocate

By Michael F. Haverluck

One News Now

Renowned pro-family advocate Dr. James Dobson is imploring Christian parents across the United States to pull their children from public schools and protect them from the progressive anti-Christian teaching by homeschooling them and putting in church-run schools.

The founder and president of Family Talk says he is “shocked” by the declining values held by the generation of young American adult voters (18 to 34-year-olds) – Millennials who have been promoting the immoral agenda they have learned over years and decades past … one that works to erode the Christian faith of today’s youth, according to a WND report.

When recently speaking with Exodus Mandate Director E. Ray Moore, Dobson discussed the topic of homeschooling, which was just a trace movement in the tens of thousands back in the 1970s when he founded Focus on the Family. But now, the homeschool movement has grown to more than 2 million children – with some estimates, such as one given by the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) indicating that the number could be as high as 4 million.

Answering God’s calling

The evangelical Christian leader told Moore – whose organization’s mission is to motivate Christian parents to homeschool their children or enroll them in church-run Christian schools – that he realized the biblical call for parents to teach from home after he began his Christian ministry as a teacher and psychologist a few decades ago.

“When he was introduced to the idea – that the biblical mandate for parents to ‘train up a child in the way he should go’ was no more or less than a call for Christian parents to instruct their own children – or have them in church schools that would teach morality – it immediately struck a chord,” WND’s Bob Unruh reported.

Dobson stressed that this bit of wisdom for parents from Proverbs 22:6 lit a new flame in him for homeschooling.

“It was like putting a match to gasoline [for me],” the conservative activist told Moore in a recent series of Family Talk broadcasts. “I got it. I saw it.”

In their conversation, Moore indicated that Dobson was partially responsible for the uptick in homeschooling that began in the 1980s.

Millennial Mayhem

Since then, Dobson says schools have gotten much worse in indoctrinating children in a godless, anti-Christian agenda disguised in progressive curricula found in public education.

Those children who have been subjected to Leftist propaganda in schools in decades past are today’s Millennials – the group of voters that Moore says would have put 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the White House … if it were not for older generations tipping the ballot scales for her Republican rival, Donald Trump.

One News Now article continues

US Pastor Charged for 'Illegal' Bible Study in Russia Appeals to European Court of Human Rights

Pastor Don and Ruth Ossewaarde

By Joseph Hartropp

Christian Today

A US Baptist pastor found guilty of 'conducting illegal missionary activities' in Russia has taken his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Donald Ossewaarde held weekly Bible meetings at his home in Oryol, Russia for years before 'anti-terrorism' laws were used to charge him with conducting illegal activity. He was found guilty and given a fine of 40,000 rubles (over $600).

He has made several appeals, including one to the Russian Supreme Court, all of which have been unsuccessful. Today he filed his appeal, citing the violation of religious liberty, to the European Court of Human Rights, with the support of ADF International, a legal organisation that advocates for religious freedom.

'Freedom of religion is one of the most fundamental rights. Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. Despite the Russian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of conscience and religion for all, Donald Ossewaarde has been charged with a criminal offence for holding a peaceful Church service in his own home,' said Laurence Wilkinson, Legal Counsel for ADF International and leading lawyer on Ossewaarde's case.

She added: 'His conviction is a hugely concerning development for religious freedom across Russia in general, and for Christian missionaries in particular.'

Ossewaarde, an American citizen, is the first US missionary to be charged under the so-called 'Yarovaya' counter-terrorism legislation introduced in July 2016. Policemen came to his home on August 14, 2016, to interrupt the 'illegal' Bible study he and his wife were hosting, then took him to the local police station to be charged.

Christian Today article continues


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Christians Homes Set on Fire in Muslim Mob Attacks on Believers in Egypt

A relative of one of the victims reacts after a church explosion killed at least 21 in Tanta, Egypt, April 9, 2017. 

By Samuel Smith

Christian Post

Three homes were burned down and eight Christians were injured when a Muslim mob attacked a Christian community in the town of Kom el-Loufy in Upper Egypt while on their way home from a prayer gathering, a leading persecution watchdog has reported.

According to International Christian Concern, eyewitnesses have said that a large group of radical Muslims attacked the Christian community last Thursday — one day before Good Friday — soon after Christians held a prayer service at a local Christian man's home.

The witnesses recalled that the attack occurred around 10 a.m. as the worship service was letting out.

