Two Americans Kidnapped in Egypt, Victims … Pastor Michel Louis, a Woman from Another Church Lisa Alphonse & Egyptian Tour Guide

Two Americans and an Egyptian tour guide have been kidnapped at gunpoint in the Sinai peninsula of Egypt.  The two American kidnapping victims are 61 year old Michel Louis, the pastor of the Free Pentecostal Church of God in Dorchester, MA in the Boston area and 39 year old Lisa Alphonse, a female member from another church that works closely with his father’s congregation. Pastor Louis was on his annual missionary trip  trip to Israel, however, this year he ventured into Egypt. The family claims that pastor Michel Louis was unaware of the dangers of this area even though there had been previous kidnappings as seen HERE and HERE.

An American pastor kidnapped in Egypt was not aware of the danger of traveling to the area, his son said Sunday.

Pastor Michel Louis, a woman from another church, and an Egyptian tour guide were taken off a bus on Friday, Louis’s son Jean told CNN’s Early Start Weekend show.

“As the tour bus was in area of the Sinai peninsula of Egypt, they were stopped by a couple of cars,” Jean Louis said he had heard from his mother, who was on the bus.

“In the cars were some gentlemen who got onto the bus. They detained both my father …. and another woman who was part of the group on their way to Israel,” he said.

The other American seized was a female congregant from another church that works closely with his father’s congregation, he said.

The reason for the kidnapping was to free one of the kidnappers uncle’s from an Egyptian prison. Jirmy Abu-Masuh vowed to kidnap more individuals until his demands are met.

Jirmy Abu-Masuh, 32, of the Tarbeen tribe, said in an interview that he stopped their tour bus and also kidnapped their 28-year-old tour guide Haytham Ragab as well so he could translate.

Abu-Masuh told The Associated Press that the Americans are being treated well — they’ve been given tea and a traditional Bedouin meal of lamb — but they won’t be released until his uncle, who is in an Egyptian prison, is released as well. He also said that if his uncle is not released, he will abduct more people.

One Response to “Two Americans Kidnapped in Egypt, Victims … Pastor Michel Louis, a Woman from Another Church Lisa Alphonse & Egyptian Tour Guide”

1. A Texas Grandfather on July 15th, 2012 12:44 pm

   Anyone who travels to Egypt in this unstable time is putting themselves in great danger. The U.S. should put out a travel advisory.

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