Aug 15, 2013 Cairo, Egypt [ANN staff/CD-EUDNews] The burning of a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the city of Assiut was not part of a wider, organized political movement, local church officials said. The Adventist Church in Assiut, Egypt, was burned by extremest attackers on August 14.
The Assiut Adventist Church, located approximately 220 miles south of Cairo, was attacked by a mob and heavily damaged after it was set on fire. The pastor and his wife hid in their upstairs apartment and were not found by the attackers, who set the building on fire. The pastor and his wife were rescued from the burning building by Muslim neighbors.
“The Pastor and his wife went to a window and cried out for help. Neighbors responded and helped them from the balcony, took them to safety and housed them overnight. These neighbors were Muslim and members of the Muslim brotherhood but obviously not extremist. Indeed, as they sought to give assistance they were threatened by some of the mob but this family persisted in giving help to our pastor and his wife. We are grateful for their neighborly care and we have spoken to the family and expressed appreciation to them. Their action demonstrates that by no means are all Muslim Brotherhood people extremists.
“This was a small group of people bent on doing harm. This event was not representative of Egypt or the people of Egypt,” said Llewellyn R. Edwards, president the Adventist Church’s Egypt-Sudan Field, based in Heliopolis.
“As Adventists we want our relationships to be strong with Egyptians of all faiths in the country. Muslim neighbors rescuing the Adventist couple shows “the true picture of most people in Egypt,” Edwards said.
It appears that some extremists of the Muslim Brotherhood are seeking to make Christian churches and institutions a scapegoat for their anger.
“Reports tell me that some 17 churches have been attacked and some of them destroyed set on fire. Also three Christian schools have been attacked and two shops of the Egypt Bible Society are completely destroyed by fire” Edwards said.
The government has announced it will pay for the rebuilding of all churches destroyed last night during rioting in several cities.
All expat workers feel safe but as a precaution they have evacuated the Student Missionaries and the academy principal’s wife and small children. “This is a precaution and we expect them to come back to Cairo next week when things calm down and peace is restored” Edwards said. The Union office under Pastor Homer Trecartin and his team in Lebanon are giving wonderful support to the Egypt field.
The Adventist Church operates two schools in Egypt – Nile Union Academy northeast of Cairo, and Zeitoun Adventist School. Both institutions have positive relationships with their communities, Edwards said. “Fortunately the schools are closed for the summer now, so things are ok,”said Amir Ghali. “Please continue to pray for Egypt so that it can return to its peaceful time again. Also pray for our churches and all the Christians in Egypt,” concluded Ghali.
