Innocent Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) have been targeted by ISIS in yet another shocking massacre in the Middle East.
This time, the radical Islamic terror group attacked buses carrying Coptic Christians in the Minya region of Egypt, south of Cairo. Twenty-nine people were murdered, including children. And more than 20 others were injured, some critically.
Last Friday’s attack is the latest deadly assault on Coptic Christians in the Middle East’s most populous country.
In an attempt to honor their Islamic faith, the ruthless attackers struck on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Followers of Yeshua under attack
This is the third attack on followers of Yeshua in Egypt in six months. In April, ISIS bombed two Coptic churches on Palm Sunday. In December, a suicide bombing targeted a Cairo church. Together, the attacks killed more than 75 people and wounded scores more.
The Islamic State has vowed more attacks. Egypt has been under a three-month state of emergency ever since.
The slaughter drew immediate condemnation from President Donald Trump, who said, “[The attack] steels our resolve to bring nations together for the righteous purpose of crushing the evil organizations of terror, and exposing their depraved, twisted, and thuggish ideology.”
The killings also brought a quick response from Israel, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say, “There is no difference between terrorism harming Egypt and terrorism harming other countries. Terror will be beaten more quickly if all countries work against it together.”
The Jerusalem Post reported over the weekend that many Egyptian Believers think their country either does not take their plight seriously or cannot protect them against these determined fanatics. At a service to mourn the dead on Sunday, a relative of one of the victims said, “This is the result of only one thing: negligence – negligence from the government for not punishing these people.”
Egypt is fighting insurgents affiliated with ISIS who have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is also carrying out rocket attacks against the terrorist group along the southern border of Israel.
ISIS’s “favorite prey"
Coptic Christians are the largest group of Believers in the Middle East, representing about 10 percent of the population in Egypt. Because of this, some observers say it’s no surprise that ISIS is increasingly targeting Christians, calling them infidels and their “favorite prey.” ISIS’s war on Egyptian Christians has an obvious goal: to “encourage” them to leave their homeland under the threat of extermination. This attack won’t be the last.
We need to understand this: ISIS doesn’t merely want to make life difficult for Egyptian Believers; it wants to run them out of the country.
As ISIS amps up the frequency and brutality of its attacks across the Middle East, we must keep our fellow Believers in prayer. You and I might not be in a position to prevent further violence, but we serve a God who can. Let’s stand in union with the faithful in Egypt and pray to Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, for their safety.
Thank you for joining me in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Egypt—AND for partnering with Jewish Voice. Your support helps us continue to spread the Good News of Yeshua to a world in desperate need of His peace and hope. And we are so grateful for you.
As a token of our appreciation for your contribution of $40 or more today, we’ll send you Radical Islam: What You Should Know, an enlightening DVD featuring a panel of experts debating this rising threat and what it means to you. We’ll also send you a little box of powerful encouragement. The Promise Box is filled with 120 promises of God found in Scripture, and will surely be a lasting blessing.
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