EGYPT: Largest Christian community in Muslim world being ethnically cleansed out of Sinai Peninsula by the Islamic State

These Egyptian Christians are known as Copts, most of them belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church, while a smaller number are members of Anglican, Presbyterian, and Catholic churches. ISIS calls Egyptian Christians their “favorite prey,” the terror group saying its fighters are under Allah’s orders “to kill every infidel.”

These ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Sinai peninsula have stepped up attacks against Egypt’s Coptic Christian community in the town of el-Arish in northern Sinai. Local church officials in North Sinai have said the attacks have forced at least 100 families and 200 students to flee due to the attacks.

Christian Post  “This terrifying wave of attacks has seen Coptic Christians in North Sinai hunted down and murdered by armed groups. No one should face discrimination — let alone violent and deadly attacks — because of their religious beliefs,” said Najia Bounaim, deputy director for campaigns at the group’s regional office in Tunis.

“The Egyptian authorities have consistently failed to protect Coptic residents of North Sinai from a longstanding pattern of violent attacks, they must not let them down further now. Bounaim said the government must also “end the prevailing impunity” for attacks against Christians elsewhere around the country and “end its reliance on customary reconciliation deals which further fuel a cycle of violence against Christian communities.”

Since 2013, Sinai-based armed groups have kidnapped a number of Christians for ransom, in some cases killing them, Amnesty noted, adding that those displaced, including many children and elderly people, are sheltering in overcrowded church and government buildings, or with host families in Ismailia who opened up their homes to the displaced.

Copts make up only 10 percent of the nation’s 92 million population, and have often been victims of Islamic militants who have vandalized churches, Christian bookshops, orphanages and other buildings.

Faith Freedom  According to Open Doors Organization, “President al-Sisi’s authoritarian style of government has to some extent restored the rule of law in Egypt. But in recent years, this has changed, however, causing historical Christian communities to be targeted as well.

There is a small but growing community of Christian converts (Muslim Background Believers, MBBs), who bear the brunt of persecution, most often from family members. Believers are often kicked out of their homes when their Muslim families find out about their faith.”

An Egyptian Christian was burned alive by ISIS in northeastern Sinai, according to an Egyptian security source who specified that the alleged ISIS jihadists used a firearm to kill another Coptic Christian, ANSAmed reports. On 11 December 25 Christians were killed in a deadly attack against St Mark’s Cathedral, the main Coptic Christian church in Egypt.

The worst persecution is going on in the Sinai Peninsula. In this part of Egypt, ISIS has found a fertile soil for its activities. Having declared the Peninsula had become a Province of the Caliphate (ISIS), the Jihadists announced that all Christians must leave. Early in 2017, they began a campaign of murdering Christians in the northern part of Sinai, at El- ‘Arish.

Christian Satellite Station, “Al-Hayat,” reported that members of ISIS had obtained a list of the Christians to be evicted/murdered, and their addresses. Unfortunately, it must have been obtained from some Muslim neighbors. This tragic phenomenon replicated what had happened two years ago, when the Christians of Mosul were ordered to leave or accept Islam. Their homes were marked with the Arabic letter “N” (inverted crescent with one dot in its midst.) Muslims designate a Christian with the Qur’anic name of Nasrani.

It’s a pejorative term, that Arabic-speaking Christians detest, proudly using the word, “Massihi” which is equivalent to “Christian.” It was the Muslim neighbors of Mosul’s Christians who designated the exact addresses of their Christian neighbors!

Unfortunately, the sacred and authoritative Islamic texts, do sanction such horrific acts! Jews and Christians who did not embrace Islam, and refused to pay the humiliating Jizya tax, were subject to death!

“Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”