Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 130 | Wed 19 Oct 2011
EGYPT: ISLAM, DHIMMITUDE & THE MASPERO MASSACRE
By Elizabeth Kendal
Islam is a political religion that aims to achieve dominance —
demographically or through military or political conquest — so that
Muslims might rule and Sharia (Islamic Law / the law of Allah) might be
applied. Where Islam is dominant, atheists and polytheists have two
choices: convert to Islam or die. Jews and Christians (the People of the
Book), however, have a third choice: dhimmitude — they may pay for their
‘protection’ (i.e. their right to life) with ‘jizya’ (‘tax’: religiously
sanctioned extortion) and by submitting to total subjugation and abject
humiliation (Sura 9:29 http://quran.com/9/29 ). This state of subjugation
is one of immense insecurity, vulnerability, perpetual anxiety and
psychological trauma. The people subjugated are known as dhimmi (singular)
and dhimma (plural). The agreement between Muslims and the dhimma is known
as the dhimma pact. If the dhimma pact is violated, then ‘protection’ ends
and jihad resumes. Europe’s rise and Islam’s decline — commencing in the
late 17th Century and culminating in defeat for Islamic forces in the 20th
Century’s two world wars — saw dhimmitude wane. Today, however, Islam is
back and so too is dhimmitude — and nowhere is this more evident than in
Egypt.
On 30 September thousands of Muslims went on a pogrom in Elmarinab village
in Egypt’s Aswan Province after being incited in their mosques during
Friday prayers. The military watched on without intervening while the
Muslims destroyed St George’s Church and other properties owned by Coptic
Christians. State-run media subsequently whitewashed the incident. (The
Copts are the indigenous people of Egypt, the true descendants of the
Pharoahs. They have been Christian for 2000 years.) The Muslim pogrom was
launched in response to church renovations. Though the Christians had
legal permission to repair their dangerously dilapidated church, church
repair is nevertheless something clearly prohibited by the dhimma pact,
for the Christians must be seen to be humiliated.
On Sunday 9 October Christians, along with numerous sympathetic Muslims,
peacefully protested outside Cairo’s Maspero building, the home of
Egyptian state television and radio. They were calling for an end to
religious discrimination, but to demand equity and justice instead of
accepting subjugation and humiliation is to rebel against the dhimma pact.
This time the reprisal came first and foremost from the Egyptian military.
As violence escalated outside Maspero, state media falsely reported that
armed Coptic protesters had attacked the military, killing three soldiers,
and issued an appeal for loyal Muslims to rise up to defend their
military. Thousands of angry Muslims responded. So that the truth could
not be reported the military attacked the studios of al-Hurra (The Free
One) TV, targeting Christian reporters and forcing its closure.
The Maspero Massacre left 26 dead and more than 300 wounded. Eye witnesses
have testified that soldiers and police chased, shot and beat Christians
while abusing them as ‘infidels’ and ‘sons of dogs’. Whilst the state
media did apologise for its false report (blaming a ‘nervous reporter’)
the military publicly denied they had killed any Christians, despite
volumes of video and mobile phone footage showing armoured vehicles
running down Christians and crushing them amidst cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’
(Allah is great). A 27th Christian protester died on 16 October from the
injuries he received the previous Sunday.
The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has taken control of
the investigation. SCAF will doubtless call for ‘reconciliation’ whereby
the military makes peace with the Christians in exchange for the
Christians dropping all charges. Such ‘reconciliation’ appeases the short-
sighted, ‘can’t- be-bothered’ West and satisfies Egypt’s Islamists because
the dhimma pact prohibits Christians testifying against Muslims. The rise
of intolerant Islam, the return of dhimmitude and the guarantee of
impunity for acts of violent persecution bode ill for Egypt’s Christians.
[An extended version of this RLPB will be made available on Religious
Liberty Monitoring http://elizabethkendal.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL —
* comfort those who mourn and bring peace to those who fear by confirming
his presence and everlasting love, wielding his right arm of justice.
‘Be strong; fear not! Behold your God will come with vengeance, with
the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ (Isaiah 35:4 ESV)
* bring down the idol of Islam in Egypt and draw Egyptians to look beyond
all idols — Islam, the military, political leaders — to the Living
God; may the LORD make himself known to the Egyptians (Isaiah 19).
* awaken all who support human rights worldwide to the reality of Islamic
religious apartheid and the gross affront of dhimmitude to universal
human rights; may a cry go out around the world against it. ‘For
nothing will be impossible with God.’ (Luke 1:37 ESV)
~~~~
SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
——————————
EGYPT’S COPTIC CHRISTIANS AND THE MASPERO MASSACRE
On Sunday 9 October Egypt’s indigenous Coptic Christians protested
peacefully outside Cairo’s Maspero building, the home of Egyptian state
television and radio, calling for an end to religious discrimination.
Eventually the Egyptian military intervened violently crushing the
protest. Video footage shows military armoured vehicles running down
unarmed Christian citizens, crushing and killing them amidst cries of
‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is great). Eye witnesses testify that soldiers and
police chased, shot and beat Christians while abusing them as ‘infidels’
and ‘sons of dogs’. State media issued false reports about what was
happening and called for Muslims to rise up against the Christians to
defend the military. The military has whitewashed the massacre which
claimed 27 lives and left more than 300 wounded. Please pray for Egypt’s
imperilled Christians.
——————–
We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might
also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their
worship by people who are leading in prayer.
For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal’s
blog ‘Religious Liberty Monitoring’ <http://elizabethkendal.
Previous RLPBs may be viewed at <http://rlprayerbulletin.
This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious
Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international
religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.
If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly
issues direct by sending a blank email to <[email protected]>.
Discussion
No comments for “Egypt”