Libya Recovers Remains of 21 Beheaded Coptic Christians

"Islamic State" militants reportedly carried out the execution-style killings in early 2015. A detained IS militant who witnessed the mass murder clued in authorities to the site.

Libyan authorities have recovered the remains of 21 Coptic Christians who were beheaded by so-called "Islamic State" (IS) militants more than two years ago, the anti-IS organization al-Bonyan al-Marsous announced Saturday.

The gruesome discovery was made in the seaside city of Sirte — the home town of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was toppled in 2011.

A statement said officials were led to the site by an IS militant who had witnessed the attack in early 2015. The witness, who was under arrest, gave authorities details about the mass execution and identified the militants involved.

The beheaded bodies were found with their hands cuffed behind their backs. Twenty of the victims were from Egypt and one was of an unknown African nationality. The remains were being moved to Libya's western city of Misrata for forensic examinations, according to a statement from the state's Combat Crime Department.

We spent some prayer and discussion time on this devastating slaughter at our church. Here is a summary:

On February 12, 2015, ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) released an online report showing photos of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians who were migrant workers in Libya, and whom ISIL had kidnapped. ISIL vowed to kill the migrant workers to avenge an alleged "kidnapping", in reference to a Coptic pastor's wife whom ISIL claimed had converted to Islam but who had been restored to her Coptic community.

On February 15, a five-minute video was released showing the beheading of the captives on a Libyan beach along the Mediterranean coast. All of the men but one were natives of a small Egyptian village called al Aour. A transplanted worker from Ghana had migrated with them from their village.

The ISIL video called the martyred captives “people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church." Speaking in American English, an assassin (wearing camouflage in the video) declared:

Oh people, recently you’ve seen us on the hills of Al-Sham [Greater Syria] and on Dabiq‘s Plain, chopping off the heads that had been carrying the cross delusion for a long time, filled with spite against Islam and Muslims, and today we… are sending another message: Oh crusaders, safety for you will be only wishes, especially when you’re fighting us all together; therefore we will fight you all together until the war lays down its burdens and Jesus (peace be upon him) will descend, breaking the cross, killing the swine. The sea you’ve hidden Sheikh Osama bin Laden‘s body in? We swear to Allah we will mix it with your blood.

After beheading the hostages, a message appears on the screen: “The filthy blood is just some of what awaits you, in revenge... As in other ISIL videos, the captives wore orange jumpsuits, in reference to prisoners in Guantanamo.

The incident was met with international outrage, even in majority-muslim Egypt.

The Muslim President of Egypt, el Sisi, offers condolences to the Coptic Orthodox Pope, Tawadros II.

President Abdel Fattah el Sisi of Egypt announced a seven-day period of national mourning, offered to build a new church in the village of al-Aour for the families of the martyrs, and declared that Egypt reserved the right to retaliate against Libya. On February 16, Egyptian military conducted airstrikes in Libya, targeting ISIL training locations and weapons stockpiles. All military aircraft returned safely to base. The Libyan air force also conducted strikes in Derna, occupied by an ISIL affiliate since 2014. About 40–50 militants and 7 civilians were reportedly killed.

On February 21, 2015, Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II announced that the 21 murdered Copts would be commemorated as martyr saints on 8 Amshir (Coptic calendar, which is 15 February of the Gregorian calendar), the feast day of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

The Coptic icon designed in commemoration shows angels bringing crowns to the 21 martyrs.

The ISIL video edited out the last words of the martyrs as they awaited beheading. None of the Christian migrant workers offered to convert to Islam. All maintained their faith in Jesus Christ and asked only for His help.

They had faith in Jesus Christ and that is what matters,” Bishop Feloubes Fawzy, 43, who lost his nephew and four of his cousins, told a reporter for Middle East Eye.

Fifi Shehata, whose father Maged, 41, was killed, also felt that their death was not in vain.

"My father died like a lion. He did not bow his head down. IS has no religion or mercy. I am now from the city of the martyrs. The city of the brave lions. May God forgive the killers. We don't have hatred towards them – this is Christianity. God forgives the sinners, so shall we," she said.

The 1,250 mile journey from al-Aour to Libya can take days, but many poor or unemployed Egyptian villagers make that choice. Shenouda Shokry, an Egyptian farmer whose brother Youssef was one of those killed, said that migrant workers have to pay some EGP 8,000 ($1,050) for a Libyan visa and flights.

Before the 2011 revolution deposed Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi, there were about 2 million Egyptian migrants in Libya. Today there are around 750,000, although thousands have reportedly returned since the execution of the 21 men.

Pray for the famlies of the 21 Christian martyrs:

Milad Makeen Zaky
Abanub Ayad Atiya
Maged Solaiman Shehata
Yusuf Shukry Yunan
Kirollos Shokry Fawzy
Bishoy Astafanus Kamel
Somaily Astafanus Kamel
Malak Ibrahim Sinweet
Tawadros Yusuf Tawadros
Girgis Milad Sinweet
Mina Fayez Aziz
Hany Abdelmesih Salib
Bishoy Adel Khalaf
Samuel Alham Wilson
Ezat Bishri Naseef
Loqa Nagaty
Gaber Munir Adly
Esam Badir Samir
Malak Farag Abram
Sameh Salah Faruq
Mathew Ayairga (of Ghana)

Citizens of the martyrs' al-Aour village commemorate the dead. Photos of the martyrs were hung throughout their local Orthodox Coptic church.

* * *

References:
MiddleEastEye.net: IN PICTURES: Relatives of Egyptian Christians killed by IS speak out
Aleteia blog: Islamic State Carries Out Mass Beheading of Christians
ABYSSUS ABYSSUM INVOCAT / DEEP CALLS TO DEEP Roman Catholic blog
Wikipedia: 2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya

“We forgive them that trespass against us.”

“We forgive them that trespass against us.” This means not to feel against our neighbour who has been guilty towards us (intentionally, obstinately, or unintentionally) any vexation, enmity, or malice, but to forgive him his fault in all simplicity of heart, vividly representing to ourselves our own infirmities and falling into sin,
and maintaining towards our guilty neighbour the same love and the same feelings of kindness which we felt
towards him before his fault. What would it be if the Lord were to notice our iniquities as we do the faults of
our neighbour? Who could withstand? But as the Lord is long-suffering and merciful, be also long-suffering and
merciful (not strictly exacting, but compassionate).

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind.” [1 Corinthian 13:4] Do not reckon the faults of your neighbour, consider them as though they were not; as nothing! We are one body,
and his body is a sinful one. What is more common and easier to us than sins? We breathe them like air. But the
Lord, the Head of the body of the Church, is the cleansing of them. Leave everything to the Head, Who worketh
all things in all; and hold fast to love alone, for it is the only infallible thing in our life (pure love). Do not serve the Devil by the spirit of enmity, malice, hatred; do not increase evil by evil, and do not spread the kingdom of
the enemy in the kingdom of Christ.

“Overcome evil with good.” [Romans 12:21]

For you cannot conquer evil with evil, just as you cannot put out fire by fire, but only by water. Malice is always an imagination of the Devil. Love is always God’s truth and God’s child.

St. John of Kronstadt, from My Life in Christ

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.