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Egyptian Christians in NJ May Have Been Murdered for Faith [Earth may be round!]
Barnabas Fund News Service ^ | 1-24-2005 | unknown

Posted on 01/24/2005 4:06:45 AM PST by johnny7

An Egyptian Christian father, Hossam Armanious, his wife and two daughters were found knifed to death in their home on Jan. 14. Police are investigating several theories, but religious tensions have been suggested as a potential motive. Armanious had been threatened during an Internet chat-room session, following his critical comments on Islam.

Hossam Armanious (47), his wife Amal Garas (36), and their daughters Sylvia (15) and Monica (8) were found in their house in Jersey City, bound and gagged with their throats slit and knife wounds to their heads and bodies. While police are suggesting a robbery as the possible motive, the style of killing has made friends and relatives see a link with Islamic teaching on killing unbelievers.

Armanious and his family moved from Luxor, Upper Egypt to the United States in the late 1990s to escape the growing anti-Christian violence in Upper Egypt. Such violence has seen many Christians killed and much Christian property destroyed in recent years. After settling in New Jersey, the family began making a new life for themselves. However, as a devout Christian, Armanious was outspoken about his faith, and continued to publicize the persecution of Christians in Egypt that had caused them to flee. He was known to have frequent vigorous debates on religion, including criticizing Islam, in Internet chat rooms. Two months ago, he received the threat that if he didn't stop these comments 'we are going to track you down like a chicken and kill you'. A parishioner of St George and St Shenouda, the Coptic Orthodox church they attended, said, 'They are trying to make us afraid, make us keep our mouth shut.' Armanious' refusal to keep quiet about Christian persecution under Islam may finally have caused the fatal stabbings.

Relatives of the family grew worried when they had not heard from them for several days. The extended family had been planning to gather together on Jan. 15 to celebrate Sylvia's 16th birthday. Early on the morning of Jan. 14 police broke into the family home and found all four in separate rooms. Autopsies have concluded that they bled to death from their multiple wounds. Sylvia, who had been known amongst her friends as 'very religious and very opinionated', seemed to family members to have taken more savage wounds than the others. She had a large gash across her chest and also stab wounds on her wrist. Though the slash on her wrist was near her tattoo of the Coptic cross, which all the family had, police have stated that it looks more like a defensive wound than an attempt to cut the tattoo.

Police officials and Coptic church leaders are attempting to downplay the religious link, asking people not to jump to conclusions. A break-in just a few months earlier had caused Armanious to increase security at the home, and as there were no signs of a forced entry police believe the family may have known their attacker. They have also reported that there was no jewelry or money in the house, with Armanious's wallet emptied and pockets turned out, leading them to the possibility of robbery as a motive.

However, family members who were permitted to enter the house to collect important papers have said that all the jewelry was there. These conflicting reports have added fuel to the relatives' outrage and some in the local Egyptian Christian community are calling for revenge. A deacon at their church has said that he is worried there may be a ripple effect following the murders, with both anger and fear growing. At the funeral several people carried placards saying 'Islam is not a religion.' The procession later descended into chaos as mourners started jumping on cars and threatening violence to a Muslim cleric who had attended.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armanious; chiefwiggum; christian; nj
“... we are going to track you down like a chicken and kill you”

Uh hunh... sounds like crack-head punks to me... absolutely How about a serial-killer... some white-guy... NRA member. Yeah... that's the ticket!

1 posted on 01/24/2005 4:06:45 AM PST by johnny7
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To: johnny7
Why waste time investigating people who threatened to kill the victim? Must be a robbery. Good thing Chief Wiggum is here.
2 posted on 01/24/2005 4:09:16 AM PST by lbmorris11 (America defeating terrorism and Liberalism)
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To: johnny7

The longer it takes the authorities to solve this crime, the longer this is going to simmer.


3 posted on 01/24/2005 4:11:47 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: johnny7; fastattacksailor; jan in Colorado; broadsword; Fred Nerks; Nesher

NJ Jihad PING!


4 posted on 01/24/2005 4:13:16 AM PST by Former Dodger (I thought ABORTION was murder and FUR was a Woman's right to choose.)
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To: johnny7
"Police are investigating several theories...

