Free Republic

The Holy Virgin’s church at the mid-Delta town of Mehalla was the scene of Coptic demonstrations this week in the aftermath of the disappearance of 18-year-old Amal Zaki Nessim. Amal went to work as usual last Sunday but never came back. Her colleagues at the Mehalla Spinning and Weaving Company said she left work early that day with a friend who is a fully-veiled Muslim woman named Samah. Amal’s family reported her missing and Samah was questioned by the police but claimed she knew nothing about Amal’s disappearance. The Copts demonstrated in wrath, demanding that the police find Amal and...

An Egyptian Muslim who converted to Christianity has gone into hiding, facing death threats after he launched an attempt to get official recognition of his change of religion, an unprecedented step in this conservative Islamic nation. An Islamist cleric has vowed to seek Mohammed Hegazy's execution as an apostate, his family has shunned him, and Hegazy raised a storm of controversy when pictures of him posing for journalists with a poster of the Virgin Mary were published in the newspapers. Hegazy said he received death threats ... he lives with his wife, who is also a convert from Islam and...

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- One person is dead and more than a dozen others wounded in attacks on worshipers today at three Coptic Christian churches in Egypt. The simultaneous assaults in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria were carried out during Friday Mass by knife-wielding assailants. Police have set up checkpoints but the attackers got away. At least two of 17 people hurt are in serious condition.

Fearing a repeat of the recent riots against the Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt, which left four dead, more than 80 wounded and seven churches defaced, leaders of the Coptic church in the United States are calling on the U.S. government and the United Nations to take immediate action to stop the bloodshed and destruction of churches. Exclusive video footage released by the International Christian Union and American Coptic Association, or ICU/ACA, yesterday reveals the destruction of the Assemblies of God Church for Evangelical Copts in Moharam Bek on Friday, Oct. 21. An e-mail report from Dr. Monir Dawoud, president...

Here's my letter to Kenneth Chan of the Christian Post. They seem to be doing everything they can to pretend there is no religious angle to the New Jersey killings. Please write Mr. Chan (kenneth@christianpost.com) and encourage him to dig a bit deeper: Dear Mr. Chan, Your article in the Christian post, published under the title "Christians, Muslims call for Unity in New Jersey," only included, that I could tell, a single comment from a single Episcopalian minister, but no updated response from Coptic clergy in the area. Did I miss something? Have you pressed federal and local authorities for...

Waving flags and shouting, "God bless America," about 100 Coptic Christians from Egypt held an impromptu rally outside of their church on Bergen Avenue in Jersey City yesterday, expressing support for America and denouncing terrorism."This is out of our own feeling," said Jacob Keryakes, 31, a member of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate Church, located a few blocks from Journal Square."It's a show of our support and solidarity for America, because we know how it feels to be victims of terror."

Four family members slain in their Jersey City home JERSEY CITY, N.J.— Four family members were found slain in their home Friday morning. All were bound and gagged, and their throats were slashed, First Assistant Hudson County Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory said. Jersey City police broke down the door to the home about 4 a.m. after concerned relatives said they had not heard from the family for several days, authorities said. The victims were Hossam Armanious, 46; his wife, Amal Garas, 36; and their daughters, Sylvia Armanious, 16, and Monica Armanious, 8. No arrests had been made as of...