Christian man in Egypt killed in front of his son and two nephews
Your prayers are needed following an attack against another Christian in Egypt. On 5 July, Abdel-Masih Sadeq Khalil was tragically killed by a Muslim extremist in front of his son and two nephews.
Abdel-Masih from Egypt was killed for his faith in Jesus
A 58-year-old Christian man from Egypt was brutally murdered in front of his son and two nephews, with the attacker heard saying, “I killed this Christian kaffir to get to paradise.”
Abdel-Masih Sadeq Khalil – a father of eight – was on the way to deliver food to those working on the family’s citrus farm in the village of Ezbet Al Thawabit in Minya Governate on Tuesday 5 July when the horrific incident took place. He had his four-year-old son and two nephews (aged 6 and 8) with him.
Attacker waited to ambush victim
According to eyewitnesses, Abdel-Masih was approaching the farm gate when a local villager – who had been waiting for him under a nearby tree – attacked him through the car window. Abdel-Masih’s arm was injured, which caused him to lose control of the car and crash into the farm gate.
The attacker then opened the car door, pulled Abdel-Masih from the car and stabbed him in the chest while shouting “Allah Akbar, oh Christian, oh kaffir” before running away. One eyewitness heard him say, “I killed this Christian kaffir to get to paradise.” (‘kaffir’ is often used by Muslims to refer to people who are not Muslims, sometimes as an insult.)
"My father was very peaceful and he was loved by many people" Mina, abdel-masih's son
Mina, Abdel-Masih’s eldest son, was on the farm when news of the attack reached him. “While we were working inside the farm, we were surprised that the eight-year-old son of my cousin was running towards us screaming and trembling with fear,” he shares.
“We found my father laying on the ground and drenched in his blood in front of the gate of the farm,” Mina continues. “My four-year-old brother and my cousin's six-year-old son were close to him, screaming and shivering with fear and panic. Two women from the village were beside my father trying to help him. We rushed to the hospital but my father passed away once we arrived.”
‘Targeted and killed for his faith’
“There was no relationship between this man and my father,” Mina says. “He killed him without any reason, just because my father is a Christian. My father was targeted and killed for his faith. My father was very peaceful and he was loved by many people. He had no enemies.
“We want my father's right. I appeal to the president, the Interior Minister, the Public Prosecutor and the just judiciary to speed up the completion of investigations, and that the criminal receives just punishment under the rule of law.”
The perpetrator was arrested by police the same day, but his family told the police and prosecution that he is mentally ill. This is often cited in attacks against Christians, as a way to avoid punishment. It means believers in Egypt – which is number 20 on the World Watch List – struggle to get justice for crimes committed against them, which adds to their vulnerability.
In this particular case, the prosecution has remanded the attacker in custody, pending further investigation.
