Around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, Islamic extremists set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in Al-Fawakher village in Saft Al-Khammar Al-Gharbiya, Minya Governorate.
As
the flames grew, the extremists attempted to prevent Christians from
leaving their burning homes. However, authorities reported that there
were no fatalities.
The
attack occurred after word spread that residents of the village, which
is home to 3,000 Christian families, had obtained a permit to construct a
church building. Some associated with the church received threats after
the building permit was issued, prompting Abna Makarios, Archbishop of
Minya, to alert authorities.
Despite
promises of safety from security forces, the cries of help from the
archbishop and the local Coptic community went unanswered as the attack
unfolded. Security forces arrived only after the attack, leaving a yet
unknown number of Christians to perish in their burning homes.
Extremists
later shared a video on social media showing Coptic homes on fire as a
song praising the attack played in the background.
Early Wednesday morning, the archbishop posted on Facebook that authorities had contained the fire and arrested the suspects.
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Since
1995, ICC has served the global persecuted church through a
three-pronged approach of assistance, advocacy, and awareness. ICC
exists to bandage the wounds of persecuted Christians and to build the
church in the toughest parts of the world.
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