Earlier this year in al-Fawakhir village, a group of Christians began constructing a house of worship since there were no churches nearby. The village is located in Minya state, a breeding ground for extremist beliefs.
Local leaders were relieved to finally obtain a license to build the church after a long legal struggle. The highly anticipated church was meant to serve Christians in five surrounding villages.
Word of the church construction began to spread. Soon, extremists began circulating inflammatory and threatening posts on social media, marking the beginning of a long and difficult week for the local Christian community.
Radicals stated that the village must be “protected” from the construction of the church at all costs. Concerned villagers and church leadership showed these inflammatory posts to the police, but the authorities did not intervene quickly enough.
Christians persecuted in Egypt attacked by radicals
Shortly thereafter, Islamic extremists cut off electricity to the entire village. Then, large numbers of Muslim men, women and even children gathered to vandalize a Christian home where prayer services had been held. They threw Molotov cocktails, burning it down completely.
The mob stormed many other Christian homes, looting some and burning others, while shouting hostile slogans about the Christian faith. More than 20 believers were injured, including 5 women who were left in critical condition.
“It was a terrifying experience … panic and fear among all of us—especially our children and wives. Please pray for us,” says Teremun*, a resident Christian from the village.
After two hours of mob violence, authorities arrived on the scene to contain the fires and arrest the extremists. In the wake of this incident, local activists demanded greater protections for the Christian minority and a review of the lengthy church permit process.
*Please note: Teremun’s name has been changed for his personal safety and anonymity. Image caption: A representative image of an Egyptian believer from al-Fawakhir village.
About the author
Chandler Peterson is a staff writer and editor for Global Christian Relief where she shares stories of Christian persecution. Read the latest Christian persecution stories on our website and learn more at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
