Muslims Attack Christians in Egypt, 12 Killed, 232 Injured

Muslims Attack Christians in Egypt, 12 Killed, 232 Injured

(AINA) -- Christians Copts in the area of Embaba were attacked Saturday evening by Muslim Salafis. The attacks lasted for 14 hours. The Muslims fired guns and rifles and hurled Molotov cocktails at Coptic churches, houses and businesses. 12 Copts were killed and 232 injured.
The church of Saint Mina was the first to be attacked. According to its pastor Fr. Abanoub the attack started at 5.30 PM on Saturday May 7, when church parishioners noticed a large number of Salafis, estimated at 3000 men, congregating near the church. Anticipating trouble, the army was called. The Salafis went to the church and asked to search it because they believed a Christian girl named called Abir, who had converted to Islam, married a Salafi and wanted to revert back to Christianity, was hiding inside the church. The Muslims circulated a rumor that the husband of Abir received a call from her asking him to save her as she was being "tortured" inside the church.
The governor of Giza said that there are no girls hiding in St. Mina Church. He falsely claimed that things were under control and a "reconciliation" meeting will be arranged for tomorrow. The army later cordoned off the entire district of Embaba.
Father Yohanna Mansour from Giza Bishopric confirmed that no one knows this alleged girl called Abir. He said the congregation was meeting at church and the Salafis wanted to break into the church and force a search to look for this alleged convert, he said in an interview with the Egyptian State TV. "Muslims always come invited to church, but this would have set a precedent that Muslims would use to search our churches." He refused the "reconciliation" meeting and insisted on the application of the law.
According to Fr. Abanoub the Salafis started shooting at 5:30 but the army arrived at 10 PM. "I called everyone, but no one bothered to come." He said six policemen came and left when they saw the shooting. There were also snipers shooting the parishioners from rooftops. "I mourn all those young people who died. We now must ask for international protection."
The second church attacked by Salafis was St. Mary and St Abanob, also in Embaba. Muslims prevented the fire brigade from reaching it. Copts were also shot. This video shows the wounded brought inside the church.
The third church attacked was St. Mary Church in Wehda Street in Embaba, the ground floor of which was completely torched (video).

He Has Risen! - Happy Easter

"Christ is Risen!", 
               
              "Truly, He is Risen"





At the Coptic Church, Greek and Coptic responds are used:


Coptic:
ⲠⲓⲬⲣⲓⲥⲧⲟⲥ ⲁϥⲧⲱⲛϥ! Ϧⲉⲛ ⲟⲩⲙⲉⲑⲙⲏⲓ ⲁϥⲧⲱⲛϥ! 
(Pikhristos Aftonf! Khen oumethmi aftonf!)


Greek (more common):
Christos Anesti ("Χριστός ἀνέστη!")

Alithos Anesti ("Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! ")

Wish you all the best for Easter. May God forgive us all.

Here is a little video about the meaning of Easter:

HH pope Shenouda Sermon God Exists

LA Times: In Egypt 13 killed in clashes between Copts and Muslims

Egypt Copts Muslims: In Egypt 13 killed in clashes between Copts and Muslims - latimes.com+

Reporting from Cairo

Egypt suffered the deadliest unrest since President Hosni Mubarak's ouster when clashes Wednesday between Muslims and Coptic Christians left 13 dead and 140 injured.

The bloodshed, on the edge of a Cairo slum, renewed concern about the government's willingness to protect the Christian minority. Army units intervened only after Muslims set fire to homes and businesses.

An Egyptian soldier intervenes as a group of Egyptians who want protesters to leave Cairo's Tahrir Square clash with those who believe that the gatherings in the plaza must continue. The Egyptian military said it had arrested about 100 men armed with knives and weapons who were planning to carry out a new attack on the protesters. Up to 20 people were injured earlier in the day when a few hundred men attacked protesters camped out in the square, according to doctors at a makeshift hospital there. (EPA / March 10, 2011)

Persecution on Ex-Muslim Converts to Christianity in Egypt !

This is small segment of Persecution of Christians in Egypt documentary broadcasted by UK's channel 4.

Michael Coren on the persecution of Christians in the muslim world

Michel Coren Show is a Canadian Show.

Egyptian Armed Forces Demolish Fences Guarding Coptic Monasteries

Egyptian Armed Forces Demolish Fences Guarding Coptic Monasteries

Egyptian armed forces this week demolished fences surrounding ancient Coptic monasteries, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by armed Arabs, robbers and escaped prisoners, who have seized the opportunity of the state of diminished protection by the authorities in Egypt to carry out assaults and thefts.

