Egypt's Coptic Christians Defiantly Celebrated Orthodox Christmas Despite ISIS Threats

Meg Storm : Jan 9, 2018
Faithwire.com

"We, with the grace of God, are offering a message of peace and love from here, not just to Egyptians or to the region, but to the entire world." -Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi

[Faithwire.com] Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas on January 7, and Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt marked the holiday by defiantly holding mass at Christ's Nativity Cathedral outside Cairo and other churches throughout the predominantly Muslim country despite threats from the Islamic State. (Photo: Coptic Christians pray during Christmas Eve Mass at the Virgin Mary church, in Cairo, Egypt, late Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018/credit: AP/via Fox News)

Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a Muslim, joined worshipers for a Christmas Eve service on Saturday, as soldiers and heavily armed police patrolled nearby. As Fox News reported, Christian places of worship in Egypt are now equipped with metal detectors and congregants must undergo full body searches before entering.

In some cases, streets and surrounding areas were closed off to further ensure protection...

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