One beaten to death, the other's body bore the marks of torture.
The following is a report from our field contact in Egypt, as we received it in November, 2006:
Gerguis is a young guy who had just finished his school and because the military in Egypt is obligatory, he had to join the military for a year and a half. He lived in a remote village called El Qousia in Upper Egypt.Ê At the military, his officer hated him just for the fact that he's Christian, and was trying to force him to become a Muslim. As they were moving from a site to another taking the train, Gerguis asked if he can go to the bathroom. His officer got mad and started kicking him in his private area. Gerguis bled to death.
They called his family to come and collect the body. The police had put in the report that he died because he was over drugged. They claimed that they found drugs in his pocket. When his father arrived to the police station, the officer had him finger print on the report. The father did, not knowing what was it about.
Gerguis is married and have a little boy who is now a year and a half. His wife was pregnant when Gerguis died. She lost the baby 6 hours after he was born and was buried with his dad. His family lives in a very bad condition. They have no bathroom, no flooring, and concrete walls. They have no fridge, washing machine nor even beds.
Our visit was very timely, as they have nothing. When we offered them a love gift, they felt the love of the Lord as they don't have a stable source of income. His father who works in shining shoes, and of course in such a remote village where they don't wear shoes very often, he's making very little money. The only income they have for the family and Gerguis's wife and son is through the father of Gerguis.
The family now is targeted by the Moslems around them. They find them ignorant and vulnerable so they approach them with money wanting the whole family to become Moslems. Please pray for this poor family and pray that the Lord would grant us wisdom on how to help them to live a better life and have a stable source of income.
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Please find attached a picture of Gerguis Rizk holding his son, and another small picture of him. That was the last picture before his death.
Hany Sarofim Nasralla from a village called Rahmania -- in Qena which is south of Egypt. Hany was a soldier in the southern part of Aswan -- unit # 2152C -- 33. The leader of his unit hated him just because he's Christian. He kept humiliating him in front of the other soldiers for no reason. He used to punish him for things that he was not part of. Hany felt total injustice. In Egypt, military is obligatory, that's why Hany had no where to go.
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When the head of his unit (no body knows his name) was fed up with Hany, he tried to make him deny Christianity and be a Moslem. Hany refused many times and later he talked with his mother on the phone and told her about that guy. Hany told his mother that when he told the head of the unit that if he tries to Islamize him again, he will have to report him to the Military Securities, he replied that "I'll show you what I can do", and threatened him. Hany was so worried and anxious on the phone with his mum. He knew that this officer was up to something very evil but was not sure what. He asked her to pray for him.
Four days later, Hany's body was found in the river Nile near where he lives. He was tortured everywhere. We're sending you a picture of the body which was taken before the funeral, and a picture of him." His family filed a case # 5251/2006 Nagaa Hamadi- Qena, but no one is giving any attention to this case."
This incident happened in August 2006.
Please help Hany's family by forwarding this to the whole world.
Editor's note: When we hear such stories from our vantage point of relative comfort in North America, we may cringe and close our eyes to the bitter suffering of other Christians. We may not want to see the reality of what life is like in a country where millions of Christians are treated as "the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world." (1 Cor. 4:13). But, dear friends, do not shrink back in the face of this intense suffering that afflicts our brethren. This is your opportunity to encourage our brothers and sisters with your prayers, and your support through ministries like The Last Harvest, that provide needed help and resources for gospel proclamation in Egypt.
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Hany Sarofim Nasralla was tortured to death following his refusal to become a Muslim, while serving in the Egyptian army.
Nasralla's body was found in Nile, bearing marks of severe torture.
Gerguis Rizk also suffered martyrdom while serving in the Egyptian army. His officer kicked him to death after he refused to convert to Islam.
Gerguis left a wife and son behind, who are living in poverty. Please pray for them. |
