Muslim Mob Attacks Christian Village in Egypt, Three People Hospitalized

Relatives and neighbours of Egyptian Coptic men killed in Libya chant pro-army slogans during a protest while carrying crosses in al-Our village, in Minya governorate, south of Cairo February 16, 2015. Thousands of traumatized mourners gathered on Monday at the Coptic church in al-Our village south of Cairo, struggling to come to terms with the fate of compatriots who paid a gruesome price for simply seeking work in Libya. Thirteen of 21 Egyptians beheaded by Islamic State came from the impoverished dirt lanes of al-Our, violence that prompted the Egyptian military to launch an air strike on Islamic State militant targets in Libya. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

A group of Muslims attacked a Christian village in southern Egypt last week in an attack that injured two Coptic believers and a firefighter, each of whom needed to be hospitalized.

The Minya Coptic Orthodox Diocese announced that at least four Christian homes in the village of Demshaw Hachem were attacked and looted last Friday by “extremists” who objected to the houses being used as churches.

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“Extremists attacked Copts, stole quantities of jewelry and money, destroyed household appliances and set fire to property,” the diocese’s statement reads, according to AFP.

Those who attacked the homes were either residents of the village or came from nearby areas.

The attack came as the threats and reports of an attack on the Christian community had been rumored for several days.

Although the church informed authorities of the threat of a possible attack, the diocese statement explains that authorities only came to the Christians’ aid after the attack occurred. As many as 38 suspects have reportedly been arrested in connection with the attack.

According to Middle East Eye, the diocese believes that the lack of proactive measures from authorities contributed to the impact of the attack.

“The likelihood of the recurrence of such attacks is very high, as long as the perpetrators are not punished,” the diocese said.

As approximately 10 percent of the Egyptian population is Christian, Egypt currently ranks as the 17th worst nation in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s 2018 World Watch List.

In Egypt, Christians often face restrictions on building places of worship. When they do manage to gather for worship, Copts often face hostility.

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SOURCE: Christian Post, Samuel Smith