Wadi Ramsis, a Coptic doctor who was kidnapped in Sinai two months ago was released Monday after “payment of large sums of [ransom] money,” said authorities.
Targeting Copts—especially professionals, who can afford to pay, or children, whose parents become desperate to pay—is becoming endemic to Egypt.
In May, five “unidentified persons” kidnapped a Coptic Christian pharmacy owner at gunpoint in Sohag, Upper Egypt. Soon after Friday mosque prayers, a car pulled up in front of the pharmacy and opened fire on it before the assailants raided it and drove off with the kidnapped owner, one Mr. Marcos, a 52-year-old Copt, at gunpoint.
In April, Isaac Eli—another Coptic man—was abducted under threat of gunfire by four “unknown persons” armed with automatic weapons. They came upon the Coptic wood merchant while he was working in front of his home, coerced him into their car, and sped away. Later, one of his relatives received a phone call demanding a hefty ransom to release the Christian man: 500,000 Egyptian pounds.
In late March, Shenouda Riad Musa, a Coptic Christian man, was kidnapped by “unknown persons” who later called his family demanding one million Egyptian pounds for his release, roughly the equivalent of $150,000 USD, an exorbitant sum in Egypt.
The logic of these many “unknown persons” appears to be simple: according to Islamic law, non-Muslims are required to pay jizya, or tribute, in order not to be molested or plundered (see Koran 9:29).
However, because the jizya has been abolished since the 19th century, thanks to the intervention of colonial powers, these “unknown persons” have found a way to make a profit that is conscionable enough for them: target Christian minorities in their midst for ransom money and justify it all in the context of receiving their just due of jizya from them.
If Christian infidels are not made to pay tribute to the state—as Koran 9:29 mandates and as Salafis regularly insist—apparently the “jizya-vigilantes” will get that money one way or another.
This is what dhimmitude means: a constant shakedown in return for protection that may be reneged at any time. This is what life was like in the wonderful and tolerant Cordova Caliphate for the lucky Christians and Jews that got to live under the enlightened rule of Muslims during the Middle Ages. You think you’re getting along alright and you’ve got the whole Jizya thing covered when one day, you’re cornered in the market and asked what you (my very good friend) think of the Prophet Muhammed – OR – what you think of the Glorious Koran. Now you’re really on the spot to either agree that they are very fine (then why don’t you convert to Islam; it would be better for you) or testify that you can’t as a Christian or a Jew take seriously their claims (now you’re guilty of blasphemy! blasphemy!) and forfeit all protection.