Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

Report: Coptic Christian Students Beaten, Forced by Teachers, Classmates to Remove Cross Jewelry

AP Photo/Amr Nabil
Share Tweet
By Billy Hallowell
Editor

November 22, 2021

Coptic Christian students at a school in Egypt were recently forced to remove cross jewelry and were subsequently beaten by teachers and students, according to persecution watchdog International Christian concern.

These incidents reportedly unfolded at an elementary and middle school in Egypt’s Minya Governorate.

One of the episodes is said to have involved a female teacher who allegedly attacked a male child. The teacher not only purportedly participated in the assault, but also encouraged other kids to take part.

The group allegedly removed the cross, took the pendant away, and destroyed it. These shocking actions are said to have had the support of the headmaster at the school.

Children reportedly told their parents what unfolded, with news of the assaults later reaching persecution watchdogs and media outlets alike. It is unclear if any subsequent action was taken by government officials.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) cited Christian journalist Nader Shokry’s coverage of the incident. According to Shokry, these allegations are under investigation.

“There is an investigation and the directorate of education is following up the incident,” Shokry wrote. “Things have changed from the past, sectarian incidents still occur but there is a quick response now and things are dealt with more quickly.”

CSW President Mervyn Thomas called on Egyptian authorities to take swift action against those responsible, and expressed concern over the inclusion of teachers and adults in these incidents.

“We are particularly concerned by the fact that this conduct was encouraged and joined in by teachers, and call for appropriate measures to be taken against them,” he said in a statement. “Whilst we commend the efforts of the Egyptian government in recent years to improve the situation of Christians, and the personal commitment of President Sisi to reform religious education and combat extremism and hate speech, we continue to call upon the Egyptian authorities to extend these reforms to include unrecognized religious groups.”

Christian persecution remains a major problem in Egypt, which ranks 17th on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List, a rating of the countries in which persecution is most prevalent.

“Persecution against Christians in Egypt happens mostly at the community level. Incidents occur most frequently in Upper Egypt, where Salafist movements exert a strong influence on the rural communities due to high levels of illiteracy and poverty,” an explainer reads. “Incidents may vary from Christian women being harassed while walking in the street, to Christian communities being driven out of their homes by extremist mobs.”

Open Doors said Egyptian officials speak positively about Christians, but there is very little protection offered among law enforcement officials, creating a breeding ground for attacks and assaults.

In addition to community crackdowns, Christians also struggle to find places of worship at which to live out their faith in community, and conversions from Islam to Christianity are often met with intense resistance.

Open Doors also reports that Minya Governate, the place where the most recent school attacks unfolded, is “notorious for having the highest number of attacks on Christians.”

Continue to pray for Christians in Egypt and other nations on the World Watch List. Pray for hope, strength, and changed hearts and minds among the leaders and law enforcement bodies in these locations.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Latest

  • News

    ‘Word for Word’: Persecution Watchdog Warns of Striking Similarities Between Communist Persecution, ‘American Leftist Way of Restriction’

  • News

    Calgary Pastor Arrested for Second Time After Protesting Drag Show at Public Library

  • News

    ‘Gateways to the Demonic’: Pastor Breaks Down Possession, Spiritual Healing, and Biblical Truths About Devil’s Most Dangerous Tricks

  • Life

    ‘Nonsense’: Atheist and Biologist Richard Dawkins Hits Back at ‘Bullying’ of J.K. Rowling, Proclaims ‘There are Two Sexes’

  • News

    Christian Wrestler Under Fire After Praising Jesus, Mentioning Muhammad Following Win: ‘Holy Spirit Power — It’s Everything’


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • ‘Word for Word’: Persecution Watchdog Warns of Striking Similarities Between Communist Persecution, ‘American Leftist Way of Restriction’
  • Calgary Pastor Arrested for Second Time After Protesting Drag Show at Public Library
  • ‘Gateways to the Demonic’: Pastor Breaks Down Possession, Spiritual Healing, and Biblical Truths About Devil’s Most Dangerous Tricks
  • ‘Nonsense’: Atheist and Biologist Richard Dawkins Hits Back at ‘Bullying’ of J.K. Rowling, Proclaims ‘There are Two Sexes’
  • Christian Wrestler Under Fire After Praising Jesus, Mentioning Muhammad Following Win: ‘Holy Spirit Power — It’s Everything’

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Roe
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?