Skip to content
Catholic Online Logo

By Michael Terheyden

1/23/2013 (1 year ago)

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

We need to start seeing ourselves as a family, a broken family to be sure, but a family nonetheless. And not just any family: We are members of the Body of Christ, and we are truly universal

Freedom of religion seems a lost hope for many in Egypt: A mother and her children have been sentenced to jail for converting to Christianity; Muslims continue to destroy Coptic property; and Coptic Christians flee their homeland.

Highlights

By Michael Terheyden

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

1/23/2013 (1 year ago)

Published in Middle East

Keywords: Christian, Copts, persecution, Egypt, Islamists, Michael Terheyden


KNOXVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) - As Islamists secure power in Egypt, freedom of religion seems a lost hope for many. Christians are being jailed, their property destroyed, and Coptic Christians are fleeing their homeland.

According to a report published on Egypt For Christ, last week a widowed mother, Nadia Mohamed Ali, and her seven children were sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Egyptian court in the city of Beni Suef, located about 75 miles south of Cairo. The reason for the sentence was because Nadia and her children converted to Christianity.

Nadia was born into a Christian family, but when she married her Muslim husband 23 years ago, the law required that she convert to Islam. After he died, she converted back to Christianity with her children. This was not unusual when former President Mubarak was in power.

It is believed that this harsh sentence reflects a new mood in Egypt as a result of the constitution Morsi finalized in late December. Under the new constitution, sharia law has been given much greater weight. Consequently, the Coptic community is fearful that this is a sign of a new wave of persecution. They may be right.

Based on a report published by the Assyrian International News Agency, in the Fayoum province about 80 miles south west of Cairo, Islamists destroyed the social services building belonging to the Coptic Church. The Church had all the required permits, as well as agreements with the village mayor and elders.

But Muslims accused the Copts of building a church, and mosques throughout the area called for their members to destroy it. Hundreds of Muslims carrying hammers and pipes answered the call. They destroyed the social services building to shouts of "god is great." The authorities did not arrive until after the building was destroyed, and no one has been arrested. Now, local Copts are fearful to go out of their homes. 

President Mohammed Morsi promised to respect Christians' rights, and referred to Egypt as "one homeland for all." But that has not been the reality for the Coptic Christian community living in Egypt.

Father Mena Adel says that the mood has changed in Egypt since the Muslim Brotherhood won so many seats in the parliamentary and presidential elections, and many Copts are afraid. Father Mena serves at Saints Church in Alexandria, which was bombed in 2010 as people were filing out of church after the New Year's Eve Mass. Twenty-three people died that night and about 80 people were wounded.

Tens of thousands of Copts have fled Egypt as Islamists began to flex their muscles after former president Mubarak was forced to step down in February of 2011. Many have gone to countries like Canada and Australia. Based on some estimates, approximately 40,000 have come to the United States. It would be a tragic affair if this turned into a full fledged exodus.
 
Sami, a Coptic Christian who drives a cab in Cairo, said, "We've been here forever. We're true Egyptians. We belong here." Sami is right, and history bears him out. By the time Muslims invaded Egypt in the seventh century, most Egyptians were Christians. Tradition has it that the apostle Saint Mark formed a church in Alexandria, Egypt shortly after the ascension of Jesus. It is said that Christianity spread from Alexandria throughout Egypt within half a century. After the Muslim invasion, all native Egyptians were called Copts.

Based on their Egyptian heritage, the modern-day Christian Copts are a living link to a past that stretches back to approximately 3100 B.C. and the pharaohs. They are also one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, a community which has always existed at the geographic center of our faith. Today, they make up about 10 percent of the population in modern Egypt, and they are the largest religious minority in the Middle East. Thus, the presence of the Coptic Christian community in Egypt is important for all of us.

For this reason and humanitarian reasons, many people have called upon the secular nations of the West to help the Copts, but this help has not materialized. Even the United States, with its close involvement and billion dollar payments to Egypt, has not provided help. But this is not surprising.

