Coptic Christians Migrating to Libya to Find Work Face Severe Torture: We Know We'll Likely Die

A Coptic Christian holds a lit candle in remembrance of the Egyptians 

beheaded in Libya, in the West Bank city of Ramallah February 17, 2015.

By Anughar Kumar
Christian Post

Numerous Coptic Christians from Egypt cross over to Libya in search of work despite knowing that they will face severe persecution, including death.

"We know it is more likely we will die than live in Libya but we don't have a choice," said one Coptic Christian, according to a report.

"More and more people are going to Libya because of the economic crisis here," the Coptic Christian, identified only as Shenouda and who is now back in his village near the town of Samalout, about 150 miles south of Cairo, told The Sunday Times, which spoke to Christians in Egypt who were able to return from Libya alive.

"You can't get work, you can't make money in Egypt. We are aware of the dangers, particularly as Christians," he added.

To go to Libya, Egyptians have to pay smugglers nearly $400, and it takes a fortnight to reach their destination. Many of such migrants are from Minya, which has one of the highest concentration of Coptic Christians in Egypt.

In July, at least 22 Egyptian migrants were found dead in the Libyan wilderness. According to the Libyan Red Crescent, they died from heat and starvation.

While some of them don't make it to Libya due to the extreme risk the journey involves, some die due to starvation and climatic conditions in Libya, and others are persecuted by Islamists or hardline Muslim officials in that country.

Most Coptic Christians have a sign of a small black cross tattooed on their fingers, which makes it easier for Islamists and others to identify them.

"It's 100 percent dangerous to be Christian in Libya," another Christian man, identified as Peter, was quoted as saying. He was recently repatriated from Libya after being kidnapped and held for 18 days by Islamist militiamen in Benghazi. He was released after his relatives paid a ransom.

Shenouda was held, along with other Egyptian Christians, for two weeks in a prison at Tripoli's main airport. He was flogged twice a day by his Islamic guards.

Two years ago, 21 Coptic Christians were beheaded by the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, in Libya. 

The video of the beheading of the 21 Copts in February 2015 was titled "A Message Signed With Blood to the Nation of the Cross."

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Egypt Says Church Bomber Linked to Muslim Brotherhood

A Coptic Christian man chants slogans during a protest on
Monday, December 12, 2016 for victims of the bombing
during Sunday mass at a chapel adjoining St Mark's Cathedral. 

By Rabea Al Awwal
The National World

A suicide bomber who killed at least 25 people in Cairo’s main cathedral on Sunday was a Muslim Brotherhood supporter who joined a militant cell while on the run from police, the interior ministry said.

At least 49 people were wounded when the bomb went off in a chapel adjoining St Mark’s Cathedral, Cairo’s largest church and seat of the Coptic Christian papacy.

The interior ministry named the attacker on Monday as Mahmoud Shafik Mohammed Mostafa, a 22-year-old student. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said four people had been detained and two were on the run.

Mostafa was arrested in March 2014 for carrying arms during a protest, and was freed on bail after two months. The interior ministry said he had joined a cell led by Mohab Mostafa Sayyed Qassem, a militant with links to ISIL fighters in Northern Sinai and exiled Brotherhood officials in Qatar, and was wanted in two other cases.

The Egyptian government on Tuesday released footage showing the suicide bombing, including images of the attacker. The CCTV video shows the street across from the chapel adjacent to St Mark’s Cathedral, seat of Egypt’s ancient Coptic Orthodox Church.

National World article continues

Egyptian Muslim Radicals Destroy Coptic Christian Properties

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greets Egyptian Coptic

 Pope Tawadros II, head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church. 

By Mark Woods
Christian Today

Muslim radicals have attacked properties and homes belonging to Coptic Christians in Egypt after rumours circulated about a church being constructed.
According to International Christian Concern, the attacks took place in Manshiet El-Naghamish village located in the Sohag Governorate in Upper Egypt.

More than 2,000 Coptic Christians live in the village, with the nearest church being over three miles away. When Christian villagers in El-Naghamish built a four-storey building to be used as a community centre, preschool and retirement home, Muslims in the vicinity assumed that the building would become a church. 

While the Christians in the village have applied for a permit to build a church, they are still awaiting approval from the government. Leaflets called on local Muslims to attack the community were distributed after the local bishop was asked to preside over a prayer meeting.

Samir Nashed, a Christian resident of El-Naghamish, told ICC: 

"On Friday [at] noon, November 25, following the Muslim prayers, a great deal of fanatic Muslim young men, some of them were carrying gas canisters and rocks while others came armed with automatic rifles, clubs, machetes and knives, they attacked Copts and Coptic-owned houses."

Christian Today 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.