Egypt: Christian Man Shot Outside Church By Suspected Islamists, Dies After Hospitals Refuse Treatment

Qur’an Sura 2:191-193, “And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-Muslims] … fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.”

By BosNewsLife – “A young Coptic Christian man has died from gunshot injuries in Egypt’s capital Cairo, after three local hospitals turned him away, Christians said Tuesday, January 6.

Ihab Ghattas, 23, reportedly died on New Year’s Eve from a gunshot wound to the head because of ‘negligence’ as the hospitals which refused to treat him, said Copts activist group Maspero Youth Union (MYU).

He was shot outside Mar Girgis (St George’s) Church in the Ain Shams area of Cairo after celebrating mass by suspected supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, MYU said in published remarks.

Ghattas was allegedly denied access in one hospital because it was deemed not to be an emergency, while another cited ‘a lack of beds.’

The third hospital refused to treat him due to the absence of an intensive care unit, the MYU said…

A fourth hospital, St. Peter’s in Heliopolis, admitted him but he died soon afterwards, news reports said.

However doctors could no safe his life as he had been ‘bleeding for three hours’, Christians said. MYU has demanded an investigation, but it was not immediately clear Tuesday, January 6, when and if authorities will search for the attackers.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters reportedly fired birdshot at St. George’s Church, after which a group of young people from the church, including Ghattas, had joined police in defending it.

News of the latest killing overshadowed Coptic Christmas, which was celebrated in Cairo and other areas Tuesday January 7 by Egypt’s Copts, who comprise 10 percent of Egypt’s population…

The tensions came before the trial was scheduled to resume Wednesday, January 7, against Egypt’s democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a military coup last July.” Read more.

Flashback: Islamic Party Member In Egypt Threatens Christians: You ‘Will Regret’ Supporting Overthrow Of Morsi – “Assem Abdel Magid, a member of the Islamic party Gamaah Islamiya, has renewed his threats against the Coptic Church and its leaders, who he accused again of supporting what he called a ‘coup.’ Magid insisted that the church and its leaders will regret it, and that the church made a strategic mistake when it stood against the first elected president. Magid was referring to the church’s support of the revolution of June 30, which deposed Mohamed Morsi.” Read more.

Flashback: Amnesty International: Egypt Is Failing To Stop Revenge Attacks On Coptic Christians – “Egyptian security forces failed to stop revenge attacks against Coptic Christians after a deadly crackdown on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in August, Amnesty International said on Wednesday… ‘It is deeply disturbing that the Christian community across Egypt was singled out for revenge attacks over the events in Cairo by some supporters of the deposed president, Mohamed Morsi … In light of previous attacks, particularly since Morsi’s ousting on 3 July, a backlash against Coptic Christians should have been anticipated, yet security forces failed to prevent attacks or intervene to put an end to the violence.’” Read more.