You may recall that European leaders refused to recognize their Christian heritage in the failed constitution intended to establish the European Union and in the Treaty of Lisbon which was ratified in 2009 in lieu of a constitution. In the United States, open persecution against Christians has begun. Under President Obama's leadership, his party has attempted to remove mention of God from its official platform; efforts have been made to narrowly define the meaning of religious freedom as mere worship; and the secular state has been firmly pitted against the Catholic Church.

In addition, President Obama and his administration have not only shown support for the Muslim Brotherhood, it appears they also undermined relations between Egypt's Islamists and the Copts when they falsely blamed the attacks on our embassies in Egypt and Libya on a video about the prophet Muhammad made by a Copt living in the United States.

As Christians are distanced in Western countries, persecuted and murdered in Muslim countries, we Christians are being forced to move beyond our narrow identities of East or West, Catholic or Protestant, American or Egyptian. We need to start seeing ourselves as a family, a broken family to be sure, but a family nonetheless. And not just any family: We are members of the Body of Christ, and we are truly universal.

We can see evidence of our universality if we look at a list of Catholic saints. They are from all over the world. We can even see this when we look at the most elite list of saints, the Doctor's of the Church. There are only 33 at present. Some of them are from the Middle East and North Africa, and lived there long before Muslims conquered these lands.

Hearing about a Christian widow and her seven children being put in jail, Church property being destroyed by Muslim mobs, and our Coptic brethren fleeing their homeland out of fear of greater persecution, should inspire the desire for unity in all Christians. If we do not take care of each other, who will?

 
-----

Michael Terheyden was born into a Catholic family, but that is not why he is a Catholic. He is a Catholic because he believes that truth is real, that it is beautiful and good, and that the fullness of truth is in the Catholic Church. However, he knows that God's grace operating throughout his life is the main reason he is a Catholic. He is greatly blessed to share his faith and his life with his beautiful wife, Dorothy. They have four grown children and three grandchildren.

-----

---


Pope Francis: end world hunger through 'Prayer and Action'


© 2014 - Distributed by THE NEWS CONSORTIUM

Pope Francis Prayer Intentions for December 2014
Christmas, hope for humanity:
That the birth of the Redeemer may bring peace and hope to all people of good will.
Parents: That parents may be true evangelizers, passing on to their children the precious gift of faith.



Comments


More Middle East

After thirteen years and more than 2,200 American lives, President Obama ends the American war in Afghanistan Watch

Image of U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. During the 13 years of war, more than 2,200 American military personal were killed or died.

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

After thirteen years and more than 2,200 American lives, the American war in Afghanistan has ended, President Barack Obama said on December 28. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - A written statement published by the president revealed that the U.S. is formally ... continue reading


Snake devouring tail: Islamic State executing own fighters when they wish to return home Watch

Image of According to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the men killed were foreign fighters who had joined the insurgency but were caught trying to leave territory controlled by militants.

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

A newly learned fact testifies to Islamic State's ruthlessness - but certainly not to its sense of reason. According to an international observatory group, the terrorist group has executed at least 116 of its own fighters. These troops are from foreign lands ... continue reading


REIGN OF BLOOD: Islamic State executes 2,000 people in six months, mostly Syrian civilians Watch

Image of The axe fell rather indiscriminately. Islamic State also killed 120 of its own members, most of them foreign fighters trying to return home in the last two months.

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL and IS has maintained an iron fisted grip on the lives of civilians in occupied territories. It is estimated that IS has executed 2,000 people, mostly Syrian civilians, in the past six months. A British-based Syrian ... continue reading


Terrorist drivers? Two women's rights campaigners, arrested for defying the ban on women motorists, are sent to a formidable terrorism court. Watch

Image of Saudi Arabia is the only country left that refuses to accept women motorists.

