Doden en gewonden onder Kopten bij Moekattam door leger

Ik geef deze brief van Rebecca Atallah integraal weer. Ze is betrokken bij het dorp van christelijke vuilophalers op Moekattam waar vorige week bij gevechten 13 doden vielen. Tien van die doden waren uit het dorp zelf. Heel opvallend is de informatie die Rebecca geeft. Het waren kogels van het leger die voor veel doden en gewonden zorgden. Daarom voelen veel christenen in Egypte zich momenteel onveilig.

Dear friends,

Well, this has been one, difficult week! I have visited 9 families who lost young men as well as 9 men in 4 city hospitals and heard the awful experiences many have gone through. It has been very emotionally tiring, but knowing that large numbers of you are praying—as so many wrote to say—has sure made it easier!

I can truly say that all of the Mokattam Garbage Village (MGV) is in mourning. Until now, as some of the School teachers and I have roamed around giving our condolences to grieving families, we’ve seen many other groups doing the same, some from outside of the MGV. Normal life has almost stopped, as people try to absorb the shock of what happened last Tuesday, March 8th. The fact that there are still many in the hospitals—4 in Intensive Care—and that the people feel very un-protected by their government has made the sense of suspense even greater.

To date, we have lost 10 young men from the MGV, 9 of whom are Christian and 1 Muslim. They ranged in age from 14 to about 30, and have left 5 widows, all under the age of 25, and 6 tiny children plus 2 in the womb. 12 of the original 134 wounded are still in the City Hospitals, some in very bad condition. Scores of others are being cared for medically at home.

I won’t repeat the information I gave you last week, but will add one, important point. Most of those I have visited have said that they—or their dead sons--were shot by the army! In fact, army bullets have been extracted from people and are being carefully kept for evidence. Why this happened is known only to God. But this fact explains why so many Christians in Egypt—and at the MGV in particular—are feeling defenseless at this point. Perhaps that’s a good thing—it is always wise to remember that our only true Protector is our heavenly one!

Now we need to start planning for the future. We still need a lot of prayer, and would really appreciate you all continuing to do so. We could also use some extra funds; although Christians in Egypt are really chipping in, the needs all around us are enormous. Many of the men who died or have been maimed were the principal supporters of whole, extended families. Some will need medical care for months, perhaps years. We need to think of how to help provide financially for the widows and small children, as well as for those who lost their homes, possessions, cars, garbage trucks and factories.

If any of you would like to help out in this way, please make out your check and mail it to one of the groups listed below—both will mail you tax-deductible receipts and send 100% of the money to us. Just mention in a note that this is for “Rebecca Atallah, Garbage Village Massacre Relief Fund”. Please let us also know in an Email what you have done, to help us in our planning.

But if you can’t give—because needs in the world are so immense at this time—don’t feel badly, but DO KEEP PRAYING!

Thanks so much!


With love,

Rebecca Atallah