Christians as Human Shields for Muslims?

Coptic Christians are a group of Christians in Egypt. They follow an ancient calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7th. (more info for my post about Christmas)

Last January, six Christians were killed as they left their Christmas Eve service. And just a few days ago, on January 1st a bombing killed twenty-one at a Coptic Church in Egypt. The attacks are assumed to be done by Islamist extremists.

(Photo: Reuters)

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Recently the extremist groups have released warnings about potential attacks during the Coptic Christians’ Christmas Eve services this year (January 6th). Peace-loving Muslims were saddened and came together to show support for their Christian neighbors.  According to this article … there was “a widespread call by Muslim intellectuals and activists upon Egyptian Muslims at large to flock to Coptic churches across the country to attend Coptic Christmas Eve mass, to show solidarity with the nation’s Coptic minority, but also to serve as “human shields” against possible attacks by Islamist militants.”

Though the Muslims are the majority (80% to 90%) in the area and Coptic Christians are the minority, the Muslims asked permission from the church officials before they attended.

And now reports are coming in that it was a peaceful night in Egypt with Muslims attending various church services as a show of peace … As Egyptian Copts attended mass at churches across the country, “thousands” of Muslims, including “the two sons of President Hosni Mubarak,” joined them, acting as “human shields” to protect from terrorist attacks by extremists.

If you are a Christian and the situation was reversed, would you stand up, literally and figuratively, to support and protect Muslims?

At a time like this, I can’t help but remember one of Jesus’ questions, “Who is your neighbor?”