Egypt Honors Its 21 Martyrs But Ignores 10 Million Persecuted Copts Still Living Under Fire

Egypt's 10 Million Coptic Christians Still Face Daily Persecution While the World Only Remembers the Martyrs

On February 15, Coptic Christians worldwide marked the anniversary of the 21 men beheaded by ISIS on a Libyan beach in 2015. The world remembers the orange jumpsuits, the kneeling figures, and their final words: "Lord Jesus Christ."

But while the world pauses once a year to honor these martyrs, Egypt's roughly 10 million Coptic Christians continue to endure relentless persecution that rarely makes headlines.

According to the Open Doors World Watch List 2026, Egypt ranks number 42 with a persecution score of 68 out of 100. The data reveals that pressure on private life, family, and community life sits at 74.5 percent, affecting employment, housing, and basic security.

The large scale jihadist attacks that dominated headlines during the 2010s have diminished. In their place is what author Wendy Yurgo describes as persecution that is "harder to see and just as damaging": relentless harassment, mob violence against homes and families, blasphemy charges, and government inaction.

Modern persecution operates through systemic means. National ID cards list religion. Job discrimination is routine. Housing is denied. Women are publicly harassed. Religious converts face extreme danger.

Blasphemy laws enable official pressure against Christians. On January 3, 2026, Christian researcher and YouTuber Augustin Samaan was sentenced to five years of hard labor for contempt of religion after defending Christianity online.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom again urged that Egypt be placed on the Special Watch List, citing systematic violations of religious freedom and the routine use of pretrial detention as punishment.

In February 2026, a serious fire destroyed homes in Cairo's Manshiyat Naser district, a largely Coptic community, displacing hundreds of families. No confirmed independent investigation of its causes has been announced.

On February 22, a tribute event titled "21 Martyrs: Knelt but Not Broken" was hosted by Coptic Orphans and the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., featuring an animated film about the martyrs produced by Jonathan Roumie of "The Chosen."

Coptic Christians in Egypt Endure Systemic Oppression as the World Looks Away

The persecution score breakdown shows that violence against Christians in Egypt remains a persistent reality. Copts make up the largest Christian population in the Middle East and North Africa, approximately 15 million people, yet they continue to live as second class citizens in their ancestral homeland.

They face abduction, forced disappearance, unlawful arrests, torture, and pressure to convert to Islam. The quieter forms of discrimination are embedded in the very structures of Egyptian society. These abuses are not violent and not headline worthy, yet they are no less real and often more effective at eroding Christian life.

The Crusader's Opinion

We light candles for the 21 once a year, share their icon on social media, and then scroll past the Copts who are still living in the same fire. Augustin Samaan got five years of hard labor for defending his faith online. Five years. In 2026. Not the seventh century. A man used his voice to proclaim Christ and the Egyptian state put him in chains for it. Meanwhile, the West sends Egypt billions in aid and politely ignores the ID cards that brand every Christian, the blasphemy laws that silence them, and the mobs that burn their homes while police watch. If a Muslim were sentenced to hard labor for defending Islam in a Christian country, every embassy on earth would issue a statement before sundown. The silence is the scandal. These are our brothers and sisters. Their suffering is not a footnote. It is a call to action that demands more than remembrance.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
• Support Coptic Solidarity, which advocates directly for the rights and safety of Egypt's Coptic community.
• Give to Open Doors or Voice of the Martyrs to strengthen underground church networks and provide emergency relief to persecuted believers.
• Contact your U.S. representatives and urge them to pressure Egypt on religious freedom. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224 3121 and ask your senator to support placing Egypt on the State Department's Special Watch List.
• Watch and share the animated film "The 21" to raise awareness about Coptic martyrdom and ongoing persecution.
• Pray specifically for Augustin Samaan, currently serving a five year hard labor sentence for defending Christianity online, and for Coptic families displaced by the Manshiyat Naser fire.