Another Coptic Christian Beheaded as Pope Recognizes Martyrdom of 21 Christians Killed by ISIS
By Leah Marieann Klett ( [email protected] ) Mar 05, 2015 12:38 PM EST Comment
The Coptics decapitated by ISIS killers are 'our brother Copts, whose throats were slit for the sole reason of being Christian,' Pope Francis has said.
The headless corpse of an Egyptian Coptic Christian has been found in eastern Libya, following the gruesome pattern of the Islamic State, which beheaded 21 Copts in a similar manner earlier this year.
According to Fides News, the victim, Mansour Saad Awad, worked on a poultry farm near Mechili, in the province of Cyrenaica, near where he was found. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the action, experts believe there is "no doubt" ISIS is responsible.
In mid-February, the jihadist group released a video, titled "A Message Signed With Blood to the Nation of the Cross," which shows the beheading of the 21 Libyan Christians. The prisoners can be seen declaring their faith and mouthing prayers to Jesus Christ just before their deaths. The end of the chilling video shows the waves of the Mediterranean Sea dyed red from the blood of the murdered men
The news of the latest beheading broke as Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II met the families of the 21 Christians in the village of Samalot, where most of them came from. The Patriarch gave death certificates to the families of the victims, certifying their martyrdom.
Pope Tawadros said the Christians "have enriched the Church with their blood", and with their martyrdom have confessed and testified faith in Christ before the world.
Pope Francis has also showed his sympathies for the Copts, denouncing the actions of the Islamic State and expressing the bond between all Christians
"The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard," Francis said. "It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ."
In the meantime, Libya's official government has sought permission from the United Nations to import military equipment and aircrafts from Ukraine, Serbia and Czech Republic in an effort to defeat the terrorist group and control the country's borders.
The Libyan authorities have also asked for international maritime help to try and stem the illicit trade in oil and weapons flowing in and out of the county, according to the AFP.
UN special envoy Bernardino Leon on Wednesday warned the Security Council that Islamic State would "stop at nothing" to strengthen its presence.
"Unless Libyan leaders act quickly and decisively, the risk of their country's national unity and territorial integrity are real and imminent," Leon warned.
"The international community must move quickly to present a clearly articulated strategy in support of the Libyan state and the efforts of a national unity government in combating the growing threat of terrorism," he added.
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