Martyred Coptic Youth Inspires the World

The killing of these wonderful Egyptian Christians must end

Something inside him said I will not be oppressed; I will not live in fear. Ayman Nabil Labib was born into a society formed by hundreds of years of hatred; yet, in a certain sense, he rose above it when he refused to be oppressed for his faith, even though he paid for it with his life. We, on the other hand, were born into the most free and tolerant nation in human history. What are we doing?

P>KNOXVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) - We can imagine that his day began much like any other. Perhaps he ate a small breakfast with his parents, kissed his mother goodbye and ran out the door to meet his friends on their way to school. Of course, we do not know; this is just something we could easily imagine. But what happened later that day was unimaginable, and it reminds us of the harsh reality many of our fellow Christians must endure everyday, for, according to a report published by the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), this day ended in senseless tragedy for a 17-year-old, Christian student, Ayman Nabil Labib. 

Ayman went to school in Mallwai, a province in Minya, Egypt. Early reports in the Egyptian media said the tragic incident was the result of friction between students over a classroom seat. However, a Coptic news website, Copts Without Borders, refuted this report. They said that Ayman was murdered because he was wearing a crucifix. It was later reported that everyone in Mallawi knew what really happened, but they were afraid to come forward with the truth. They were afraid of reprisals by the school administration or the families of the Muslim murderers.

But Ayman's parents have now broken their silence. Based on reports they heard from their son's classmates at the hospital and at his funeral, they confirm the alternate version. In an interview with Copts United NGO, Ayman's father, Nabil Labib, said that according to Coptic tradition, his son had a cross tattooed on his wrist, and he wore a cross around his neck under his shirt.

On the day that his son was murdered, he said an Arabic language teacher told Ayman to cover up the tattoo on his wrist, but Ayman refused and pulled out the cross from under his shirt instead. This enraged the teacher who began to choke Ayman. The teacher's actions apparently incited some Muslim students to join the attack. His father said, "They beat my son so much in the classroom that he fled to the lavatory on the ground floor, but they followed him and continued their assault." A supervisor took Ayman to his room, but by the time an ambulance arrived an hour later, he was dead.

Two Muslim students have been arrested. However, the Arabic teacher who reportedly started the whole thing has not been charged. Nabil Labib insists that the teacher, the headmaster and supervisors should also be charged as well. Although the headmaster had been alerted, Nabil said the headmaster refused to go to the classroom and merely "continued sipping his tea." He also believes that the supervisors failed in their duties.

In response to Ayman's death, the governor of Minya and representatives of the military authorities are said to have visited the Coptic Bishop Dimitrious of Mallawi. The governor offered his condolences. He also suspended the headmaster of the school, two supervisors and two social workers, and he referred them to an investigation committee, but they have all disappeared. In addition, over 5000 Christians marched along the streets of Mallawi after the funeral. They denounced the murder of Ayman and the constant killing of Copts. And they called Ayman a "Martyr of the Cross."

Ayman Nabil Labib was a martyr for his faith. He was just 17 years old, on the verge of manhood. Yet, his final acts were that of a man. Although he was completely vulnerable, something inside him said I will not be oppressed; I will not live in fear. Pulling out the symbol of his faith for everyone to see was a proclamation of who he was and his dignity. And in that instant, it is not hard to imagine that he attained manhood. Ayman was a brave man, and I respect him for his courage.

Ayman's courage also makes us think about the growing threat directed at religious freedom in our country and the timid response so typical of America's Catholics. For instance, in recent months, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the State Department's U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) have either issued regulations or acted in ways which directly threaten the functioning of major Catholic institutions such as universities, hospitals, USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Unlike some Catholics, Bishop William C. Lori, who chairs the newly established Committee for Religious Liberty, is not a timid man. He recently addressed this threat before the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representative. He said, "In the recent past, the Bishops of the United States have watched with increasing alarm as this great national legacy of religious liberty, so profoundly in harmony with our own teachings, has been subject to ever more frequent assault and ever more rapid erosion. I am here today to call to your attention grave threats to religious liberty that have emerged even since June-grim validations of the Bishops' recognition of the need for urgent and concerted action in this area."

Bishop Lori also addressed this threat at the state level. He said, "At the state level, religious liberty protections associated with the redefinition of marriage have fallen far short of what is necessary. In New York, county clerks face legal action for refusing to participate in same-sex unions, and gay rights advocates boast how little religious freedom protection individuals and groups will enjoy under the new law. In Illinois, Catholic Charities has been driven out of the adoption and foster care business, because it recognizes the unique value of man-woman marriage for the well-being of children."

This brings us back to Ayman Nabil Labib. Ayman was born into a society formed by hundreds of years of hatred and oppression; yet, in a certain sense, he rose above it when he refused to be oppressed for his faith, even though he paid for it with his life. We, on the other hand, were born into the most free and tolerant nation in human history, despite its many shortcomings; yet many of us are allowing our freedom to be taken from us. Like Ayman, the time has come for us to find that place deep within ourselves where courage lies and proclaim who we are to those who would push us toward the fringes of society because of our faith. We pray for Ayman and grieve with his family, but we also thank him for his inspiration.

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Michael Terheyden was born into a Catholic family, but that is not why he is a Catholic. He is a Catholic because he believes that truth is real, that it is beautiful and good, and that the fullness of truth is in the Catholic Church. However, he knows that God's grace operating throughout his life is the main reason he is a Catholic. He is greatly blessed to share his faith and his life with his beautiful wife, Dorothy. They have four grown children and three grandchildren.

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