Around 3,000 Coptic Christians live in the village of Al-Azeeb in Minya province. The government granted them permission to build a new church as they had to commute elsewhere for worship. Sadly, Muslim fanatics ambushed the building site where workers were excavating the ground to lay foundations. When the police arrived, the attackers threw stones at them and tossed Molotov cocktails at nearby Christian properties, setting them on fire. Some of the perpetrators are still at large, the police are still chasing them.

According to a local source, Christians are afraid to go outside since the incident. 

President Mervyn Thomas, founder of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: “We are saddened by this latest attack in a region that has long been prone to sectarian outbreaks. Our thoughts and prayers are very much with those affected and with the Christian community in Egypt in general as Christmas approaches. The torching of Coptic homes and properties highlights once again the urgent need for the Egyptian authorities to enact the law regulating the construction and renovation of houses of worship in a manner that guarantees the right of Christians to worship in community with others. We call on the Egyptian authorities to hold those responsible for this attack accountable, and to refrain from resorting to reconciliation meetings as a replacement for the rule of law, as they impose ad-hoc, unjust and often un-constitutional conditions on the victims of sectarian violence and perpetuate impunity for the perpetrators”. 

There are around 9.7 million Christians in Muslim-majority Egypt, making up 9% of the country’s population. Christian persecution has many forms. Most of it happens within the communities, where Muslims often force Christians to move out, leaving their properties and belongings to be confiscated. 

Source: https://premierchristian.news/