"Then, a mob of Muslims gathered and began to attack us and our homes," an unnamed witness detailed. "They hurled stones at our homes and set fire on three houses owned by Christians named Issa Saroufim, Marris Botros and his father, Faris Faris."

The witnesses added that a Christian woman broke her arm, while another woman suffered a broken leg and six Christian men suffered various other injuries.

"We asked local security authorities to grant us a permit [to] hold prayers and they agreed," the source added. "They granted us a permit to hold these prayers and the security forces came to secure the mass."

Another witness told ICC, that last Thursday's attack occurred in front of security forces.

"All these attacks occurred despite the presence of police in the village. There are eight big cars from the central security and more than 15 police cars," the witnesses claimed. "I don't know why the police haven't arrested anyone who attacked us until now."

The attack on the Christian community in Kom el-Loufy, which consists of over 1,800 Christians and doesn't have a local church, comes just four days after two churches in northern Egypt were victimized by twin suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State that killed 45 and injured 126 on Palm Sunday.

Christian Post report continues

Family Grieves for Hannah Bladon, Christian Student Murdered in Knife Attack in Israel

Worshipers gather in Jerusalem's Old City, where
Hannah Bladon was stabbed to death.  Reuters

By Nancy Flanders

Christian Today

Hannah Bladon, the British student stabbed to death in Jerusalem, was passionate, driven and an active member of her local church, her family has said.

In a statement, they said they are 'devastated' by what was a 'senseless and tragic attack' on Bladon, 20, who was stabbed on the light rail line in Jerusalem on Good Friday.

Bladon, from Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire, and who was a server at church, was studying at Rothberg International School, part of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A keen archaeologist, she was on a dig earlier in the day.

The Israel Antiquities Authority sent its 'deepest condolences' to her family over the murder.

'Hannah recently volunteered in the IAA excavation at Wilson's Arch in the Western Wall tunnels, and was supposed to return to the excavation after the holiday. May her memory be a blessing,' the authority said.

Bladon died in hospital after being stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

A 57-year-old Palestinian man, who was recently discharged from mental hospital, has been arrested.

The family described her in their statement as 'the most caring, sensitive and compassionate daughter you could ever wish for' and said she was also a talented musician.

Christian Today report continues

'I forgive you': Widow of guard who died protecting Coptic Pope in Egypt's Palm Sunday bombings addresses his killer

Naseem Fahmi died trying to stop a suicide bomber
in Egypt's Palm Sunday bombings.  Open Doors

By Jospeh Hartropp

Christian Today

The widow of the Egyptian Christian guard who died protecting Coptic Pope Tawardos II during ISIS' Palm Sunday bombings has said she forgives her husband's killer.

'I forgive you and I ask God to forgive you. I pray that God may open your eyes to light your minds,' the widow of Naseem Fahmi said, in a message to her husband's killers and other's contemplating such violence, according to Open Doors.

'I am sure Naseem has been happy to give his life for Christ,' Samira, who was wearing black in mourning, said. 'When we talked about this one day he said that he would be willing to defend the church with his own blood. Last Sunday he did.

'He told me that he knew me and the kids needed him, but that he also knew that God would take care of us if something might happen to us.'

Naseem was one of the men guarding Saint Mark's church in Alexandria, the seat of the Coptic Pope, last Sunday. When the suicide bomber tried to enter the church, Naseem halted him and asked him to pass through the metal detector first.

There the assailant detonated his bomb. Naseem, a 54-year old father to two sons, was killed in the blast, but his quick intervention saved many.

The attack on St Mark's, alongside another the same morning at a church in Tanta, Egypt killed at least 45 and injured over 100. ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombings, and Egypt's president declared a national state of emergency.

In two months Naseem would have become a grandfather for the first time. He was also was a committed, beloved church member who served his church for over 20 years

'Naseem's life was at the church, and now his life is in heaven. I know he is in a good place.' Samira said. She added: 'I am proud of what my husband did, but life has become hard for me after his death. He was everything in my life.'

Christian Today story continues

German Family Continues to Fight for Right to Homeschool

Petra and Dirk Wunderlich and their children

By Catholic News Agency

In August 2013, a group of 20 police officers and social workers stormed the home of Petra and Dirk Wunderlich and took away their children. Their offense: homeschooling

The Wunderlich’s children were returned to them, but their legal situation remains precarious, as the German government continues to criminally punish families who homeschool with fines or even imprisonment.

