One Of The Oldest Communities Of The Faithful Is Under Siege — And The World Must Act

Worldwide attacks on Christians are at a level not seen since the first centuries of Christianity, as Pope Francis noted recently.

The attacks are so frequent and so deadly — which risks not just “compassion fatigue,” but indifference. A systematic genocide is occurring not just in Iraq and Syria but in Nigeria and in many other countries, which can no longer be denied. The Coptic Christian community of Egypt, which makes up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population and existed long before Islam reared its conquering head, has suffered more than most — and is now suffering again with the third attack in the last two months.

At least 26 Coptic Christians, including many children, were on their way from Cairo to Minya, to the monastery of St. Samuel to pray. They were harmless pilgrims. The Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, has called the Copts their “favorite prey,” and since the Manchester attack days ago, little children seem to be particular favorites.

Much condemnation has already been expressed, the same words from the politicians after each attack; but there seems to be little outrage and even less action. World leaders do not gather in Cairo to march arm-in-arm, as they did, with a million people in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo massacre. There are no vigils for the Copts, no minutes of silence — the Copts seem to be very far away and very insignificant.

Persecuted Christians, said a senior figure in the current administration to a source of mine, have “no constituency.” If that cynical fact is true, there is only one group to blame: those who call themselves Christians, both the leadership of the church and the millions who attend divine worship each Sunday.

Most ordinary believers feel powerless to do anything and, in fact, do not know what to do. That can change — and the “constituency” can become very real and very powerful. Just weeks ago, the vice president of the United States spoke at the World Summit on Persecuted Christians, an event organized by the Rev. Franklin Graham, in Washington, D.C.

Vice President Mike Pence promised that “protecting and promoting religious liberty is a foreign-policy priority” of the Trump administration. Is there any more simple way of protecting religious liberty than allowing men, women and children to go to pray at a monastery without being slaughtered?

There are two very practical ways the protection and promotion of religious liberty can actually be a foreign-policy “priority”: money and immigration. The U.S. provides $1.3 billion each year in military aid to the Egyptian government.

Just days ago, President Trump said Egyptian President Al-Sisi was doing “a tremendous job” — but not apparently so tremendous when it comes to protecting the indigenous and ancient Christian community of his own country. Within the last week, in Saudi Arabia, Trump gave what many are calling the strongest challenge to Muslim leaders in decades.

He then signed a multimillion-dollar arms deal with the Saudis. Saudi textbooks, Saudi-trained imams and Saudi-sponsored mosques spread the most virulent and extreme form of Wahhabism. Cut the money if there is no promotion and protection of religious liberty.

Victims of genocide must be given priority to emigrate to the United States and other countries of their choice. It would, indeed, be a tragedy for Christianity to disappear from the very place it came to birth, especially Egypt — which sheltered the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph when they faced persecution. Nevertheless, it may be politically incorrect to prioritize Christians for immigration.

Yet at the judgment seat, we will not be asked whether we were politically correct. We will be asked what we did for our suffering brothers and sisters.

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Franklin Graham Condemns Islam, Terror In Wake Of Manchester Attack

” I’ve got news for them…” declaring Islam “a threat to our very way of life.”

In a pair of Facebook posts following the attack that killed 22 people and injured more than 100, Graham shunned efforts by some to praise Islam while disavowing terrorists

“Islam targets the weak,” he wrote Tuesday.

“The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the horrific carnage of Monday night’s bombing in Manchester, England, targeting children, teens and their parents who were attending a concert. They’re proud of this despicable and cowardly act,” Graham wrote.

As Graham called for prayers for those injured and grieving in the wake of the attack, he also called for prayers “that God would give wisdom to our leaders in combating this and the courage to identify what it is by name — Islamic terrorism, as President Donald J. Trump has done.”

Graham said Trump “was so right when he called the Manchester Islamic terrorists ‘losers.’ The truth is, they’re losers in this world and in the next. The president said, ‘This wicked ideology must be obliterated.’”

Graham said the ideology of the terrorists is flawed.

“Jihadists following this are taught the lie that if you kill an infidel (a Christian or a Jew) and die in doing so, you will go to paradise where 70 virgins await you. I’ve got news for them: Hell awaits, with real flames and real fire,” he said.

Graham said that Muslims who want to avoid hell should be taking a different road.

“Hell is a real place — and so is Heaven, but there is only one road to Heaven. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (John 14:6). It is my prayer that Muslims around the world will come to know the truth and put their faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone,” he wrote.

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