Yes, apparently as the weather warms up in the Middle East so does “Open Season” on Christians.
The Christians living in Egypt identify themselves as Coptic Christians (“Coptic” means “Egyptian”).
GotQuestions.org provides the following information on the denomination:
Coptic Christianity originated in the city of Alexandria, and acknowledges John Mark, (author of the Gospel of Mark) as their founder and first bishop sometime between A.D. 42 – A.D. 62. The Coptic Church was actually involved in the very first major split in the Church, well before there was such a thing as “Roman” Catholicism, and it was also well before the East/West split…
Today, there is a small population of Coptic Christians remaining in Alexandria, but most are located elsewhere. Estimates of the current population of the Coptic Church range from 10 million to 60 million members worldwide. Theologically, Coptic Christianity is very similar to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. They profess to be genuine followers of Jesus Christ and a part of His worldwide Church. As with Catholicism, they tend to emphasize meritorious works in salvation along with liturgical ritual more than salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
And from the UK Guardian:
Coptic Christianity dates back to the first couple of hundred years after the lifetime of Christ. The people who converted to Christianity were the ancient Egyptians, as well as Jewish, Greek and Roman inhabitants of Egypt. This is even clearer when alongside the art of Coptic Egypt you consider the Coptic language preserved in ancient papyri and manuscripts and still used in the Coptic liturgy today…
This culture has the right to respect, protection and a political voice in the new Egypt. It can claim to be the most Egyptian culture of all.
The Islamofascists don’t need to be bothered with all this information though. All they need to know about the Copts is that they’re Christians, translation: Infidels.
And so we get this: Burning and looting churches
And this: Converts to Christianity fleeing for their lives (Because of course, while Christians are bad- Muslims who convert to Christianity are worse.)
And even this: Coptic girls “disappearing”
Maybe it’s just a “Spring Thing”? Gardeners in the West pull weeds; Muslims in the Middle East weed out Christians?
Probably not; Jihad appears to be an all-season activity.
As Islamic groups — “Salafis” and others — are emboldened by the lack of challenges they have encountered in the wake of the revolution, there will only be more stories like this.
Especially when Barack HUSSEIN Obama wants to give Egypt $2 Billion more of our tax dollars!
From Investors’ Business Daily:
He’s planning to reward Egypt with an economic package of direct aid, debt relief and export credits — on top of the billions of dollars in aid we already give the nation. He says it will help stabilize a flowering democracy there.
But what if it helps finance the ethnic cleansing of 10% of Egypt’s population? The blood will be on Obama’s hands.
Until Egypt stops attacks on its Christian citizens, it deserves not one more dime in U.S. aid.
Amen!
Photo at top: The Holy Family’s Flight to Egypt. From the Coptic Museum – Cairo.
Obamacare was forced on the U.S. in direct opposition to the wishes of the electorate – and AARP was right in the thick of things helping to push it through.
