Gunman Kills Coptic Christians in Egypt

Emma Poisson, PHS PaperClip Writer

On Friday, May 26th, Coptic Christians were on a pilgrimage to St. Samuel the Confessor’s Monastery, located in the province of Minya. As the buses filled with eager believers approached Minya and Beni Suef provinces, gunman began firing at the vehicles (“Egypt Coptic Christians Killed in Bus Attack”).  The fatalities were not immediately, but it has been reported that many of the passengers that passed away were children.

“The Grand Imam of al-Azhar”, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyib, condemned the attacks. “The Minya incident is unacceptable to Muslims and Christians,” he said, “and it targets Egypt’s stability” (Casper).

While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, it has been stated that it is a probable act of terror committed by ISIS, who have been known to attack Coptic Christians in the past. In April, ISIS reportedly targeted Coptic services on the Holy Day of Palm Sunday, resulting in the death of 46 innocent victims.

As of last week, 48 individuals were reportedly members of a terrorist cell related to ISIS as reported by Egyptian authorities.

Coptic Christians are a Eastern sector of Christianity that follows the Apostle Mark, who was sent out to evangelize, or spread the word of God. They live in a predominantly Muslim area, which has been a cause of controversy for over 2,000 years.