Washington, D.C. (ICC) – Today, the most “stable” of Arab nations underwent a historic shift in power as President Mubarak resigned. In a short television broadcast, Vice President Omar Suleiman stated that President Mubarak had resigned and that power was shifting to the military. While the world waits to see what becomes of Egypt, perhaps none are waiting more eagerly that Egypt’s Christians.
"Coptic and Arabic inscriptions in an Old Cairo church," Wikipedia
Egypt’s Christians have undergone centuries of persecution at the hands of the country’s Muslim majority with the recent New Year’s day church bombing that killed 23 being only the latest example of an unending history of terror.
The question for many of Egypt’s long-persecuted Christians is what the future holds now that Mubarak is gone. Deep issues remain unresolved between the Christians and the Islamic majority. Issues such as intermarriage, legal rights, official discrimination, building churches, and conversion from Islam will certainly be at the forefront of Christians’ concerns.
In the march towards democracy, the one opposition party that is motivated, organized, and moneyed is the Muslim Brotherhood which birthed or influenced most of the world’s Islamic terror movements. They have patiently waited in the wings in Egypt temporarily taking on the cloak of a community organization.
For those interested in taking the Brotherhood at their word that the leopard has changed its spots we offer several excerpts from a 1995 book by Mustafa Mashhur, Muslim Brotherhood leader until 2002:
?”The problems of the Islamic world. . . are the problems of all Muslims. . . therefore there is no other option but jihad for Allah, and this is why jihad is the way.”
?”Jihad . . .is not limited to . . . Islamic countries. . .the banner of Jihad has already been raised in (other areas where Islam exists)and shall continue to be raised, with the help of Allah, until every inch of the land of Islam will be liberated, and the State of Islam established.”
?”It should be known that jihad and preparation towards jihad are not only for the purpose of fending off assaults. . .but are also for the purpose of realizing the great task of establishing an Islamic state and strengthening the religion and spreading it around the world.”
“The Muslim Brotherhood is not rushed by youth’s enthusiasm into immature and unplanned action which will not alter the bad reality and may even harm the Islamic activity, and will benefit the (infidels)… It is not necessary that the Muslims repel every attack or damage caused by the enemies of Allah immediately, but [only] when ability and the circumstances are fit to it.”
“Like the rest of the world, we wait and hope to see what unfolds for Egypt’s Christians. Our greatest fear is that the Muslim Brotherhood will slowly gain power and box out the one force capable of holding them in place-the military. Those that can’t imagine this happening should look to Turkey where Islamists have gained power and gutted the army that previously kept the country from veering into fundamentalism. In this time of upheaval and uncertainty, perhaps the one word on everyone’s lips is a prayer for peace,” said Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern.
Image added by Gulag Bound
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