Christians in Egypt, Libya Could Face More Persecution After Attacks

The Tuesday attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya and Egypt could have severe consequences for already marginalized Christians in the Middle East and northern Africa, according to Open Doors USA. The violence, including the death of four American embassy staff members in Benghazi, Libya, was allegedly sparked by a film produced in the U.S. that insulted the prophet Mohammed. "It illustrates how hot the fuel is that one spark ignites it so suddenly," said Open Doors spokesman Michael Wood. "At some point we heard that people were protesting because of a film not even knowing what movie this was all about. And as was the case with the publishing of the Danish cartoon several years ago, the movie has been on the internet several months. But it is the unpredictable momentum that suddenly creates a wave of protests and anger. Many of the Muslim fanatics link the U.S. with Christianity. So that puts believers in these hot spots such as Libya and Egypt directly in the line of fire."