By BosNewsLife Middle East Service
CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)– Christians in Egypt are mourning after another believer was murdered in Egypt, the fifth killing in less than two weeks. Ishak Ibrahim Fayez Younan, 37, was found dead by his brother at the victim’s temporary residence in the old part of Cairo, the capital. He leaves behind a grieving wife and two children, ages 10 and 12, Christians said.
Ishak’s death bears similarities with the other slain Christians who each had their throat cut, while money and other valuables were left behind, according to Christians familiar with the situation. Egypt police reportedly said that robbery was the motive behind at least one of the murders.
Ishak was reportedly murdered in the flat he rented while working at a factory that supplies soft drinks to supermarkets. His wife and two children were apparently at the family home in El-Sheikh Zaied, a village in Upper Egypt region, at the time of the January 16 attack.
“The murderer didn’t steal his money or anything from the flat, which indicates that the motive was not theft,” said Ishak’s brother Magdy, who alerted police, in published remarks.
“My brother had no enemies; he was a very simple man and peaceful,” Magdy added. “He left his wife and children to work in Cairo to support them. His family will now face difficulties as he was the primary breadwinner.”
PRAYING FOR COMFORT
Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), an advocacy group supporting Christians in the region, said it had asked supporters to pray and ask that “the Lord greatly comfort, encourage and strengthen each grieving family member, friend and fellow believer associated with those who were slain in Egypt for their faith during recent weeks.”
The group said it hopes that “these surviving loved ones not lose heart…but rather draw closer to Him who promises to be especially near to the brokenhearted during their time of need.”
It was crucial to “Pray that they will be greatly reassured by the many promises contained in God’s Word — turning their mourning into inexpressible joy over the anticipation of being reunited with their loved ones in eternity where they will never ever be separated again and, most glorious of all, finally meet their blessed Saviour face to face.”
The killing comes amid mounting concerns about Islamic extremism in Egypt where activists have long maintained that President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has not done enough to tackle the troubles faced by Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the mainly Muslim population.
Christians, mainly known as Copts in Egypt, are also are often denied top jobs in security agencies or academia, according to several rights groups.
