The Coptic Martyrs
In Libya, the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by jihadists prompted a global outpouring of grief and horror. The victims hailed from poor villages and went to Libya to work as labourers to send money to families back at home. But they died a gruesome death at the hands of militants who have sworn allegiance to the notorious Islamic State group. Thirteen of the twenty-one men are from the same Egyptian village. The oldest victim was a 40-year-old driver, who had hoped to earn enough money to pay for the education of his three children as well as provide for his elderly mother and four siblings. The family of Abanub Ayyad Atiyyah, a 22-year-old commerce graduate, say he had hoped to help his family as well as save for his own wedding. Another victim was 24-year-old Luqa Najati, a newly married man who had missed the birth of his daughter while in Libya. "We hadn't seen him since and now there is this news. His little daughter was born but he never saw her, we only sent her photos to him." The victims also include two brothers, Bishoy and Samuel Stephanos, who had hoped to save for their weddings and Samuel Wilson, married with three children and living with his extended family, who had hoped to earn enough to be able to buy their own house. Among other victims was 26-old Samih Salah Shawqi, who left behind a daughter he had not seen since she was born; Milad Makin Zaki who left a three-year son; and Mina Fayiz Aziz, who left behind elderly parents. All were hoping to return home after their time in Libya and build better lives for their families.
On 15th of February 2015, Al-Hayat published a five-minute video, showing the beheading of the captives on a beach along the southern Mediterranean coast. A caption in the video called the captives the "People of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian Church". The victims were all dressed in orange jumpsuits, as in many previous IS videos. In the moments before the beheadings an edited audio clip records several of them crying out "Ya Rabb Yesua!" and the caption reads: 'They supplicate what they worship and die upon their paganism' suggesting that they had been given a chance to convert to Islam but refused it: For this reason, the Coptic Church proclaimed them martyrs.
At an ecumenical meeting with the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Pope Francis stated "They said 'Jesus help me! ' The blood of our Christian brothers is testimony that cries out. Be they Catholic, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it doesn't matter: They're Christian!"
On 21 February 2015, Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria canonized the twenty-one Coptic martyrs as saints. On 11 May 2023, Pope Francis met with Pope Tawadros II during general audiences, Francis announced that he intends to add the twenty-one martyrs to the Roman Martyrology. He said "these martyrs were baptized not only in water and the Spirit, but also in blood, with a blood that is a seed of unity for all followers of Christ. I am pleased to announce today that, with Your Holiness' consent, these twenty-one martyrs will be included in the Roman Martyrology as a sign of the spiritual communion uniting our two Churches." During the audience, Tawadros II gave Pope Francis relics with a small statue of the twenty-one martyrs and an egg-shaped Coptic icon of the Holy Family. Upon receiving the relics, Francis said "I will make an altar in one of our basilicas in honour of the martyrs." On 15 February 2024, an ecumenical prayer service was held at the Choir Chapel of Saint Peter's Basilica to celebrate the first commemoration of the twenty-one Coptic Martyrs in the Catholic Church.
When the Coptic Church released the martyrs' names, there were only twenty names. The 21st victim was of Black African descent, in contrast to the others, who were ethnic Copts. It was later learned that the 21st victim was named Matthew Ayariga and that he was from Ghana. Some sources, claim he was not originally a Christian, but saw the immense faith of the others, and when the terrorists asked him if he rejected Jesus he said, "Their God is my God", knowing that he would be killed. When the remains of the twenty-one bodies were found, the bodies of the 20 Egyptians were returned to Egypt. In 2019, the Libyan government agreed to transfer Ayariga's body to Egypt. His remains were transferred to Egypt and laid to rest with the other martyrs at the end of September 2020, in the new church in Al Our, the Church of the Martyrs of Faith and Homeland, a shrine built in honour of the martyrs. The family members of the other martyrs expressed their joy at the return of the remains of the martyr, Matthew Ayariga, saying "Our joy is now complete."
The victims:
Milad Makin Zaki - Abanub Ayyad Atiyah - Majid Sulayman Shihatah - Yusuf Shukri Yunan
Carlos Bushra Fawzi - Bishoy Astafnus Kamil - Suma'ili Astafnus Kamil - Malak Ibrahim Sanyut
Tawadaros Yusuf Tawadaros - Jirjis Milad Sanyut - Mina Sayyid Aziz - Hani Abd-al-Masih Salib
Bishoy Adil Khalaf - Samuel Alham Wilson - Izzat Bushra Nasif - Luqa Najati Wanis
Isam Bidar Samir - Malak Farraj Abram - Samih Salah Faruq - Jabir Munir Adli
Matthew Ayariga