Egyptian Coptic Christians Forced To Pay "Jizya" Tax

According to the Christian Post, Coptic Christians in the town of Dalga, Egypt, are now being forced to pay the "jizya" tax to the Islamists. For those of you who might not now, that's the Islamic "submission" tax that non-Muslims have to pay if they choose not to convert to Islam. As much as $30.00 a day, for some.

Dalga, a city of 120,000 people in southern Egypt, is home to 20,000 Christians and has been under Islamist control since President Mohammed Morsi was forced to step down by the military at the beginning of the summer. After Morsi's was ousted, Islamist attackers descended upon the city's Christian neighborhoods, torching and plundering and establishing themselves as the city's authority. In response, many Coptic families have fled the city.

Father Yunis Shawqi told reporters from El Dostor Daily News yesterday that though the amount varied, the tax had been leveled against all Christian Copts.

"[The] value of the tribute and method of payment differ from one place to another in the village, so that, some are being expected to pay 200 Egyptian pounds per day, others 500 Egyptian pounds per day," Mr. Shawqi said, according to the translator.

More here.

Video: The Destruction Of Christian Churches and Businesses In Egypt By Muslim Brotherhood Activists

Human Rights Watch documents the destruction and looting of Christian churches, businesses, schools, and even an orphanage by Muslim Brotherhood activists and other Islamists all over Egypt. All of this in retaliation after police and security forces tried to break up the Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo.

Two employees on a tourist boat restaurant who were hiding when it was attacked, were found dead. One was a Christian, the other was a Muslim.

No-one came to help before or after the attacks.

More Violence In Egypt- Pro-Morsi Supporters Torch Three Churches, Journalists Killed

Violence in the Middle East is never gone for very long. Egypt is back in the throes of it, and pro-Mohammed Morsi supporters are taking it out on the Coptic Christian minorities.

Supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi torched three churches in central Egypt on Wednesday in reprisal attacks as police dispersed demonstrations in Cairo, reports said.

The assailants threw firebombs at Mar Gergiss church in Sohag, a city with a large community of Coptic Christians who comprise up to 10 percent of Egypt’s 84 million people, causing it to burn down, the official MENA news agency said.

Security officials told AFP that another two churches were attacked in el-Menia province, leaving them partially damaged by fire.

Coptic rights group the Maspero Youth Union reported the same information, accusing Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement of “waging a war of retaliation” against the country’s Christians.

Meanwhile, there have been many wounded and killed, on both sides, including 61-year-old Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, and 26-year-old Dubai reporter for XPRESS Habiba Ahmed Abd Elaziz. No-one seems to know who is responsible for their deaths.

Egyptian Coptic Teacher Accused Of Insulting Islam Released On Bail

A Coptic Christian social studies elementary school teacher who was arrested for insulting Islam has been released on bail. 23-year-old Demyana Emad was accused by some of her students and their parents of evangelizing and insulting Mohammed and Islam, something she categorically denies.

Egypt’s top prosecutor ordered on Tuesday the release of a Coptic schoolteacher accused of contempt of Islam on a bail of EGP 20,000, pending investigations.

[snip]

The Upper Egypt Luxor prosecution had ordered her detention for four days pending investigation, and a court renewed her arrest for 15 more days.

This is not an isolated case, according to attorney Naguib Gabriel, of the Egyptian Federation of Human Rights:

“This counts as the 18th incident of arresting Christian teachers on charges of defaming the religion of Islam."

"Copts are fed up with being prosecuted on charges of evangelism and contempt of Islamic religion, especially since there is no article in the penal code that criminalises preaching."

It's okay for Muslims to proselytize, but a no-no for Christians.

Sources: Bikya News, All Africa

Muslim Violence After Egyptian Muslim Girl Runs Off With Coptic Christian Man

No problem if a Christian or other non-Muslim woman converts to Islam for a man, even if it's forced as often happens in countries like Pakistan. But woe betide both the Muslim woman who converts to Christianity and the Christians in the community that facilitated the conversion.

An Egyptian security official and a priest say police fired tear gas and clashed with a stone-throwing mob of Muslims who had surrounded a Coptic Church in anger over an inter-faith romance.

The Muslim protesters accuse the church of helping to secret away 21-year-old Rana el-Shazli, believed to have converted to Christianity before fleeing her small town with a Coptic Christian man to Turkey.

The alleged romance ignited sectarian tension in Wasta, a rural town in Beni Suef province, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Cairo. Clashes flared anew on Friday after weekly Muslim prayers.

For more than a month, Muslims have attacked churches over the incident and forced Christians to close their shops in the town.

Source: Al Arabiya

Video- Coptic Christian Women Assaulted In Egypt

This video shows several Coptic Christian women being assaulted in Egypt. In spite of the fact that it appears they were wearing hijab and modest clothing, they were still attacked by a mob of men shouting Allahu Akbar- in broad daylight. But it's not just Christian women who are sexually harassed, all females are targets in Egypt, because Egyptian men have no respect for women.

Benghazi Coptic Christian Church Torched By Extremists

More Christian persecution, this time in Libya.  A Coptic Christian church in Benghazi, that had already suffered damage by Islamic extremists in February, was torched again on Thursday.

According to a witness:

"Several armed men arrived firing in the air, started a fire in the church and left," a resident near the church in central Benghazi said, asking not to be named.

At least this time no-one was hurt. Back in February a priest and his assistant were also attacked.

Christians have been living in fear of the rise of Islamic extremism since Moammar Gadhafi was driven from power and killed in 2011 with the help of the U.S.

48 More Egyptian Christians Arrested In Libya For Proselytizing

Libya's on a roll. Several weeks ago a Swedish/American, South African, South Korean and an Egyptian were arrested for preaching Christianity. 48 more Egyptian Christians have  been detained for proselytizing, but they are officially being charged with illegal entry.

“Forty-eight Egyptian traders who worked in the Benghazi municipal market have been arrested based on reports of suspect activities,” the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said they were found in possession of a quantity of copies of Bible, texts encouraging conversion to Christianity, and images of Christ and the late Pope Shenuda of Egypt’s Coptic Christians, none of which were for “personal use.”

But the main charge was illegal entry into Libya, he said.

A video posted on the Internet shows dozens of men with shaved heads squatted on the floor in a tiny room as a bearded Libyan recounts how they had been arrested on charges of proselytizing.

A local official, meanwhile, said the group of men were being well treated and would be deported after an investigation over illegal immigration was completed.

At least they'll be deported and not beheaded.