Christian leaders in Egypt and the United States are calling for an end to the violence in Cairo after deadly clashes on Sunday left at least 26 dead and more than 200 injured following protests by Coptic Christians against growing persecution.
Officials at Open Doors USA, a ministry for persecuted believers, said contacts in Cairo are reporting that the violence was initiated by the Egyptian government’s security forces. Also, Christians inside Egypt told Open Doors that excessive force was used against people who were protesting peacefully.
“We really need to pray for the Christians there and the uncertain future that they face,” Open Doors USA spokesman Jerry Dykstra told The Christian Post. “Many people in Egypt, including Christians in general, are frustrated that since the fall of Mubarak in January there has not been a lot of movement toward democracy.”
“There is no reason for disrupting and killing people who are just doing peaceful demonstrations,” he added.
Violence erupted in the streets of Cairo Sunday when Coptic Christians protested the burning of a church in southern Egypt a week ago, according to media reports.
In an email received by Open Doors within the past day, a pastor from the area stated, “We had to finish our evening service early last night as we could hear the guns firing and it sounded like a war was breaking out … but the church is still open for services. We anticipate that our normal prayer meeting this afternoon, attended by around 1,200 people, will be a powerful time of prayer. Thank you so much for praying for us and we too continue to pray for you.” To read more, click here.
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