The Archbishop of Canterbury was in Cairo yesterday to show solidarity with Egyptian Christians murdered by jihadists two months ago. His visit was made more timely even as it was overshadowed by yet more murders. As he gave letters of condolence to the families of the victims of Islamic State’s last massacre of Christians, IS released sickening video footage of the next.
The latest film from the terrorist organisation holding the Middle East to ransom is as barbaric as anything it has produced. Prefaced with footage of jihadists vandalising Christian churches, the 29-minute video shows militants holding two groups of prisoners who they claim are members of an “enemy Ethiopian church”. Twelve are shown being beheaded on a beach. At least 16 more are shot in the head elsewhere. Both groups are thought to have been murdered in Libya.
Subject to verification of the footage this brings to more than 50 the number of Christians killed by IS in recent weeks. The strategy is clear. The leadership of the so-called caliphate, under pressure in Iraq, is seeking to expand its reign of terror in North Africa and in particular to sabotage efforts to bring stability to Libya.
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I know it is a quibble, and I do not mean to insult the elves, but given the gravity of the story, it seems completely inappropriate to truncate “Christians” to a tweeted abbreviation (“Xns”) in the T19 headline. Even the Times spelled it out. (“Ethiopian Christians are the latest victims of an expanding reign of terror”) This is the story of martyrs for Christ, it only seems proper to fully acknowledge that.
[Post headings have to be squeezed into fewer letters than even bird chatter allows – Elf]