Egypt: Christian homes destroyed over blasphemy rumor

As reported by National Review on 12 June 2019, three Christian homes in the village of Ishnien al-Nasara in Minya were destroyed on 10 June 2019, following rumors that a Copt had insulted Islam on Facebook. According to the report, mob violence, abductions, forced conversions and church closures are not uncommon in the rural Minya Province, which is home to one of the highest concentrations of Coptic Christians in Egypt. Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Christians in Egypt have been facing numerous challenges over the years. Both Muslim mobs and Islamic militants have been regularly targeting Christians and the attack on 10 June is therefore no isolated incident. Back in November 2014, President al-Sisi promised to protect Christians but has so far been unable to do so effectively (Egypt Independent, 28 November 2014)."