Let me guess,
'Chief Moose' has a new job and they're looking for "an angry white male in a white van"!

5 posted on 01/24/2005 4:14:44 AM PST by Condor51 (May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Gen G Patton)
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To: johnny7

Robbery????? Right???? Someone is as dumb as a nit to believe that. Islamic Radical Terrorist are people who kill like that it is in their how to book.


6 posted on 01/24/2005 4:16:45 AM PST by YOUGOTIT
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To: johnny7

Can't wait to see the wide exposure on "America's Most Wanted". /sarcasm


7 posted on 01/24/2005 4:18:33 AM PST by PGalt
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To: johnny7

What race is the Chief of Police in Jersey City?


8 posted on 01/24/2005 4:18:37 AM PST by zzen01
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To: Condor51
Let me guess,
'Chief Moose' has a new job and they're looking for "an angry white male in a white van"!


9 posted on 01/24/2005 4:44:33 AM PST by blues_guitarist (Black conservatives arise!)
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To: blues_guitarist
Thanks for the pic (LOL), I didn't have time to do a search

And I still love your Les Paul :-)

10 posted on 01/24/2005 4:48:31 AM PST by Condor51 (May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Gen G Patton)
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To: johnny7

Looks to me like both the media and the police want this matter to just disappear.


11 posted on 01/24/2005 5:05:17 AM PST by montag813
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To: zzen01

American political animal,known for the distinctive cover thine own ass markings and self preservation activities.
Oops --es verdad - I spoke of specie not race.


12 posted on 01/24/2005 5:08:37 AM PST by StonyBurk
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To: johnny7

Had this poor family been murdered by fanatical Christians, the story would be 24/7 must see TV on every network.


13 posted on 01/24/2005 5:25:35 AM PST by MisterRepublican ("I must go. I must be elusive.")
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To: johnny7

"all the jewelry was there"

May Be Hate Crime. Just May Be.


14 posted on 01/24/2005 5:33:04 AM PST by balk
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To: lbmorris11

Chief Wiggum: Can't you people take the law into your own hands? I mean, we can't be policing the entire city!

15 posted on 01/24/2005 6:03:36 AM PST by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
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To: gridlock
I mean, we can't be policing the entire city!

Almost these exact words were uttered Friday by a Councilman in Springfield, MA.

A Getty gas-station/store has been having fights break out in the parking lot on a non-stop basis. The police have 'tried' to quell them to no avail. The owner was told “You better hire a cop!”

The city of Springfield is in 'Recievership'... which means they can't control spending money that they don't have. From the top down(excluding the new mayor), there is/was corruption and graft.

Basic services(police/fire etc.) had been cut back to provide for 'entitlements' during the reign of several previous mayors and a 'progressive' city council.

Now, Springfield's budget is dictated by Beacon Hill.

It is the worst city in MA.

16 posted on 01/24/2005 6:24:45 AM PST by johnny7 (“FDR's pee was like God's lemonade!” -Doris Kearns Goodwin)
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To: johnny7

Down in Jersey City, they want you to hire one of the off duty cops (at double time) to provide security. They won't let anybody else into town, so the cops get all the work.

Of course, since the cops are working their normal shifts, you can't expect them to be showing up in the middle of the night, so they'll just be on call. You pay them whether they show up or not.

BTW, when you make out the check, the officer's name is "Cash". Seems every cop in town is named "Officer Cash"...


17 posted on 01/24/2005 6:42:17 AM PST by gridlock (ELIMINATE PERVERSE INCENTIVES)
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To: johnny7

On this one they are HYPER CAUTIOUS to jump to the obvious conclusions... but Hey if its a lie about Bush dodging the draft.... with no credible evidence... hey, there's no "might" involved.


18 posted on 01/24/2005 6:43:58 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: YOUGOTIT
Robbery????? Right???? Someone is as dumb as a nit to believe that. Islamic Radical Terrorist are people who kill like that it is in their how to book.

Yup, the cops are morons.

19 posted on 03/04/2005 4:10:41 PM PST by Doe Eyes
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