Source: www.persecution.org
Date: January 14, 2020
Egypt (International Christian Concern) – This past Friday evening, an Egyptian Muslim man attempted to kill a Coptic Christian woman named Katren in Cairo using a cutting tool. The man, whose name is Mamdooh, had three years ago tried to kill a different Coptic Christian woman as she was leaving church.
In this particular case, the incident occurred near a café, and was recorded on the shop’s security cameras. People in the café intervened to prevent Mamdooh from killing Katren, and they ensured that she was taken to the hospital. Her daughter said an interview to local news, “the man met my mother and covered her eyes. He told her, ‘I will kill you because you don’t cover your hair.’ He took off my mother 3 layers of skin.”
Christian women in Egypt are often targeted by extremists because they do not necessarily follow the Islamic dress code. However, choosing to wear a headscarf does not mean that Christian women will be free from harassment. It is also common for police to dismiss such incidents on the basis that the attacker had some sort of mental instability. In this particular case, Mamdooh’s mother reportedly provided a certificate which confirms her son’s instability. However, it is not clear as to the validity of the certificate, as the authorities also have a broader record of making document alterations to hide Christian persecution.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for a smooth recovery for Katren in the hospital. Praise God for the bystanders who intervened on Katren’s behalf. Pray for Mamdooh to come to know Christ.