'A Miracle from God'

Perhaps it's fitting that this story of an escape from Egypt came out during the week of Passover. Thousands of years ago, the Israelites fled Egypt to escape Pharoah's bondage on their way to the Promised Land.

Thousands of years later, Maher Ahmad El-Gohary, 58, who converted to Christianity from Islam, and his 17-year-old daughter, Dina, escaped from Egypt, an escape El-Gohary called "a miracle from God."

Compass Direct News reported on this story. Here's an excerpt:

"Freedom of religion, including the right to change one's religion, is guaranteed in Egypt by law. But in practice, while it is easy for Christian converts to Islam to change the religion listed on their ID cards, it is impossible for a Muslim convert to Christianity to do the same.

For the time that El-Gohary and his daughter were on the run, they lived a marginal existence, moving from one safe house to another about once every month. On different occasions, he and Dina were attacked. On one occasion, El-Gohary said, Dina had acid thrown on her. On another, he said someone came at him with a knife. El-Gohary called his escape from Egypt a "miracle from God ..."

It's worth reading the full report here.

It's a reminder -- especially this Easter weekend -- of the persecution Christians are subjected to in Egypt and throughout the Middle East -- especially Muslims who convert to Christianity.

They need our prayers for protection and strength.