Faith Under
Fire,,,,,,,,
Egypt in crisis talks after Muslim mobs attack Christian
churches
Egypt's caretaker government has held crisis talks after attacks
by Muslim mobs on Coptic Christian churches in Cairo left at least
12 people dead and drove the country's growing religious tensions
to the brink.
A Christian boy in the attacked church
By Samer al-Atrush in Cairo 5:34PM BST 08 May 2011
The Telegraph UK
The riots, in Imbaba, a poor, densely populated district in the
city, have heightened fears that a power vacuum following Hosni
Mubarak's overthrow will lead to a power grab by Islamic
fundamentalists, more sectarian strife and a collapse in law and
order.
The prime minister, Essam Sharaf, called an emergency cabinet
meeting after postponing a tour of Gulf oil states intended to win
Egypt desperately needed financial support, three months after the
uprising.
Following the meeting Abdel Aziz al-Gindi, the justice minister,
said: "We will strike with an iron hand all those who seek to
tamper with the nation's security." He promised to protect places
of worship from attack.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has ruled the
country since Mr Mubarak's enforced resignation on February 11,
announced the arrest of 190 people yesterday and said they would
be tried before military tribunals.
Muslim protesters had tried to storm the St Mena's church in
Imbaba on Saturday evening, claiming Christians were holding
against her will a woman who had converted to Islam and married a
Muslim.
Stones and firebombs flew over the heads of soldiers who had been
deployed in the dusty, narrow street outside the church.
Soldiers also scuffled with Coptic Christians who accused them of
not doing enough to protect them after a fire bomb thrown from the
Muslim side set fire to an apartment building next to the church.
The troops eventually advanced on the Muslim protesters, a mix of
Imbaba residents and hardline Salafi fundamentalists, firing over
their heads and forcing them to retreat down the street.
Inside the church, blood pooled on the floor as wounded Christians
were rushed in for treatment. Near the altar, the parishioners had
wrapped a corpse in a cloth and placed a bible on its chest.
Father Hermania, the church priest, said at least five Christians
were killed in the clashes, which lasted into Sunday morning. The
government later said 12 people, including at least four
Christians and six Muslims, died in the violence.
Soldiers unsuccessfully tried to persuade Christians standing
guard outside the church gates to go inside, but they refused,
chanting "Oh God! Oh Jesus." The Muslims chanted back: "There is
no God but Allah."
Muslim protesters also set fire to a second church in the same
district and attacked Coptic-owned businesses.
They insisted that Christians had fired on them when they went to
the church to negotiate the woman's release. The Copts denied they
were holding any converts.
One of the Muslim protesters, dressed in the white knit skull cap
and robes often worn by Salafi extremists, said they would be
satisfied only when the church was searched for weapons and the
alleged convert.
"We won't leave until they give up their weapons and those who
killed us are tried," said the man, who gave his name as Mamduh.
The clashes were the worst since 13 people died in a brawl in
March in another Cairo neighbourhood after Christians protested
against an arson attack on a church.
The military has promised to come down hard on sectarian attacks,
but Christians say that they have too often been left to fend for
themselves.
Dozens held a protest outside the American embassy on Sunday
demanding that the United States intervene on their behalf.
Coptic Christians account for roughly 10 per cent of the country's
80 million people, and they have long complained of state
sanctioned discrimination.
On New Year's Eve, a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people
outside a church in Alexandria after a Coptic Mass.
Church leaders spoke out in support of Mr Mubarak, and the recent
clashes will confirm the fears of many Christians that his
overthrow might unleash powerful and sometimes violent Islamist
forces.
Other Christians, particularly the young, joined in the protests
against his rule, and claimed that he had himself covertly
encouraged Islamic militancy in order to win support for his
regime from America and the West.