By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
CAIRO (Worthy News) - Christian villagers in Egypt’s southern Minya province are recovering after they were nearly torched alive by Islamic militants ahead of Orthodox Easter, Christians told Worthy News on Thursday.
Islamic militants set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in the Minya province village of Al-Fawakher, according to footage seen by Worthy News.
There were no causalities reported among the estimated scores of Christians impacted by the April 24 arson attacks.
“Although the attackers attempted to prevent the occupants from leaving their burning homes, thankfully, there were no reported fatalities,” said advocacy group The Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which closely followed the case.
“It is believed that the attack may have been triggered by plans to build a new church building in the village,” VOMC added. After Christian villagers received a building permit, they began receiving threats from community members opposing the project, Christians said.
Police reportedly made several arrests but so far declined to give more details about the suspects.
NO ASSISTANCE
Christians who somehow managed to escape the inferno said that “no assistance was given” to them by alerted authorities during the attack. They also complained that security forces arrived too late, but there was no immediate comment from police officials.
Reverend Riadh Jaballah, vice president of VOMC’s International Ministry, suggested that the attack was intended "to create sedition and division between the community's Muslims and Christians."
Riadh urged believers to support the now homeless Christians in the attacked village, including with prayers. "We are [all] believers. It doesn't matter about [our] denominations. We need to stand up together,” he said in comments shared with Worthy News.
He added that the violence highlighted broader persecution of devoted Christians in Egypt “especially leading up to the Orthodox observance of Easter” starting May 5.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights recorded at least 77 attacks on Coptic Christians between 2011 and 2016 in Minya, hosting a majority of the country’s Christians. Bishop Makarios of Minya survived an attack in 2013 when he and his vehicle came under fire.
Egypt’s current government hasn’t publicly condemned the latest April 24 attack against Christians. Instead, it designated Sunday, May 5, and Monday, May 6, as “bank holidays” to celebrate Labour Day, though it falls on May 1.
EASTER ‘SINFUL’
The government memorandum sparked outrage within the Coptic Orthodox community for “ignoring Orthodox Easter Sunday,” which falls on May 5, Worthy News learned.
Coptic activists claimed the move may be intended to appease Egypt’s Salafi Muslims as they consider recognizing Easter “sinful.”
Salafi Muslims view Easter as defying the Islamic doctrine, which denies Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Egyptian Christians have long called for their right to have equal rights with the Muslim majority and be able to build new worship premises freely.
Most of Egypt's Christian minority belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Some 10 to 15 percent of Egypt’s nearly 109 million people are Christians, with most of them identifying themselves as Coptic Orthodox, one of the world's oldest Christian communities, experts say.