In October, the school hired an Arabic-language teacher named Amal. Marbrooka would greet Amal with friendly words, such as “Good morning” and “How are you?” but would never get a response. When Marbrooka confronted Amal, she bluntly responded, “I don’t like Christians.” That was just the beginning of Amal’s hatred towards Marbrooka.
Says Marbrooka, “She would not call me by my name, but rather call me ‘Christian,’ as if the word Christian is a bad word. She also incited the students and their parents not to deal with me, saying, ‘Don’t deal with this Christian teacher.’ One time, she saw a Muslim student’s mother standing and talking to me. Amal said to the mother, ‘Why do you speak with this Christian?’ And asked her not to deal with me anymore.”
Marbrooka’s situation with the extremist teacher only worsened when she learned the director of the school was a close friend of Amal’s husband.
“One day, Amal broke into the classroom while I was teaching students and insulted me in front of them. I asked her to get out of my class, but she didn’t. She tore up my preparation notebook and continued to insult me. I then called the headmistress and asked her to come to the classroom and intervene to solve the dispute. The headmistress came, but she did nothing for me. She didn’t take any action against Amal because of her relationship with the director.”
Marbrooka scheduled a meeting with the school’s director, but it was fruitless. He threatened her and warned her that she should stay away from Amal—or else. Marbrooka, like many other persecuted Christians in Egypt, felt that no one was on her side.
Then on Christmas day, Marbrooka arrived at school as usual, prepared to present her students with a test, but was prevented from entering the building. She was informed that she had been fired.
“I don’t know what I did to be fired from my job. This is injustice. I was a persecuted Christian. I was the victim. Everyone supported the oppressor over the oppressed.”
Will you join us in praying over this situation and for Marbrooka? Pray her faith will not be hindered by the Christian persecution in Egypt that is all too commonplace, but will instead be strengthened and emboldened. Pray she will find another job, where she’ll be able to share her faith openly and without consequence. And pray for Amal and those involved in Marbrooka’s departure, that Christ’s love will pierce their hearts and they’ll develop a love for Him and all Christians.
Father God, we come to You on behalf of our dear sister.
*Representative name and photo used to preserve security
