“My name is Sarofim…it’s an angel’s name”
Hani Sarofim is a handsome young Egyptian…from Upper Egypt…a real Egyptian.
I have never met him…
But he is my brother.
If you are Egyptian like us
If you grew up by her great Nile
If you love Egypt's sand and sun
If you smelled the Mediterranean at her Alexandria
Or gazed at the Pyramids at her Giza
Hani is your brother too.
It pains me to tell you; our brother Hani Sarofim was murdered.
Tortured in fact, then his body thrown into the Nile as a sacrifice.
A sacrifice to ignorance and hatred.
Hani Sarofim was just doing his duty to his country. Completing his mandatory service in the armed forces just like any young man his age. But out there in southern Aswan where he was stationed, his superior officer didn’t see that he was like any young man.
Hani is a Copt. He had tattoos of the crucifix and of the Virgin Mother on his arms.
Hani was subjected to humiliation and psychological torture as a result of his faith. He was repeatedly harassed by his superior officer in order to persuade him to convert to Islam.
His sister in law Nessma says that at one time Hani simply answered the officer
“But my name is Sarofim…it’s an angel’s name”
(Translated from a script of an interview with the family)
But his superior had other ideas;
When his leader asked him blatantly to reject Chrisitianity and convert to Islam, Hani refused and told him he would notify the military intelligence. The leader threatened him saying "Ok Hani, I will settle things with you!"
(see the full transcript at lanternix)
Shocking? Disgusting? Unbelievable?
Yes!
But a reality.
It is a reality that Hani’s precious blood mingled with the water of the great Nile as if to eternally bind him to his Egypt.
It is a reality that his only crime was that he is a proud Copt.
It is a reality that his brutal death will quite likely go unpunished
It is a reality that horrifying as his death is…it isn’t the first. Hani joins a host of similarly proud Copts who chose to bear their crosses to the death.
May the Lord rest your soul my dear brave brother.
+++
Photos of Hani’s body are here
Please note: the images are graphic and extremely disturbing.
posted by Bent El Neel at ١:٢٧ ص
22 Comments:
May he rest in the love of the Lord. My prayers and sorrow join woth your bent.
Lets also pray for his family.
Thanks David.
God bless you mate.
Why exactly hasn't this made international news agency headlines?
Anonymous
This isn't the first incident where Copts suffer in silence.
Why?
I don't know exactly!
Many believe it's a concession offered by the world to the Egyptian regime in exchange for putting on a good front with Israel and the US. Kinda like how the Saudis are getting away with murder...literally...because...well...of the oil.
Personally I believe it's more to do with our corrupt regime. They would like to maintain the appearance of "good little governments" so that they can pocket the handsome allowance given by the US.
Everything is covered up and police reports...if they are ever issued on such incidents...either cite an "alternative" reality, get conveniently lost, or are destroyed and replaced with fabricated ones.
Witnesses are threatened or bought with money.
Forensic evidence is discounted or altered.
Victims and their families bullied and often tortured as what hapened in Al Kosheh
Accused persons proclaimed insane
Judges bullied or bribed
So sometimes it is very difficult for the victims to prove to human rights agencies what's happening to them.
All in all...a sad state of affairs.
That's why we talk...and we raise our voices...and we try as much as possible to corroborate what we claim. If anything, as many people as possible get to hear about the plight of the Copts.
What happens next depends on the humanity of those who listen.
Really bad,
I've four points here;
*Why this officer was so interested to make him convert to Islam?!!!!!
With all my respect to Hani,but he wasn't effective in his family to make the officer cares to force him.
*If we assumed that the story is real,so this officer is ..(I don't want to say stupid) but he don't understand Islam,because Islam so clearly says that:"Let there be no compulsion in religion"
*The information that I know that officers in army aren't religious at all but in contrary,so do you think that a one which don't follow his religion properly will think about increasing number of its followers by Hani?!!!!
*It wasn't appropriate at all to put this picture on this website..If it wasn't for feelings of lived people,so for Hani(If it was his body)
I think that it's really Unbelievable as you said.
