In the al-Nafura region of Asyut, Egypt, an increasingly common scene took place earlier this month.
Isaac Eli—a Coptic Christian—was abducted under threat of gunfire.
According to sources, four “unknown persons” armed with automatic weapons came upon the Coptic wood merchant while he was working in front of his home, coerced him into their car, and sped away.
Later, one of his relatives received a phone call demanding a hefty ransom to release the Christian man: 500,000 Egyptian pounds—the equivalent of approximately $72,000 USD, an exorbitant sum for any resident in Upper Egypt.
Such scenarios—Coptic children or adults abducted at gunpoint and held (and sometimes killed or forced to convert to Islam) by “unknown persons” in exchange for money—are on the rise in Egypt (see here, here, here, here, and here for some recent examples).
The logic of these many “unknown persons” is simple: according to Islamic law, non-Muslims are required to pay jizya, or tribute, in order not to be molested or plundered (see Koran 9:29).
However, because the jizya has been abolished since the 19th century, thanks to the intervention of colonial powers, these “unknown persons” have found a way to make a profit that is conscionable enough for them: target Christian minorities in their midst for ransom money and justify it all in the context of receiving their just due of jizya from them.
If Christian infidels are not made to pay tribute to the state—as Koran 9:29 mandates and as Salafis regularly insist—the “jizya-vigilantes” will get that money one way or another.
The prevalence of this mentality becomes more evident when one considers that the phenomenon of Muslims kidnapping and holding for ransom Christians is occurring all around the Muslim world—including in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Nigeria, Sudan—and not just Egypt.
Raymond Ibrahim is author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians, pgs. 199-216 of which detail and document the phenomenon of jizya vigilantism
voegelinian says
Hm, must be all those Muslim Brotherhood-supporting Egyptians. I mean, it can’t be non-Muslim Brotherhood-supporting Egyptians, because we’ve been assured by Salah and mortimer that they are moderate and reform-minded.
Salah says
Mafia gangs operate everywhere, the difference now is that in the New Egypt, these transgressions are not sponsored by the state. As a matter of fact, the state is doing all it can to hunt them down and bring them to justice.
gravenimage says
Salah wrote:
Mafia gangs operate everywhere, the difference now is that in the New Egypt, these transgressions are not sponsored by the state. As a matter of fact, the state is doing all it can to hunt them down and bring them to justice.
………………………………
There is ample evidence that this is very far from the case, Salah:
“Christians get little protection from Egypt’s new government, but they’re too afraid to complain”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/11/18/208723/christians-get-little-protection.html
There are hundreds more stories like this.
Is Al-Sisi’s regime better than having the “islamist” Muslim Brotherhood in power? Almost certainly so.
But to pretend that this government is doing all it can to prevent and punish violence and oppression against Christians—any more than Mubarak did—is nothing more than wishful thinking.
fair_dinkum says
terrorism on all levels. every aspect seems to be hate and victimisation.
kidnapped children forced to ‘convert’ (how does that work?) and married off, enslaved, raped. killed..human rights out the window. medieval in practice and in fact.
Jay Boo says
Islam and Jizya Jihad are the worst of blasphemy
The stones and trees will call out to say a Muslim hides here today
and Allah will be so fed up he will say, I will handle this myself.
citycat says
Infidels and cats in England have undergone death or violence by “unknown persons” of late.
So if you’re out and about look out.
fair_dinkum says
thet are commonly cruel to animals.
gravenimage says
Fair Dinkum wrote:
thet are commonly cruel to animals
…………………………..
This is *very* true, Fair Dinkum. While Muhammedans single out dogs, they are terribly cruel to animals in general—including pets and farm animals.
I believe that this is of a piece with their abuse of women, children—as in the awful story above—minorities, and the disabled, all of who are customarily treated terribly in Islam.
What all of these groups have in common is that they are vulnerable and considered weak, so Muslims feel they are fair game to prey upon. *Ugh*.
gravenimage says
Later, one of his relatives received a phone call demanding a hefty ransom to release the Christian man: 500,000 Egyptian pounds—the equivalent of approximately $72,000 USD, an exorbitant sum for any resident in Upper Egypt.
…………………………..
As horrific as kidnapping and ransoming is, I believe that many of these cases are actually something much, much worse.
When the ransom demanded is high, there is a chance that the family—or community—*might* be able to pay, even if they have to sell their property or go deeply into debt.
But when the demands are *exorbitant*—as they often are, *far* beyond what the victim’s family can be conceivably expected to raise, then there is something else going on.
In most cases, I believe these are murder abductions—that the kidnappers never actually intend to release their victim, even of the money could be paid.
These demands for money are simply intended to cause more pain for the family, who are apt to suffer from both false hope and from unearned guilt when they predictably are unable to meet such astronomical demands.