By Abigail James (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

Loujain Hathloul and Maysaa Alamoudi are gearing up to face a terrorism court after disregarding Saudi Arabia's ban on women driving a month ago. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Although Saudi Arabia is generally known for not being big on women's rights, it is the ... continue reading


Is another 9/11 on the way? Al-Qaeda urges lone wolves to target airlines and the U.S. Watch

Image of Published in Yemen by an al-Qaeda affiliate,

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

Al-Qaeda's online, English-language jihadist magazine, "Inspire", just published a new edition which aims to rectify the apparent lack of recent terrorist attacks in the United States. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The 13th issue since the Yemen affiliate ... continue reading


Islamic State takes pounding with 31 air strikes in one day Watch

Image of Thick black smoke rises over an eastern Kobani neighborhood following an air strike in November.

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

Islamic State forces - variously also known as ISIS, ISIL or IS took a major pounding after U.S. forces and their allies staged 31 air strikes late last week. There were 16 strikes in Syria, and 15 strikes within Iraq. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The ... continue reading


The 'Lions of Allah' will strike at the west: Al-Qaeda warns that lone wolf attacks are just beginning Watch

Image of A senior Al-Qaeda official has warned the west that more lone wolf attacks will take place.

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

In an interview with "Inspire" a jihadist magazine, a senior al-Qaeda official has warned that there will many more lone wolf terrorist attacks in the west. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Nasr Al Ansi said that the attacks would not stop, would only increase ... continue reading


Christmas Letter of Pope Francis to the Persecuted Christians of the Middle East Watch

Image of Sadly, afflictions and tribulations have not been lacking, even more recently, in the Middle East.  They have been aggravated in the past months because of the continuing hostilities in the region, but especially because of the work of a newer and disturbing terrorist organization, of previously unimaginable dimensions, which has perpetrated all kinds of abuses and inhuman acts.  It has particularly affected a number of you, who have been brutally driven out of your native lands, where Christians have been present since apostolic times.- Pope Francis

By Pope Francis

Dear Christian brothers and sisters of the Middle East, you have an enormous responsibility and in meeting it you are not alone.  That is why I wanted to write to you, to encourage you and to let you know how precious your presence and your mission are in ... continue reading


Choosing death: Yazidi women driven to suicide when forced into sexual slavery by ISIS Watch

Image of The Yazidis are a centuries-old religious minority based in northern Iraq and Syria that follow a religion that predates Islam and Christianity but shares elements with Abrahamic religions.

By Troy Dredge, Catholic Online

When confronted with being sold into slavery and forced into a life of demeaning sexual violence and rape, hundreds of Yazidi women in captivity to Islamic State have chosen to take their own lives. Those are the shocking facts as found by Amnesty ... continue reading


Why is Pakistan about to hang 500 innocent men? Death penalty reimposed following school massacre, but many fear that hundreds of innocents will be killed Watch

Image of Already six Pakistanis who were convicted of being involved in terrorist attacks have been executed, another 500 will follow over the next few weeks, revenge for the school massacre that killed nearly 150 people.

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

Following the recent terrorist attack in Pakistan, Pakistani officials have announced that they intent to execute roughly 500 people on death row, who are accused of being militant Islamists. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The move follows the attack on ... continue reading


All Middle East News

Newsletters

Newsletter Sign Up icon

Stay up to date with the latest news, information, and special offers

Daily Readings

Reading 1, First John 2:12-17
12 I am writing to you, children, because your sins ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 96:7-8, 8-9, 10
7 Give to Yahweh, families of nations, give to Yahweh ... Read More

Gospel, Luke 2:36-40
36 There was a prophetess, too, Anna the daughter of ... Read More

Saint of the Day

Saint of the Day for December 30th, 2014 Image

St. Anysia
December 30: Martyr of Greece. She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in ... Read More

Inform, Inspire & Ignite Logo

Find Catholic Online on Facebook and get updates right in your live feed.

Become a fan of Catholic Online on Facebook


Follow Catholic Online on Twitter and get News and Product updates.

Follow us on Twitter