Good Friday, Coptic Persecution And Silence (updated through Tuesday ( 4/25/06)

(I have decided to leave this as the top post through Saturday. I'll be updating the bottom of the post with places that have updated news on the attacks If you have a blog, please consider posting about this.)

The world sits in silence, as the Lord suffers and dies.

We are in silence for many reasons:

Awe of His love
Sacred silence in His majesty
Silence in Sorrow at the death of our friend
And silence out of fear.

But today, there is often silence in fear and ignorance. The minstream media today is actually covering (at least a little) the attacks against our brothers and sisters in Christ in Alexandria (link).

Let us be silent in the awe of Christ's love, but let that love break our silence. Let that love move our hearts and our lips. Let that love guide us in true and right works driven on by our faith in His love.

From ABC News (link):

They are being described as the worst outbreak of sectarian violence in Egypt in six months.

Look at that last line: They are being described as the worst outbreak of sectarian violence in Egypt in six months.

A whole six months ago! "peace" for so long. Yes, they are the worst outbreak...but they are an outbreak from the daily kidnappings (link), discrimination in employment (link) and attacks on human dignity (link).

But wait...was this six months ago:


Copts attacked in Quena under Police watch (link).
No, it was April 5th.

or this (link) no, that was in January 2006. Remember George Shahata, that poor young child (link).


To help we can:

Contact Congress (many Copts are denied entry to the US and Canada, plus there are various peaceful ways we can get funding to Charities to help our brothers and sisters)

House (link)
Senate (link)
Governors and State (link)

Support Coptic Orphans if you can (link)


But always, Pray. Keep our brothers and sisters in your hearts. When they are attacked and oppressed, let it be your own heart attacked and oppressed. Let it be the Body of Christ. Pray, with this. Believe this. And let it spur us to bring the reality of this situation to those who do not see it, and help where we can.

There are other blogs who are following the recent incident and have some better news than ABC or BBC.

Updates 4/14/06

Freedom For Egyptians 4/14/06 (link)
Rantings of A Sandmonkey 4/14/06 (link)
The Free Copts 4/14/06 (link)
Gateway Pundit 4/14/06 (link)
US State Department Statement 4/14/06 (link)

Updates 4/15/06

The BBC has pictures of the Clashes from (4/15/06)(link)

Freedom For Egyptians has an Update From (4/15/06): Muslims and Christians Clash following Churches Attacks in Alexandria, Egypt (link)

The Free Copts (4/15/06) also has updated info on The Coptic rally (link) and The response of the Alexandria Clergy Council and the Alexandria Laymen Council (link).

Yahoo News (4/15/06):Clashes in Egypt as Copts blame church attacks on 'terrorist' plot (link)

Updates 4/16/06

Freedom for Egyptians has an update from (4/16/06): Sectarian Clashes Continue in Alexandria for the third day, One Muslim Dies (link)

The Free Copts has an update, St. mary's Church in Alexandria was set on fire (4/16/06): Situation escalates in Alexandria (link)

Rantings of a Sandmonkey has an update (4/16/06): Oh Dear God No (link) and (4/16/06) New clashes between Muslims and copts in Egypt (link).

My Christian Blood has photos of the burnt churches (4/16/06): Latest Photos of the Churches (link) and a report of (4/16/06) The Death of a 12 Year old girl (link).

Gateway Pundit has an update with photos (4/16/06): Sectarian Violence Intensifies... in Egypt! (link)


Updates 4/17/06

The Free Copts has the call to protest from the Canadian Coptic Association (link). Also at The Free Copts is a post (4/17/06): World Maronite Union Blame Jihadists For Crimes Against Copts (link)

Rantings of a Sandmonkey has an update with photos of the protests from yesterday (4/17/06): Doing the Media's Job (link)


Roundup from the Arab Press (4/17/06) (link)

The Free Copts has an update (4/17/06): Statement from the Coptic Diocese of Ireland, Scotland, N.E. England (link)

U.S. COPTS ASSOCIATION TO HOLD WHITE HOUSE DEMONSTRATION AGAINST ANTI-CHRISTIAN HATE CRIMES IN EGYPT (4/17/06) (link)


The Free Copts has an update (4/17/06): Copts Protest Continued Violence Against Christians in Egypt (link)

Updates 4/18/06

Freedom for Egyptians has an update (4/18/06): Security Solution is No Longer an Option for Copts' Persecution (link)

The Free Copts has an update (4/18/06): Caught on Tape: The Egyptian Security Forces Attack the Copts
link)

My Christian Blood has an Update (4/18/06): Fear on Christian’s life in Egypt (link) In this post there is information that says the attacker was arrested in the October, 2005 Riot on at Moharam Bek but was released. There is also information on a peaceful gathering at the UN (4/18/06) (link).

The Christian Science Monitor has an article (4/18/06): Egyptian riots reveal wide religious divide (link)


(4/19/06)

The BBC has an article (4/19/06): Egypt 'breaks up terrorist ring' (link)

The New York Sun has a three page article (4/19/06):'I Cannot Say Where This Hatred Comes' (link)

The Christian Post has an article on the protest at the White House today (4/19/06):Hundreds of Coptics Protest Egyptian Violence (link).


(4/20/06)


An Article Economic woes add to tension in Egypt (4/20/06) (link)

The Free Copts has an update (4/20/06): The Muslim Brotherhood and the Copts (link) This is a must read to get a handle on the political situation.

A Q&A with Condoleezza Rice that mentions the Coptic Persecutions over the weekend (4/20/06): (link)


(4/21/06)


Cybercast news has an article (4/21/06): US Not Doing Enough to Help Egyptian Christians, Group Says (link).

(4/25/06)

The Free Copts has an update (4/25/06): Coptic demands submitted to the UN (link)
there are also images from the peaceful protest at the UN. (link)