Series of Attacks Plagues Egypt’s Beleaguered Christians
(Worthy News) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that, as the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha concluded, a series of four attacks struck Upper Egypt from August 22 to 25, 2018. In each of these incidents, security forces either delayed providing protection to Christians or attempted to instigate violence.
On August 22, in the village of Esna in Luxor Governorate, Muslim extremists gathered to protest Christian worship in a church that was seeking legalization. The Christians were gathered to celebrate the Assumption of Mary and their church is one of an estimated 3,730 churches that are seeking official recognition.
Following Friday prayers on August 24, the mob gathered a second time. While the police prevented this second gathering from escalating, local sources report that they have arrested five Christians and 12 Muslims. It is unclear on what charges the Christians remain detained. A villager told Wataninet, “We were surprised by the arrest of five Copts by the police, despite the fact that the Copts did not participate or were involved with any group.” [ Source: ICC (Read More…) ]