Meet Matthew Ayariga, the Ghanaian Christian migrant worker who was martyred alongside 20 Egyptian Copts by ISIS in Libya on February 15, 2015. He was among a group of construction workers kidnapped in Sirte, Libya, and beheaded on camera in a brutal display of violence.
What’s remarkable about Matthew’s story is that he was not an Egyptian Copt like the others, but a Black African from Ghana who had been working with them. When questioned by his captors about his faith, Matthew reportedly said, “Their God is my God,” showing solidarity with his Coptic colleagues and his own commitment to Christianity.
This act of bravery and devotion has led to his recognition as a martyr by both the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church.