The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hannah Anis
, Archbishop of the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa
, and Primate of the Episcopal / Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, was in Central Florida the week of Feb. 22, visiting with friends Laura Lee and Bishop Greg Brewer, and attending a meeting of international bishops at Canterbury Retreat, Oviedo.

Archbishop Anis asked Central Florida Episcopalians to pray for Christians who are dying for their faith in the Middle East, as extremists escalate their attacks on groups and individuals. He also commented on a pastoral letter he wrote in Mid-February.

“My main interest is in the killings that are going on with our Christians,” Archbishop Anis said after services at Holy Faith Episcopal Church, Port St. Lucie. “I would say, please pray for the families of these people who have been lost in such a brutal way, and pray that Egypt will be able to rise above this inhumanity. Pray for Egypt in its fight against terrorism. Pray for the church, because this massacre has devastated the lives of many people.”

Archbishop Mouneer Anis issues letter on Egypt’s murdered Christians
Posted Feb. 16

 Dear friends,

It is with great sadness I write you today about the heinous murder of 21 Egyptian Christians at the hand of the so-called lslamic State branch in Libya.

These men from the Upper Egyptian city of Samalout are no different from thousands of other Muslim and Christian Egyptians in Libya, seeking employment to support their families back home. Except that these 21 were specifically chosen for their Christian faith.

The video of their beheading expressed the lslamic State’s intention to increasingly target the Copts of Egypt.

This morning the Egyptian government launched airstrikes on lslamic State positions, declared a week of mourning, banned further travel to Libya, and will work to facilitate the return of all Egyptian citizens.

The foreign minister has been dispatched to the United Nations to discuss the necessary international response.

The Anglican Church in Egypt and the world expresses its deep condolences to the families of these men, and also to his Holiness Pope Tawadros ll, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Please join me in praying for peace in Libya, Egypt, and the entire Middle East. Please international community will act in wisdom, correctly and efficiently, and support Egypt in its war on terror.

Please pray the churches of Egypt will comfort their sons and daughters, encouraging them to resist fear and hatred. And please pray for the perpetrators of this terrible crime, that God would be merciful to them and change their hearts.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “ln the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Such cheer may seem impossible, but it is God’s promise. Please pray for us, that we may live lives worthy of his name, and hold to the testimony exhibited by the brave Egyptians in Libya.

Background on Egypt from Voice of the Martyrs (http://www.persecution.com)

Egypt had a majority Christian population for 1,000 years before Islam became the dominant religion. In the May 2012 elections, the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood Party gained control of both the legislature and the presidency. As the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood grew, killings, church attacks and abductions of women also increased. However, on July 3, 2013, the elected president, Muhammad Morsi, who was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, was removed from power by the Egyptian military after more than 33 million protesters took to the streets. Egypt has been designated a Country of Particular Concern by the USCIRF for the last four years.

• Category: Restricted Nation
• Religion: Muslim 86.7%, Christian 12.8%
• Ideology: Islam
• Head of State: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

While the number above reflects official government statistics, Christian leaders in Egypt believe that, including converts from Islam, the number of Christians in Egypt is closer to 20 percent. The persecution of Christians is most prevalent in Upper Egypt. The country has the largest population of Copts (Orthodox Christians) in the Middle East. Attacks on Coptic Christians have increased since Morsi’s removal from office in July 2013.

In August 2013, authorities raided two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo, which incited a wave of attacks in which at least seven Copts were killed and more than 80 churches and over 1,000 Christian-owned businesses, homes and cars were destroyed. In October 2013, gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at a wedding party, killing four Copts, including two sisters, ages 8 and 12. Radical Muslims have painted marks on Christian-owned businesses to indicate potential targets during attacks, and they have warned people not to purchase from Christians. Many Christian shop owners have been forced to close their shops.

Sharia became the principal source of legislation in 1980. Since 2011, there has been an increase in blasphemy charges, in which the majority of those sentenced to prison terms are Christians. With a surge in kidnapping Christian women for marriage and forced conversion, Christian females of all ages have been forced to stay inside. VOM provides a safe house for teenage Christian girls who are at risk. VOM’s other work in Egypt includes radio broadcasting, sponsoring a Christian bookstore, and providing job training and support to persecuted Muslim converts. VOM is also distributing Bibles in response to a renewed hunger for Christ in the hearts of many Muslims.