An Egyptian Christian man held hostage for 13 days because of his faith has spoken about his ordeal.
Sixty-eight-year-old Bakhit Aziz Georgi and his 35-year-old nephew Youssef Samaan Girgis were kidnapped at gunpoint from Bakhit’s small shop in Egypt last year.
Both men’s mobile phones were taken and they were threatened with death. Then the darkness came – Youssef and Bakhit were blindfolded. Youssef would remain blindfolded for the next 13 days.
Youssef and his uncle were then separated. For the rest of his time in captivity, Youssef’s hands were tied and he would hear no one’s voice but his captors’
Unable to sleep, Youssef prayed: ‘God, be with me and my uncle, strengthen us, protect us and rescue us from the hands of these wicked people. You are our protection’.
The next 13 days passed like months and he received little food and slept on the ground. It was impossible to distinguish day from night behind the blindfold. He received only one meal a day and was insulted non-stop.
Bakhit says: ‘Every day was a nightmare. I was far from family, I missed my children so much. I asked if I could talk to them, but they refused and insulted me.’
As with many such captives, he found comfort in prayer and the Bible, repeating words from Psalm 27: The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
He also sensed that his family, church and many Christians were praying for them both.
Those prayers were answered when, still blindfolded, the door opened and his hands were untied. He was loaded into a vehicle. When it stopped, he was quickly pushed out. Youssef removed the blindfold and for the first time in 13 days saw where he was: a desert close to his village.
‘I felt very great joy,’ he said. ‘I thanked God for releasing me. All the glory be to Him! I really thought I would never see my children again. I thank God for sending this miracle.’
Bakhit and Youssef knew why they were kidnapped: they are Christians. They are the only Christian family in the village.
