23 December 2013, by Orla Guerin
As Coptic Christians in Egypt prepare
to celebrate their Christmas on 7 January, they are still waiting for scores of
churches destroyed in August to be rebuilt. Christians – who account for an
estimated 10% of Egypt’s population of 92 million – have long been easy targets.
And for some families this Christmas is a time to mourn, reports the BBC’s Orla
Guerin in Cairo.
Mariam Ashraf was so excited about going to the wedding that she did not wait
for help from her mother. The seven year old dressed herself. She chose fluffy red boots, a black skirt
with white embroidery, and a pink top.
Then, for the first time ever, she asked her uncle to take her picture with
his mobile phone, showing her outfit from top to toe. It was the last photo ever taken of the polite little girl described by her
parents as “an angel walking on earth”.
Mariam was one of four people killed by gunmen who sprayed Coptic Christians
with bullets outside a Cairo church in October. Her Mother, Nirmeen Magdy, was shot four times. Two months on, her wounds are healing, but not her grief. Mariam was killed
right in front of her.
Read Orla Guerin’s full article here: