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Attacks on Christians Escalate in Egypt, Nigeria
By Raymond Ibrahim
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On July 4th, the day after the Egyptian military liberated its nation from Muslim Brotherhood rule, Christian Copts were immediately scapegoated and targeted. All Islamist leaders--from Brotherhood supreme leader Muhammad Badi, to Egyptian-born al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri, to top Sunni cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi--made a point to single out Egypt's Copts as especially instrumental in the ousting of former Islamist president Morsi, a claim that ushered in a month of slaughter against the nation's Christian minority.

Among other events in July, unprecedented numbers of Christian churches were attacked, plundered, desecrated, and torched. According to one Egyptian human rights lawyer, "82 churches, many of which were from the 5th century, were attacked by pro-Morsi supporters in just two days." Al-Qaeda's flag was raised above some churches; anti-Christian graffiti littered the sides of other churches and Coptic homes. Due to extreme anti-Christian sentiment, many churches ceased holding worship services until recently. Dozens of Coptic homes and businesses were also attacked, looted and torched.

In the Sinai, a young Coptic priest was shot dead in front of his church, while the body of Magdy Lam'i Habib, a Copt, was found beheaded and mutilated. Four other Christians were slaughtered by Muslims in the province of Luxor. Entire towns and villages have been emptied of Copts, including the eviction of more than 100 Christian families from El Arish in the terror-infested Sinai.

Coptic Pope Tawadros II left the papal residence at St. Mark Cathedral --which had been savagely attacked when Morsi was still president-- for a time due to death threats, and temporarily discontinued holding services.

The rest of July's roundup of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes, (but is not limited to,) the following accounts, listed by theme and country in alphabetical order, and not according to severity:

Attacks on Christian Worship: Churches and Monasteries

Guinea: During a mob-led frenzy, Christians and their churches were savagely attacked in the Muslim-majority nation; some 95 Christians were slain and 130 wounded. In Nz



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