This past weekend marked the 10th anniversary of the shocking mass beheading of 21 captive Christians on a Libyan beach, at the hands of masked jihadists of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS).
The beheading of these martyrs was filmed for an ISIS propaganda video.
This from frontpagemag.com.
The ISIS spokesman in the 5-minute video declared they would turn the oceans red with the blood of executed infidels. And indeed, in the final part of the video, as the speaker points his knife toward the sea and vows that “we will conquer Rome, by Allah’s permission, the promise of our Prophet, peace be upon him,” the bound captives’ blood stains the Mediterranean waves.
The group of captives began as 20 Egyptian construction workers captured in late 2014, but a 21st was added: Matthew Ayariga, a black African from Ghana. There is some confusion as to whether he was Christian to begin with, or that he converted after witnessing the unshakeable faith of his fellow prisoners. In any case, Matthew told his ISIS holders:
Their God is my God.
Initially, the captors reportedly tried to reason with the prisoners, even offering them money to deny their faith. But the prisoners refused.
Thus the journey of torture began.
Beatings, sleep deprivation, and worse failed to convince the prisoners to deny their God. Finally, bound and orange-jumpsuited (intended as a reference to the uniforms of Muslim terrorist prisoners of the U.S. at Guantánamo Bay), they were marched, on three separate occasions, to the beach as ISIS practiced filming them. On the last instance, after the threatening speech by the ISIS spokesman, they were beheaded—one by one, in the hope that some would recant as they watched the agonizing deaths of their brothers in Christ. None did.
The savage massacre ended up inspiring not terror but awe at the courage and resolute faith of the slain men, who all died with Jesus’ name on their lips.
The same month in which they were killed, the victims were officially declared saints and martyrs by Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In May 2023, Catholic Pope Francis also formally recognized the ISIS victims as martyrs and designated the date of their murder as a Catholic feast day.
In the years that followed the killings, MORE Productions’ founder Mark Rodgers was inspired to create a short film that presented a more accurate narrative of the sainted men’s abduction, imprisonment, torture, and gruesome execution—one that centered on and honored the spiritual victory of the martyrs. And so The 21 project was launched as a more truthful counterpart to the ISIS propaganda video. It was based on extensive research and multiple conversations with the family members, friends, and Coptic clergy who knew the 21, as well as reports of interviews with former ISIS members.
The film, which runs 13 minutes including credits, was animated by a global team of more than 70 world-class artists from 24 countries, working under the direction of Tod Polson for five years of production. As the film’s website states:
The 21’s aesthetic takes its cues from the Neo-Coptic style.
Narrated in English, with Arabic dialogue, it features compelling original music composed and recorded by the Ayoub Sisters, classically trained musicians born and raised in Scotland who incorporate Coptic hymns and liturgy into their music.
The animation is interspersed with occasional actual footage of the captives and their march to the beach. The actual beheading is not depicted explicitly but the moments before and after are rendered in Coptic iconography-inspired animation that is both horrifying and powerful.
The narration begins:
In the early 21st century, ISIS began a reign of terror in an attempt to cleanse North Africa of Christians.
Why? We are not told explicitly, but the context is clear. In one shot, we are shown the black flag of ISIS flapping from the back of a vehicle, with the credo in Arabic (subtitled in English):
There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.
That is the reason for the aim of exterminating Christians across North Africa. Islam is a supremacist, imperialist religion which divides the world into Dar al-Islam—the House of Islam—and Dar al-Harb—the House of War. There can be no peace until all the world submits to the Islamic declaration of faith.
In a conversation with Fox News’ Lighthouse Faith, The 21 producer Mandi Hart stated:
[I]n interviews with former ISIS members, they claimed to experience and witness supernatural signs: earthquakes and lights, and shadowy figures moving among the prisoners, especially on the beach—some of them bearing swords, some on horseback.
One ISIS member was reportedly so terrified by what he saw that he fled and converted to Christianity. He remains in hiding, according to Hart.
The 21 debuted on September 20, 2024, and made the shortlist for the 2025 Academy Awards, though ultimately it failed to be nominated. The film closes with the names of the 21 martyrs, which are included here to honor them:
- Milad Makeen Zaky
- Abanub Ayad Atiya
- Maged Soliman Shehata
- Youssef Shukry Younan
- Kirollos Boshra Fawzy
- Bishoy Astafanous Kamel
- Samuel Astafanous Kamel
- Malak Ibrahim Sinyout
- Tawadros Youssef Tawadros
- Gerges Milad Sinyout
- Mina Fayez Aziz
- Hany Abdel Mesih Salib
- Samuel Alham Wilson
- Ezzat Boshra Naseef
- Luka Nagaty Anis
- Gaber Mounir Adly
- Essam Baddar Samir
- Malak Farag Abrahim
- Sameh Salah Farouk
- Gerges Samir Megally
- Mathew Ayairga (from Ghana)
As the film’s website declares:
Terrorism cannot triumph over sacrificial love.
Their example of love and forgiveness is a clarion call for the world to honor and emulate.
Check out this podcast interview with producer Mandi Hart. Then do not miss this extraordinary tribute, The 21, in its entirety and for free through February 17, HERE or on YouTube.