Homeschooling has been illegal in Germany since 1918, though in recent years the policy has raised questions and concerns with human rights groups who say it is an infringement on the right to family life.

The European Court of Human Rights has agreed to review the Wunderlichs' case and to look at whether Germany’s actions breached the right to family life, which is protected under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court ruled in 2006 that there is no right to homeschooling.

“I sincerely hope the European Court of Human Rights will reaffirm that the state has no right to abduct children from their family just because they are being home-schooled,” Dirk Wunderlich, the father of the family, told legal group Alliance Defending Freedom.

“Our youngest daughter was only four years old when the authorities broke into our home and took our children without warning. She couldn’t stop crying for 11 days. Her older sister hasn’t laughed since this incident. We chose to educate our children at home, because we believe this to be the best environment for them to learn and thrive,” he said.

Alliance Defending Freedom International, an Arizona-based legal group, finalized written submissions to the European Court of Human Rights last week on behalf of the Wunderlich family, asking the high court to protect the freedom of parents to homeschool their children.

Catholic News Agency report continues

Persecution Unveiled has been called by God to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to speak up and act on behalf of those who have no voice.  Follow us on  Pinterest, and Google; like us on Facebook, and visit our website using this link.  

Pastor Surrounded By Islamist Extremists Out to Kill Him, But God Puts Invisible 'Shield' to Protect Him

By Hazel Torres

Christian Today

An invisible "shield" that could deflect any attack known to man has so far been confined in the realm of science fiction.

However, the persecution watchdog Open Doors USA has come out with a report attesting that such a God-given "protective shield" prevented a pastor from being killed by Islamist extremists who surrounded him at an undisclosed location in Southeast Asia.

Recalling the dramatic event, Pastor Amin said he once found himself surrounded by armed Islamist extremists. Their leader approached him and menacingly told him, "I am a faithful Muslim . . . so I have to participate in jihad."

Amin thought that he was about to suffer a gruesome death. But despite the terror that gripped his body, God gave him the courage to defiantly and fearlessly shout back: "Kill me if you must. Here I am!"

Upon hearing his words, the pastor's would-be attackers froze and could not even lift a finger at him. "Never had they seen such courage and calmness in the face of almost certain death," the Open Doors report says. "It was almost as if God had put a shield around the pastor they knew they couldn't penetrate."

News of Pastor Amin's courageous stand and God's apparent intervention to save him quickly spread in the area populated mostly by Muslims. Soon, Muslims began knocking on his door, all seeking salvation in the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As a result, Pastor Amin's church grew rapidly.

Christian Today's story continues

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Inspiring: Archbishop Announces ‘All Christians Must Stand Together Against Islam Because The Muslims Are Planning To Murder Us All’

'It is just God that can spare us from our current circumstance.'

By Bison4
This is England

Christians in Nigeria at this moment are probably the most aggrieved Christians in the whole world. Once a determinedly Muslim country, Nigeria is quickly moving in the opposite direction of Islam and to Christ, which has brought the anger of numerous Muslims upon them. Several Christians have been killed in quite recently the previous couple of months and that number is relied upon to soar.

In an announcement by Archbishop Jospeph Bagobiri, he has said that all Christians must stand together against the Muslims or else the Christians will bite the dust in an enormous genocide:

The Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese, Joseph Bagobiri, has required a successful cooperative energy by every single Christian category in the nation to counter the precise disposal of Christianity in the northern piece of the nation.

Minister Bagobiri decided when he got an official designation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) which went to him in Kafanchan. The designation was in the ward to sympathize with him; the whole Catholic devoted and the Christian people group of southern Kaduna on the current outrages of Fulani Cattle herders in the range, which brought about the passings of thousands of Christians and the devastation of property worth a huge number of Naira.

The assignment was driven by the Archbishop of Jos and President of the Bishops’ Conference, Ignatius Kaigama. Ecclesiastical overseer Kaigama was went with on the visit by Fr. Ralph Madu, Secretary General of Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN); Fr. Zacharia Samjumi, CSN Deputy Secretary General and Fr. Chris N. Anyanwu, the Director of Social Communications at the Secretariat.

This is England article continues

Blogger's Note: Christians are in the crosshairs of not only the Islamists, but also godless leftist nations. They view Christians and Jews as obstructing their goal of a one world government. Even though they are at odds with each other, I believe God will use them in bringing about end times prophecies to their ultimate destruction.

