The war on Egypt’s Christian Copts and most indigenous inhabitants continues.
Most recently, five “unidentified persons” kidnapped yet another Copt at gunpoint, Mr. Marcos, a 52-year-old pharmacy owner in Sohag, Upper Egypt.
This scenario of Coptic Christians—men, women, and children—kidnapped and held for ransom has become commonplace in Egypt, especially in the more rural south.
Soon after Friday mosque prayers, and according to eyewitness reports, the people of the region in Sohag were shocked to find a car pull up in front of the pharmacy and open live fire on it, before the assailants raided it and drove off with the kidnapped owner.
According to witness, the hail of gunfire created “panic” and “distress,” especially among the women and children of the area. Residents also indicate that this attack could not have originated in the village, but was likely plotted and carried out by outsiders.
A day after the kidnapping, friends and family said they still had not received any phone calls asking for ransom money, or any other indicators for motivation.
However, based on abundant precedent, including the fact that Copts—especially those perceived to have money—are regularly abducted for ransom money in Egypt, it is almost certain that the call is forthcoming.