Contact: Lindsay Vessey, Coptic Solidarity, 801-512-1713, info@copticsolidarity.org

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Coptic Solidarity strongly condemns the systematic targeting by Islamic militants of Christian Copts in Libya, and urges Egypt and the international community to act immediately as the entire migrant community is in grave danger.

The Jihadists of the Ansar al Sharia (Defenders of Sharia), supporters of the Islamic State, have been kidnapping and murdering Coptic migrants in Libya, where thousands of Copts live and work. Coptic Solidarity sources report that dozens of Copts may have been kidnapped, and hundreds are trying to flee the "Jihadi Gestapo" which has widened its pool and is searching for Copts to kidnap in Libya.

On December 23, Coptic doctor Magdy Sobhy Tawfiq and his wife Sahar Talaat Rizq, were brutally murdered by Jihadists who broke into their home. By not robbing money or jewelry they demonstrated that their intent was simply to murder the Christian couple. The militants also kidnapped and later shot their 14 year old daughter, Katrine. The couple’s two youngest daughters survive them.

A few days later, seven Coptic Christians who were trying to flee the country, were kidnapped by Jihadists, and their whereabouts are still unknown. On January 3, thirteen Copts were kidnapped at a business in the city of Sirte by fifteen masked gunmen. The militants proceeded to separate Muslims from Christians and only kidnapped Copts.

Some of these Jihadists militias have been called "rebels and revolutionaries" by the Qatar funded al Jazeera. This misnomer was also applied by the US Administration in 2011. The unwillingness of both media and governments to accurately name Islamic perpetrators lends to the continued persecution and annihilation of the Coptic community in Libya.

Coptic Solidarity urges president El-Sisi for immediate action by the Egyptian government to protect its own citizens, including evacuating them from areas of danger. To date, the Egyptian government and its media outlets have been most notable for their silence regarding the despicable deaths and kidnapping of Copts in Libya. The Libyan authorities should provide immediate security for Copts within their borders and work to stem the tide of violence against this innocent, migrant community.

Coptic Solidarity also urges the UN Security Council to condemn the systematic violence against Copts and to mobilize the international community to take concrete steps for their protection. The continued pattern of targeting of innocent minorities by Jihadists is troubling and calls for swift action to avert a greater humanitarian catastrophe.

Coptic Solidarity is non-profit organization dedicated to leading efforts to achieve equal citizenship for the Copts in Egypt and minorities in Middle East. For more information, contact Lindsay Vessey at 801-512-1713 or info@copticsolidarity.org