Church destroyed, pastor and wife assaulted


Photos from AINA

Egyptian state security officials recently destroyed a church in Luxor and assaulted the pastor and his wife. Pastor Mahrous Karam was in negotiations with city authorities on March 18 about replacing the community centre building on the church's compound when, without warning, hundreds of officials blocked the road leading to the church. Pastor Mahrous, his wife, Sabah, and their children were then driven out of their residence located on the church property. Officials slapped Sabah in the face, dragged her by her clothes and hair, and threatened to push her three-year-old son under the bulldozers if she refused to leave. The family's possessions were then thrown into the street. Twenty other children were also forcibly removed from the attached nursery. When Pastor Mahrous tried to block the demolition work by sitting on the compound's fence, he was beaten and dragged away. When officials were finished destroying the building, only a 400 square metre prayer hall remained of the original 3,000 square metres of buildings attached to the church. The governor of Luxor has denied that the family was assaulted and has claimed that security forces only seized one room of the church. (Sources: Assyrian International News Agency, Middle East Concern)

Pray that this family will know the healing touch of Jesus. Pray that God will provide them with accommodation. Pray that officials will repent of this injustice and that there will be fair negotiations in this case.

To find out more about the plight of Egyptian Christians, go to the Egypt Country Report.

  • Country Information

    Population
    109,546,720 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (90), Christianity (10)

    Leader
    President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Egypt

    Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.

Egypt News

  • Christian Convert Charged with Terrorism
    Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq is casually leaning to the side and smiling.
    Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq
    Photo: CSW

    On July 22nd, Egyptian authorities formally charged Saeid Mansour Abdulraziq (a convert from Islam to Christianity) with joining a terrorist organization, stirring unrest and spreading false information. Since converting to the Christian faith in 2016 and joining the Russian Orthodox Church, Saeid experienced persistent rejection from his family and community, as well as intimidation from local police. Despite these challenges, he regularly shared his newfound faith with those around him.

  • Prisoners Released After Years of Detention
    Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo
    Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo
    Photo: ADF International

    Originally from Yemen, Abdulbaqi Saeed Abdo was forced to flee to Egypt in 2014 after being subjected to violent attacks because of his conversion to Christianity. Then, in 2021, Abdulbaqi was arrested by Egyptian officials following an interview he did for a Christian television program addressing the topic of persecution in Yemen. Additionally, he was identified as a member of a Facebook group for those who had converted from Islam to Christianity. Nour Gerges, an Egyptian Coptic believer who also participated in the same Facebook group, was arrested at the same time.

  • Three Christians Hospitalized After Stabbing
    Three crosses on Coptic steeples are silhouetted against the sun on the horizon.
    Domes of a Coptic Church building in Egypt.
    Photo: Flickr / Andrew A. Shenouda (cc)

    Three Christian men were hospitalized after being brutally attacked on November 5th in Ashruba, a village located within the Minya province of Upper Egypt. This is only the latest incident to occur amid a recent surge of sectarian violence throughout the region.

  • Christian Homes and Businesses Burned
    A water truck is working to douse a fire.
      

    Late into the evening of April 23rd, Islamic militants set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in the village of Al-Fawakher, which is located in Egypt's southern Minya province. Although the attackers attempted to prevent the occupants from leaving their burning homes, thankfully there were no reported fatalities.