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How jihadis are Killing Egypt's 'Soft Target' Christians to Undermine the State

Egyptians attend the funerals of victims of the Palm Sunday
bombings at St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Monastery 'Deir
Mar Mina', Alexandria, Egypt April 10, 2017.Reuters

By Mark Woods

Christian Today

The atrocities are the latest in a series directed against Egypt's Christians. On December 11, 2016, a suicide bomber entered the St Peter and Paul Church next to the Cairo Coptic Cathedral and killed some 30 worshippers.

From January 31, jihadists in North Sinai mounted a series of house-to-house and drive-by shootings in the coastal town of El-Arish after leafleting them with 24 hours' notice to leave or be killed. Seven people were murdered and hundreds of Christian families fled to other cities.

On February 17 an Egyptian affiliate of Islamic State released a video featuring the bomber who had died in the Cairo explosion, masked and vowing that 'we will come bearing explosives'.
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Shaw said: 'Although Christians are being targeted, it appears to be part of a wider strategy to destabilise and undermine the Egyptian state. Lower-level attacks against Christians – especially in rural areas where they are ineffectively policed – have been an ongoing problem in Egypt. But Christians are now being selected as a soft and easily identifiable target.

'For the jihadists of Islamic State they are also seen as one group who have no place in their vision of a strictly Islamic society. Typically attacks designed to strike terror have taken place during major religious or national festivals. This is true of the car bombing of Al-Qeddesine Church in Alexandria as long ago as New Year 2011.'

'Yesterday the bombers selected one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar in the knowledge that far larger numbers of worshippers – families included – would gather to mark the start of Holy Week. A further reason for the timing is probably the imminent visit of Pope Francis to Egypt from April 28-29.'

Christian Today report continues

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'The Church was Filled with the Bodies of the Dead': Egypt Palm Sunday Bombing Survivors Speak Out

People watch as the coffins of victims arrive to the Coptic church that
was bombed on Sunday, in Tanta, Egypt, April 9, 2017. Reuters

By Mark Woods

Christian Today

Abanoub Gamal, a member of St George's, told World Watch Monitor: 'I was standing behind the back pews, next to the church door. At about 9.05am I noticed a man wearing a brown jacket enter the church and walk among the pews from the back to the front ... [He] stood in front of the church altar and he then exploded himself.'

He continued: 'Then there was a huge explosion, the lights went off, all the people screamed, the situation was terrible. The church was filled with the bodies of the dead, body parts and the injured. Blood was splattered all over the place and reached the church ceiling.'
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Gamal said he believed the Bishop of Tanta, Paula, was targeted but escaped death because he was not the celebrant at yesterday's Mass. However, 'the blast destroyed his chair by the altar'.

Video footage shows a robed male choir singing in the moments before the explosion, when the picture cuts out and shouting and screaming can be heard. Most victims were men and many were deacons because the suicide bomber detonated his vest near to the pews in which the men sit.

Mobile phone footage from the moments after the blast shows palm fronds in pools of blood, the floor of the church spattered with in blood, dust and masonry, and the decapitated body of one of the dead being carried out on a stretcher. One woman is heard screaming hysterically, while other members of the congregation move pews to get to the injured.

Eyewitnesses said of the Alexandria attack that the suicide bomber tried to enter the church as worshippers were leaving. A member of the congregation, Mina Makram, said one of the cathedral's guards, a man named Nasim, 'stopped him, prevented him from entering the cathedral, and asked him to pass through a metal detector first. The man entered the detector briefly, then took a step back and exploded the suicide vest he was wearing under his jacket.'

She said Nasim's actions had saved many lives, including that of Pope Tawadros, at whom she said she believed the attack was aimed.

'Pope Tawadros was targeted to be killed... if this suicide bomber had been able to enter the church, the number of the victims would have been more,' she said.

Christian Today: Coptic Christian Survivors Accounts Continues

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ISRAEL CLOSES BORDER WITH EGYPT AMID SINAI TERROR CONCERNS

EGYPTIAN AND ISRAELI flags flutter next to each other
at the Taba border crossing.  (photo credit:REUTERS)

By JP Staff

Jerusalem Post

Israel will not allow its citizens to enter Egypt through the crossing, however Israeli citizens will be permitted to return to the country via the Taba crossing.