Just wanted to have my say,
By the way,did you read my message on (More belated reponse)?!!!
Why hasn't an international reporter picked this up. Someone from the BBC or something. This is a serious crime.
my dear sister, this is the most beautiful, tragic, and moving post i saw in like 9 years. i have spent 2 days in a fog of sadness, and now i'm even sadder over dear hani. God bless you, sister.
also, you can spread the word of his death from this 1 min. video advert, which is kind of gruesome, but so was the crime, yah?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnGWCHZefKE
In many places, minorities subjected to less would be rioting in the streets or launching a full-scale guerilla war--the Egyptian gorvernment should be ashamed.
What a tragic loss. My prayers are with the young man and his family.
Nefreeti:
How sad. How unnecessarily tragic. Of course the officer will just get a slap on the wrist and he'll be transferred to another command.
Nevertheless, the regime needs to be scared about the Copts. What'll happen the day that Egypt is invaded or has to repel a threat?
Surely the Copts will face a moral dillema whether to defend a regime that loathes them or cast their lots with the invader?
xavier
im finding this hard to believe. when afghan christian convert was to be punished under the afghan judiciary the whole world heard about it and pulled their pants off. how come know one has hear about this?
Thank you so much to all who commented, especially those who offered condolences and prayers.
There's been so many incidents where Copts were victimised and humiliated...murdered in cold blood with no punishment for the killers...but for some reason this one really got to me...i mean more than anything else in the past. It feels to me like I actually lost a brother.
So, please forgive me if I don't enetr into debates or discussions on this issue anymore for the time being...out of respect for the victim and his bereaved family.
We will talk more about this...but not just yet. Please do continue to remember his soul and his family in your prayers.
Thanks again
I pray it is not real, I pray it is anything else. Mercy God.
What we must remember:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:3-12
May the words of our Lord give us comfort and guidance.
being a firm beleiver of Christian faith my prayers also goes for those who did this such horrible things. May God help them realize that it is not for us to judge and harm other people all because of our cultural, ideal and religious differences. Please pray also for those people. I pray this won't happen again.
May the Lord Jesus Christ beg the Holy Father to put the guy in hell for all eternity for following the most wrong branch of christianity, Copticism.
It would seem the cranks in this combox come in a number of denominations (Joseph).
I encourage liberal application of the beatitudes to this one, folks--the one in about being pesecuted and reviled in particular.
But.... did anyone realize that if the matter is "seriously" investigated that there would only be one outcome.... the "culprits" are insane !! To wit go back few months to the criminal attacks on Christian worshippers in Alexnadria where the Muslim terrorist(s) that carried out the cowardly attacks were declared insane within hours of the crime by an equally insane Egyptian Government officials, sinisterly insane.
Egypeter...How do you feel being a member of the Egyptian race still dwelling in the middle ages with their barbaric medieval christian faith? Confess your faith to Joseph Smith and to the True Church of God so that you may be saved from the peril of hell.
I'm in true christianity already. No need for your prayers. Throw your own ass down a well. In egypt please.
Right...i'm back. And feeling alot more like talking today!
Jospeh
You are the newest guest to comment here, so I'll be a good hostess address you first.
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to comment.
Now, the niceties are out of the way
What the????
Mate, if your purpose is to call people to your faith/religion/church then I suggest you drop the smug act and try to show some respect for others...especially when those "others" are dead!!!
The very least you could have done was to simply keep your mouth shut and keep your thoughts to yourself.
I don't care one bit for your disrespectful and rude comment about sending Hani to hell...what were you thinking?? Who says crap like that??? What kind of cruel twisted mind do you have??
And you want us to follow your faith??
No thanks!
Guys, i started to respond to more comments but found it would get outa hand. Decided to post my response in a separate post.
c ya there
Egypeter thanks for your kind comment. I too like what you post, except when you let rip into the "Josephs" of this cyberworld, I would not time or energy on them.
God Bless
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