"Three monasteries have been attacked by outlaws and have asked for protection from the armed forces, but were told to defend themselves." said activist Mark Ebeid. "When the terrified monks built fences to protect themselves, armed forces appeared only then with bulldozers to demolish the fences. It is worth noting that these monasteries are among the most ancient in Egypt, with valuable Coptic icons and manuscripts among others, which are of tremendous value to collectors."

On Sunday February 20, armed forced stormed the 4th century old monastery of St. Boula in the Red Sea area, assaulted three monks and then demolished a small fence supporting a gate leading to the fenceless monastery. "The idea of the erection of the gate was prompted after being attacked at midnight on February 13 by five prisoners who broke out from their prisons," said Father Botros Anba Boula, "and were armed with a pistol and batons. The monks ran after them but they fled to the surrounding mountains except for one who stumbled and was apprehended and held by the monks until the police picked him up three days later."

Father Botros said after this incident they thought the best solution to secure the monastery was to erect a gate with a small fence of 40 meters long at the entrance of a long wiry road leading to the monastery, which would be guarded day and night by the monks, and advised the army of their plan. According to Father Boulos, the army came with armored vehicles to demolish the gate, but it was agreed the monastery itself would undertake the demolition of the gate in stages as army protection is reinstated. "We told the Colonel it would look ugly to the outside world if Egyptian army is demolishing a gate erected for the protection of the unarmed monks under the present absence of security forces. We gave them full hospitality but we had a feeling that they wanted to demolish the gate in a 'devious' way."

Coptic Christian priest killed in Egypt, setting off new protests by religious minority - Winnipeg Free Press

Coptic Christian priest killed in Egypt, setting off new protests by religious minority - Winnipeg Free Press

ASSIUT, Egypt - A Coptic Christian priest has been killed in southern Egypt, triggering street demonstrations by several thousand Christians.

The priest was found dead in his home. A fellow clergyman, Danoub Thabet, says his body had several stab wounds. He says neighbours reported seeing several masked men leaving the apartment and shouting "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," suggesting the killing was motivated by the divide between Egypt's Muslims and its minority Coptic community.

About 3,000 protesters scuffled with Muslim shop owners Tuesday night and smashed the windows of a police car in the city, Assiut.

Egypt's religious tension spiked in January when a suicide bomber killed 21 people outside a Coptic church in the port city of Alexandria. Days of protests followed

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List of Coptic Persecution Events in Egypt

List of sectarian incidents against the Copts in Egypt in 40 years

Events of the attack on Christians in the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser

1968: Attack on a church on the outskirts of Luxor

1970: There was a battle unfortunate and painful years in the cemetery of Coptic Bokhmim Vihamchristi killed and dozens wounded 

Events of the attack on Christians in the era of Mohamed Anwar Sadat

1972: Set fire to a house Bible Society Bakhankp 

1975: Attacks on the brutality of the Muslims during Ramadan celebrations and cracking shops Christians and the Church of the angel in Assiut.

1978: Iatdaet and killed with knives for some Christian students Boiade Islamic groups in the Assiut.

1980: Islamic groups got used to the Christian students living on campus in Alexandria.

1981: Attacks on the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic groups and Christians on the police in the governorate of Assiut.

1981: The bloody attacks on the Copts in the red corner and killed 86 Christians and the attack on the hundreds of houses and shops.

1981: Asyut massacre that claimed the lives of hundreds and the slaughter of the Coptic police officers.

Events of the attack on Christians in the era of Hosni Mubarak

**Note that the following event are a sample of the recorded events in the era of Mubarak. Many other events were not recorded like the kidnapping of many minors to be converted to Islam.

1990: Bloody events for the loader - Manfalout - claimed the lives of 6 killed and 50 wounded Christians.

1990: Burning of agricultural land belongs to the Christians in the Bulaq Dakrur because of a common construction of a church.

1990: The attack on the Copts in Abo Kerkas.

1990: Manfalout bloody events and the number of Christians killed.

1990: Bloody assault on the Copts were killed, including six of the priest at the center of the lake Abu Elmatamir

1991: Attacked by gunmen from the Islamic guerrillas on the Copts in Imbaba

1991: The massacre of 13 Christians Copts in the village in Assiut Mansheya.

1992: Massacre in which 14 Christian Copts in the village of Mansheya - Village Wissa - Dirout Assiut.

1992: Killed 4 of the Copts and the looting and theft, sabotage and chaos pass surged.

1993: Attacks on Muslims of the Copts in the city of Asyut.

1994: Armed terrorist attack on the Monastery of the Virgin Mary Muharraq Baqusip and killed 5 monks were killed with machine guns

1997: 9 Copts killed  in front of St. George Church in the village of Property.

1997: 13 Copts killed and six injured in the entire estate of the village of Takla Bahgourah Center Nag Hammad.