Israel on Monday decided to close its side of the Taba Border Crossing between Eilat and Egypt in light of concerns of terrorist attacks targeting tourists, including Israelis, in the volatile Sinai Peninsula.

Following security assessments, as of Monday and at least until April 18, Israel will not allow its citizens to enter Egypt through the crossing, however Israeli citizens will be permitted to return to the country via the Taba crossing.

The Prime Minister's Office announced the move in a statement that cited "the intensifying activities" of Islamic State-affiliated terrorists in the Sinai region in recent months.

The government therefore urged all Israelis currently in the Sinai Peninsula to immediately leave the area and return to Israel. Israelis have long-flocked in holiday exodus to the Sinai region during the Jewish celebration of Passover, which begins Monday at sundown.

Monday's decision came the day after the National Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau re-upped its already stringent warning against travel to Sinai in the wake of bombing attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt that claimed more than 40 lives and left more than 100 wounded. Islamic State claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.

The standing warning – not to go to Sinai and to leave immediately if already there – was reiterated at a special meeting of the bureau, reflecting a severe increase in the immediate threat facing Israelis there.

Sunday’s attacks in Egypt reflects the capabilities of ISIS, which in recent months have intensified its activities in Sinai, a statement from the bureau read.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the world must unite and fight terrorism everywhere. He sent a message offering condolences to the families of victims, and wished a speedy recovery to those who were wounded in the attacks.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report. 

Website: Jerusalem Post


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Israel ups security level along Egypt's Sinai border

Chinese Authorities Raid Church, Detain 15 in Latest Christian Persecution Campaign

A Chinese Christian prays at his home in a village in Shanxi
province after Chinese authorities forcibly closed down
so-called house churches, according to Christian
group China Aid. Reuters 

By James McIntyre
Christian Today

A group of 15 Chinese Christians have been detained after more than 20 police officers raided a house church in the Sichuan province in the south-west of the country.

Authorities interrupted a Bible study and accused the group of 'illegally gathering a crowd to disturb public order' according to the human rights organization China Aid.

All of those at the house church were detained for 15 days by police, China Aid said. Church seating, projectors and air conditioning equipment were confiscated.

Separately, in the southern province of Guangdong police officers raided two house churches.

China Aid reports that at least ten government officials interrupted a prayer meeting at Olive Church on 19 March, accusing them of lacking the authorization to conduct religious meetings. Twenty members of the congregation were detained but released later on the same day.

A second church in the province was also raided and had its possessions seized. The church has since fractured into smaller groups and relocated for the safety of its members, China Aid said.

Christian Today story continues

Coptic Christian Refused to Deny Jesus Before ISIS Ruthlessly Killed Him

An Egyptian Christian sits on a bench near a blood stain on a wall at the scene
following a bombing inside Cairo's Coptic cathedral in Egypt December 11, 2016.

By Samuel Smith

Christian Post

A Coptic Christian father of two who was on a "kill list" and tracked for days by Islamic State militants in Sinai refused to renounce his faith in Christ when given a chance to "save" himself before being executed, his wife said.

The British news outlet The Sunday Times reports that the widow of 58-year-old Copt Bahgat Zakhar, one of eight Christians killed in the coastal town of Al Arish in just a three-week span in February, detailed the moment her husband met his fate.

Zakhar, who was a veterinary surgeon, was reportedly named on a jihadi "kill list" that was published online. As reported, jihadis have anonymously posted "kill lists" online that feature churches and prominent Christians across Egypt to target.

After days of trying to track down Zakhar, two militants with guns finally cornered him.

Zakhar's widow, Fawzia, said in her interview with the Times that an eyewitness explained that when the militants arrived, Zakhar tried to shake their hands. They quickly forced him onto a concrete terrace, forced him to his knees and demanded that he convert to Islam.

"Repent, infidel. Convert and save yourself," the witness recalled one of the jihadis saying. 

According to the witness, Zakhar simply shook his head in refusal. The militants then responded by fatally shooting him and leaving him dead on the floor.

"They didn't even run," Fawzia Zakhar said.

Much like the hundreds of Christian families who have fled from their homes in the Northern Sinai region in recent months because of the increased persecution at the hands of radical extremists, Zakhar's family is no different.

Fawzia Zakhar told The Times that she and her children have fled to another town.

Christian Post article continues