Tag: Asyut

Closed churches force Copts to hold funerals in the streets

September 12, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Churches, Copts, Egypt, Islamic extremism, Minya

Coptic Christians in various parts of Egypt have been left with no choice but to hold funeral services in the streets because of the closure of their churches. Coptic news site Watani reported on a street funeral last week in the village of Dimshau Hashim, in Minya governorate, where the . . . Read More

Coptic Christians harassed for drinking water during Ramadan fasting hours

June 13, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Cairo, Copts, Egypt, Giza, Helwan, Islamic extremism, Ramadan, Sharia

In one of three incidents reported to World Watch Monitor, an Egyptian photographer was detained by police for carrying a bottle of water during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims are required not to eat or drink anything from the first light of dawn until sunset. He claims . . . Read More

‘How can you accidentally shoot yourself in the back of the neck?’ ask Coptic soldier’s family

May 2, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Conscripts, Copts, Egypt, El-Arish, Giza

A Coptic Christian soldier reported to have died by accident ten days ago was in fact killed, his family say. The family of 22-year-old Mikhail Farhat Saad Tamer were called to collect his body from the police station in Al-Qusiyyah, Asyut Governorate, on 23 April. But when they arrived, they were . . . Read More

Copt soldier’s family say he didn’t commit suicide, he was killed

March 19, 2018 Egypt Asyut, Conscripts, Copts, Egypt, Giza, Upper Egypt

A young Egyptian Copt reported to have committed suicide in his army unit last week was in fact killed by his commanding officer, his family say. Matthew Samir Habib, 22, was pronounced dead at his Al-Ahram Palace Club unit in Giza, just south of Cairo, last Wednesday morning (14 March). His . . . Read More

Egypt’s elections and the man dividing the country’s Copts

March 14, 2018 Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Arab Spring, Aswan, Asyut, Bahrain, Cairo, Catholics, Churches, Converts, Copts, Egypt, El-Ghad Party, Elections, Faiyum, Hosni Mubarak, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Minya, Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, Pope Tawadros II, Protestants, Samalut, Sinai, Sohag, Sunni, Tanta, Terrorism, Upper Egypt

Walking around Cairo you would be forgiven for thinking that President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was the only candidate running in the elections later this month. His is the only grandiose face bearing down on passers-by, while billboards of his rival, Mousa Mostafa Mousa, are nowhere to be seen. Egypt’s 26-28 March presidential elections have . . . Read More

Egypt teenager’s murder ‘aimed to intimidate Copts ahead of Christmas’, says his pastor

December 22, 2017 Egypt Asyut, Copts, Egypt, Upper Egypt

Murdered 14 yr old Ishak Nashaat Birwan, who drove a 'tuk-tuk' taxi

The body of 14-year-old Ishak Nashaat Birwan was found on Wednesday (20 December), 11 days after he disappeared, in a canal near where he lived in Izziyah, a large Christian village near Manfalout in Asyut. Samir Fekry, Ishak’s cousin, told World Watch Monitor that the body was taken to the . . . Read More

Latest attack on Copts in Egypt: newborn baby’s throat slit

October 2, 2017 Egypt Asyut, Copts, Egypt, Islamic State, Upper Egypt

Egyptian police have charged a Coptic mother with the murder of her newborn baby, though she says her baby was killed by intruders who entered her home and took her baby from her arms. Azza Gamal, 27, was home alone with her two-year-old twin girls Mariam and Martha, and baby . . . Read More

Egypt’s Copts face discrimination in football, too

July 24, 2017 Egypt Asyut, Copts, Egypt, Football, Middle East, Upper Egypt

“Systematic discrimination” is preventing Coptic Christians from participating in professional sport in Egypt, according to a feature article on the Egyptian website MadaMasr: ‘Copts and Egypt’s national game – We’ll call you back later‘. Though Copts make up around 10 per cent of Egypt’s population, not one of the 122 . . . Read More

Terrorist threat forces Egyptian Christians to cancel summer activities

July 13, 2017 Egypt Alexandria, Andrea Zaki, Asyut, Cairo, Copts, Egypt, Islamic State, Ismailia, Minya, Suez, Tanta, Terrorism

The churches of Egypt are temporarily shutting down their summer activities. “I asked all our churches and conference centres to cancel their trips and events for the next three weeks,” Dr. Andrea Zaki, president of the Protestant Churches of Egypt, told World Watch Monitor. “There is news they could be . . . Read More

Fourth Coptic Christian murdered in 10 days

January 18, 2017 Egypt Asyut, Copts, Upper Egypt

Dr. Bassam Safwat Atta, 35, was found dead in his flat on 13 Jan.World Watch Monitor A Coptic surgeon was found murdered in his flat on Friday (13 Jan) in Upper Egypt, making him the fourth Coptic Christian murder victim in 10 days. Married father-of-two Bassam Safwat Atta, 35, . . . Read More

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