#21.

According to OpenDoorsUSA.org, an organization that tracks Christian persecution around the world, Egypt ranks #21 in the world on the watchlist for those critical areas, with a 65 rating (very high persecution).

I just wanted to preface the news of today’s attack on a Coptic Christian church near Cairo with some background.

According to reports, nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire at the church.

The assault was carried out at the St. Mina Coptic church in Helwan, a district on the southern edge of the Egyptian capital. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were or how many were involved.

Of those killed, 8 were Christians, and the ninth was a police officer.

There were also five people injured, with two of those five being in critical condition.

Being Christian in Egypt is a daily risk. ISIS and ISIS-connected entities have carried out several attacks during 2017.

In May, gunmen killed at least 28 Coptic Christians aboard a bus traveling along a desert road on the way to a monastery.

On Palm Sunday, 49 people were killed in bombings at two churches in Tanta and Alexandria. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, though it offered no proof of its connections to it.

Pray for the persecuted church.