Martyrdom of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya One Year Ago

For over a thousand years, followers of Islam have been waging genocide against anyone who disagrees with them.  A little over a year ago, some of these followers murdered twenty-one Coptic Christians in Libya on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  We remember these particular victims because their murderers made a video.

They died with the name of Jesus on their lips.  Because of the video, they were able to confess Christ to the world.  Christ will remember them.  (Luke 23:42-43).  Christ will remember us all.  (John 6:37-40).

Some give their lives to Christ in one bold act of confessing his name at the edge of a sword, while others give their lives through countless acts of service to others.  All Christians must give their lives because Christ gave his.  Christ gave his life, and we must follow him.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

— Luke 9:23-25, ESV.

President Harrison of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod made a short video commemorating the anniversary of the martyrdom of the twenty-one Coptic Christians:

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.

Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.

But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:

Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

— “For All the Saints,” LSB 677:1-2, 7-8.

Notes:

• Remember Their Names.
• The icon of the 21 martyrs of Libya is by Tony Rezk.

Remember Their Names

Below are the names of the twenty-one Christian men martyred for bearing the name of Christ.  They were Coptic Christians originally from Egypt, but were murdered in Libya.

Thousands of Christians are being murdered across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, but these men garnered some attention because they were featured in an Islamic State video.  In the video as their heads were being sawed off some could be heard to say, “Lord Jesus Christ.”

They were martyred for Christ.  They were murdered for being Christian.  May we remember them in prayer.  May we remember their names, the same names that on earlier days were spoken: as they were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Milad Makeen Zaky

Abanub Ayad Atiya

Maged Solaiman Shehata

Yusuf Shukry Yunan

Kirollos Shokry Fawzy

Bishoy Astafanus Kamel

Somaily Astafanus Kamel

Malak Ibrahim Sinweet

Tawadros Yusuf Tawadros

Worker from Awr Village
(name unknown at this time)

Mina Fayez Aziz

Hany Abdelmesih Salib

Bishoy Adel Khalaf

Samuel Alham Wilson

Girgis Milad Sinweet

Ezat Bishri Naseef

Loqa Nagaty

Gaber Munir Adly

Esam Badir Samir

Malak Farag Abram

Sameh Salah Faruq

†

Jesus remembers their baptisms, and he remembers yours.  He will not forget.  (Mark 16:16).

The man crucified next to Jesus said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  And Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”  (Luke 23:42-43, ESV).

Kyrie eleison!

Coptic Christians immerse their babies in baptism.

Additional Resources:

• What ISIS Really Wants — The Atlantic
• The Blood of the Martyrs — Matt Harrison
• The names listed above were taken from a video posted on YouTube by Dead Reckoning entitled “We Will Not Be Lost.”