Coptic Christians Murdered in Egypt

The religious minority has been harassed and discriminated against for decades, but this past year has seen a crescendo of murderous attacks, culminating in the New Year's midnight mass slaughter this weekend.

The bombing early on Saturday morning climaxed the bloodiest year in four decades of sectarian tensions in Egypt, beginning with a Muslim gunman’s killings of nine people outside another midnight Mass, at a church in the city of Nag Hammadi on Jan. 6, the Coptic Christmas.

Analysts said the weekend bombing was in a sense the culmination of a long escalation of violence against Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population.

Christians and Jews have been systematically driven out of the Middle East, concurrent with the rise of Islamofascism, notably since WWII. You could say the West defeated Hitler only to have him resurrect himself through this supremacist ideology, bent on destroying democratic freedoms and the rule of law for individuals.

The thing, the difference is, is that no other religious system makes rules for people who are outside the religion. But Islamic law does. And it mandates, institutionalizes the subjugation of non-Muslims.

We had bomb packages mailed on planes from Yemen to Chicago synagogues this fall.

The Tribune covers a Coptic church in Burr Ridge.

The Bahai have already taken refuge from Iran in Wilmette.

Unlike ours, the Coptic Christmas comes after New Year's. We've seen the war on Christmas by the Islamofascists--will they kill Christmas in Egypt?

This is our cause too, and of anyone who believes in freedom, hope and charity. From the NY Times:

Others posted mourning messages on the Facebook page of Mariouma Fekry, a young woman killed in the bombing. Before leaving for the midnight Mass, she had written on her page, “this year has the best memories of my life” and “I have so many wishes in 2011 ... hope they come true ... plz god stay beside me & help make it all true.”

Remember Mariouma.

More, via memeorandum: Egyptian Security Guards Withdrew One Hour Before Church Blast, Say Eyewitnesses

And my friend at Bread upon the Waters: The Face of Martyrdom in Egypt