In The Midst Of Democratic Revolutions In The Middle East, 2 Christian Priests Have Been Murdered

In the midst of the 'Democratic' revolution spreading through the Middle East, the vicious attack on a woman in Egypt is not the only crime virtually ignored by the mainstream media.

Over the past 2 weeks, 2 priests have been murdered.

Father Marek Rybinski, a Polish Catholic priest, was murdered last week:

Fr. Marek Rybinski, a young Polish Catholic priest working in a Salesian school in Manouba, Tunisia, has been murdered. The Tunisian police suspect Muslim extremists due to the nature of the murder. Fr. Rybinski’s throat had been cut.

As it turns out, a completely different motive for Fr. Rybinski's murder was discovered:

Father Marek Rybinski, the 34-year-old Polish Salesian who was murdered in Tunisia on February 18, was slain by a dishonest worker at the missionary house, according to the local bishop.

“According to official investigations, this person, who was a jack-of-all-trades at the missionary house, was given 2,000 dinars [$1,397] three months ago by Father Rybinski to buy materials to do maintenance work at the school,” said Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham of Tunis. The worker, Chokri Ben Mustapha Bel-Sadek El-Mestiri, “had spent the money, how we don't know. Father Rybinski, seeing that the materials hadn't been purchased, began asking for the money to be returned. Finally, he panicked and killed the missionary.”

However, there was also an excellent reason for suspecting a religion-related motive for the murder--based on threats made against school Rather Rybinski helped run:

The private school run by three priests of the Salesian community in Manouba, near Tunis, one of which was found murdered yesterday, had received death threats in a confused letter addressed to "Jews" today said its director to AFP.

"Warning the Jews. They put cameras and micro home. Put everything you have money in a red bag and give it to a worker from home (...) before noon. No shots phone otherwise it will be war between us and death, "said the anonymous threatening letter with a swastika slipped between the bars of the gate of the school on January 30 and transmitted by the father Mario Mulestagno. [translated from the French by Google Translate--Hat tip: EG]

And now another Coptic Christian has been murdered in Egypt:

Coptic Christian priest killed in Egypt, setting off new protests by religious minority

A Coptic Christian priest has been killed in southern Egypt, triggering street demonstrations by several thousand Christians.

The priest was found dead in his home. A fellow clergyman, Danoub Thabet, says his body had several stab wounds. He says neighbours reported seeing several masked men leaving the apartment and shouting "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," suggesting the killing was motivated by the divide between Egypt's Muslims and its minority Coptic community.

The article loses no time playing down the murder, claiming that the identity of the murderers could be "suggesting the killing was motivated by the divide between Egypt's Muslims and its minority Coptic community".

Of course, a 'divide' would suggest some kind of equivalence between the two sides--as if the Copts were running around the country killed Arabs.

Just the kind of nearsightedness we have come to expect from the media--and one reason why the Muslim persecution of Christians will continue unnoticed and unreported.

Technorati Tag: Copts and Christians.