1998: First Kosheh massacre in Sohag and killed Copts and put their bodies on the outskirts of the village.

1999: Killing of Christians from the Church of St. George in Heliopolis shot dead by Islamic groups.

2000: Second Kosheh massacre and looting of houses of Christians, killing and slaughter and burning of 19 Copts in front of their families.

2002: Muslim attack on the Church of the Virgin Mary in a village in Minya.

2003: an Islamic guerrilla attack on the village mound center of Al-Giza.

2003: Muslims kill Coptic Nama Malak Sahfiek using Police-issued gun.

2005: Muslims attacking churches and Coptic Christians in Alexandria and injuring dozens.

2005: kill a Coptic lawyer Sabri Zaki, strangled and then received from the balcony of his office.

2005: Barbaric attacks on shops and houses of the Coptic village of Kafr Ibrahim safety of the "Church of Abu Seven" center Qamh East.

Egyptian Coptic Christian in Intensive Care after Muslim assault, 2006

2006: Diffusion of road accidents that kill clearly Christians.

2006: The bloody attack on the worshipers Coptic churches of Alexandria.

2006: The acquisition of territory the status of Copts in the village of Bath Obnob Assiut 

2006: Displacement of 15 families from the village of Coptic Hegaza tribal center Qus Qena.

2006: Incident the deadliest against the Copts in the village of Kafr safety eastern region.

2006: Beheaded one of the Copts in Aswan. 
2006: Mysterious murder of St Botros' Relative (director of TV Channel Aghapy) 
2006: Slaughter of a Coptic employee in Qena.

2006: Islamists kill the young man Mamdouh Hanna ElNemr in broad daylight in Deft El Laben area.

2006: Muslims occupy a Coptic house in the Nag Hammadi and steal all his possessions. 
2006: Murder of Deacon Joseph Isaac  in the province of Minya after the threat that should not go to Mass.

2007: Police helps in the attack on Christians in Deir Mawas and bloody persecution against Copts, some injured and the destruction of homes and shops in the village of Ayat Bahma.

2007: Harassment of Copts after Friday prayers Ba'eqat north of Luxor.

2007: Muslims attacked the Church of the Virgin. 
2007: Islamist attack on the two Christians families, and the fall of the 4 wounded, and serious damage to property in the village of Saft Meidum Markez Wasty 
2007: State Security arrested the correspondent of Christians United in Egypt without charge.
2007: Muslim attack on Christians in the village of Kom Ombo in Aswan
2007: The killing of two Copts fifty bullets in the neck in a village in Sohag surrounded near the village of Kosheh 

Copts demonstrating in the Netherlands. Credit: the Coptic website Coptreal 

Blessed Is Egypt

Seventh Day | Palestinian Army of Islam elements behind the explosion of the Church of Rafah

Seventh Day | Army of Islam Palestinian elements behind the explosion of the Church of Rafah:

Palestinian Army of Islam (Archive)

"Security sources and local responsible in northern Sinai that what happened near the Church of Rafah, Gateway, for the unknown likely they are elements of the Army of Islam in the Gaza Strip and other elements threw a bomb or a landmine detonated near the fence Church Rafah without injuries or casualties recalls, adding that the same elements of the work of the destruction of important government installations in Rafah.
The eyewitnesses said that a car seen near the church and the Culture Palace of Rafah, where the unknown elements of trying to steal some of the contents of the church and the burning part within a few days ago and have also destroyed some of the crosses.
Witnesses said that the fumes were seen for several days rising from inside the church, which was not located by one of the Copts did not result in loss of the church building.
The sources accused some elements of the Army of Islam the Arab gas pipeline blew up and off gas supplies to Jordan and Israel temporarily until the repair site of the explosion.
This is the people's committees of young people to monitor the Rafah tunnels and monitoring of any elements that might enter the city, especially by armed elements."

Here is a video of the church after burning:
(Notice on the wall of the church it says[in Arabic]: "No Place for Christians in the Lands of Muslims")

Gunmen stormed the church and break Bishop "headquarters" in El-Arish

Unknown gunmen stormed the church building and the rest of Saint "headquarters" District Masaeed Arish, using firearms, machine guns, and smashed the doors of the building, and have seized the furniture and electrical equipment, furnishings, etc., did not produce for the attack, injury or loss of life, the absence of a building . Witnesses said neighbors of the building, they saw more than 10 masked gunmen in a pick-up cars, and they broke the doors of the building and access to it, then go out after the capture of the tags. Said Rami - a building workers - it came quickly after informed so, and found all doors and windows of the building and the swimming pool interior completely destroyed, was robbed of all the contents of the building from refrigerators, electric new and used washers full automatic, carpets, mattresses, pillows, linen and motors, water lifting and stairs, interior and others. 

Source: Alahram