A Miracle and a Renewed Faith from Out of a Horrible Attack in Egypt

Aimee Herd : Feb 18, 2014
News Staff – Morning Star News

"I was away from God. I was upset at God, and He let me go through this to tell me He hasn't left me, and that He would be with me in all situations." -Marian Kamal Shafik

(Kom Ombo, Egypt)—Morningstar News reports on the February 8th attacks on several Christians in Egypt that left one woman dead and another injured. (Photo: Christian Copts/via FOX News)

The alleged attacker—a Muslim man named Mahmoud Mohamed Ali—is in police custody, awaiting trial; and the perception among most people there is that the three were assaulted because of their Christian faith, although it's believed Ali's defense will be insanity.

While the violence has caused a great deal of fear among Believers especially in the area, Romans 8:28 (God works all things for the good of those who love Him…) seems to be ringing very true for one of the victims.

After Ali the attacker had stabbed and killed the Coptic Christian owner of a pharmacy in Kom Ombo that night, he ran out the door and saw two high school girls—Marian Kamal Shafik, 19, and Youstina Nasser Gendy, 18, both Christians—walking up the street.

Ali ran up to Marian and plunged the knife into her shoulder saying, "You deserve it."

Youstina ran for help and Ali was gone when she returned to her friend.

Youstina, who rode in the ambulance with Marian, was badly shaken, and says, "What was the girl who was killed guilty of? What are we guilty of that we are not able to walk the street? What have we done to 'deserve' this?" (Photo: Christian Copts/via BBC)

But Youstina's friend, Marian, who is recovering from the knife wounds she suffered, looks at it differently.

Of the attack, she says Ali "came all of a sudden and stabbed me. I didn't turn around. I was stabbed quickly while my friend was screaming."

Noting that the knife had gone in deep, but missed any vital organs, she said, "It was a miracle."

Before she could get to a hospital, Marian had been taken to a nearby veterinary clinic. "I was out of breath and I couldn't talk," she said. "My wound was bleeding, but I didn't feel it. I feel God has given me the strength to deal with the pain."

After finally being treated in a hospital, Marian found the strength to return to where authorities had apprehended her attacker, and was able to identify him to the police.

Said Marian, "I also feel like God let me go through this to identify the person who killed Madline (the pharmacy worker), otherwise no one would have witnessed this, and no one would know for certain who killed her."

But for Marian there is even more to the picture…her faith in God has been renewed.

"I was away from God," she said. "I was upset at God, and He let me go through this to tell me He hasn't left me, and that He would be with me in all situations."

It's not easy for Believers in the west to really understand the danger faced every day by our brothers and sisters just because of their Christian faith, especially in the Middle East.

May this story help us to remember to keep them in prayer.