February 15th marked the third anniversary of the public beheading of 21 Christians on the coast of Libya. In the weeks leading up to that fateful day, ISIS captors had reportedly tortured the men who had travelled hundreds of miles to find work in order to support their families. When the men refused to deny Jesus Christ, the militants beheaded them and posted a video of the execution.
In honour of the 20 Egyptians and one Ghanaian who were killed, a new Coptic church was dedicated last month in Upper Egypt --The Church of the Libyan Martyrs. Built in an area that is 70 percent Muslim, opposition to the construction was harsh. Yet the building was completed with the support of the Egyptian government.
Despite the loss of these martyred men, members of the community in Egypt report that they have been bolstered in their faith. Malak, the father of one of the slain Egyptians, states: "We only knew martyrdom from films. But martyrdom was reintroduced, and it strengthened our faith because these people -- these martyrs -- lived among us."
Legal system Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws
Source: 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.
Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Photo: Wikipedia / Ahmad Badr (cc)
On February 9th, the Egyptian president officially swore in the new head of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court: Boulos (Paul) Fahmy Eskandar. Judge Eskandar is the first Coptic Christian to be appointed to this positi
Until 2016, it was nearly impossible for churches in Egypt to obtain the required licensing to build or restore a building for worship. As a result, many structures were built without a license. With the passing of legislation in September 2016, a government
On March 17th, Brother "P" was lured from his house by neighbours and beaten because he had converted to Christianity. Due to a physical disability, he was unable to escape from his attackers, so fellow Christians came to his aid. As a result of their intervention,
Roughly ten percent of Egypt's population is Christian, the majority of which are Copts.
Egypt's Minya Governorate region erupted in violence on November 25th after rumours spread that a young, barely literate Christian man named Girgis Sameeh posted a message on Facebook that was considered insulti
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