Family mourn yet celebrate martyrdom of Coptic grandfather who financed the only church in his city, so as to build “a home in heaven.”
The Islamic State has claimed another Christian victim.
And Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has won another martyr.
“We are telling our kids that their grandfather is now a saint in the highest places of heaven,” stated Peter Salama of his 62-year-old father, Nabil Habashi Salama, executed by the ISIS affiliate in north Sinai.
“We are so joyful for him.”
The Salamas are known as one of the oldest Coptic families in Bir al-Abd on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai Peninsula. Nabil was a jeweler, owning also mobile phone and clothing shops in the area.
Peter said ISIS targeted his father for his share in building the city’s St. Mary Church. A 13-minute propaganda video, entitled The Makers of Slaughter [or Epic Battles], had a militant quoting the Quran to demand the humiliation of Christians and their willing payment of jizya—a tax to ensure their protection.
Nabil was kidnapped five months ago in front of his home. Eyewitnesses said during his resistance he was beaten badly, before being thrown into a stolen car. It may be that these were kidnappers, because in the video that shows Nabil’s execution, he said he was held captive by ISIS for 3 months and 11 days.
On April 18, he was shot in the back of the head, kneeling.
“As you kill, you will be killed,” stated the video, addressed to “all the crusaders in the world.”
It addressed all of Egypt’s Christians, warning them to put no faith in the army. And Muslims which support the Egyptian state were called “apostates.” Two other Sinai residents—tribesmen who cooperated with the military—were also executed in the video.
Peter said that in the effort to drive Nabil from his faith, his ...
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