Christian woman kidnapped, believers assaulted in Egypt

Myrna Hanna Photo from AINA

A group of Coptic Christians in Alexandria were recently assaulted and arrested by Egyptian officials following an attempted rescue of a young Christian woman kidnapped by Muslims, according to an October 5 report from Assyrian International News Agency.

Ten months ago, 19-year-old Myrna Hanna was kidnapped and forced to marry a Muslim man. On September 30, she phoned her father, Gama Labib Hanna, and pleaded with him to rescue her. Hanna, his brother-in-law and another believer, Rafat Girges Habib, then went to Myrna's apartment where they were ambushed and threatened by her father-in-law along with five other Muslims. Myrna was eventually able to leave with her father. Her father-in-law immediately filed a report with authorities and Myrna's uncles and father were promptly charged with abduction and detained. They were all reportedly physically assaulted by authorities. The Hanna family's home was broken into by police and Habib's shop was demolished. Myrna's uncles were released in order to bring her to the police station, where she was handed back to her father-in-law. Her father was released from custody on October 2. The next day, authorities arrested a number of Habib's relatives and assaulted their wives. Officials continued to make arrests until Habib turned himself over to police.

Pray that Myrna will be released from her captors. Ask God to sustain her and give her an added measure of strength, as she is six months pregnant. Post a prayer for Myrna and the Christians involved in this case on our Persecuted Church Prayer Wall.

To learn more about the opposition of Christians in Egypt, visit the Egypt Country Report.