Egypt pledges to protect Christians

EGYPT: The Egyptian government vowed Sunday to punish the perpetrators of the deadly church attack in the coastal city of Alexandria on New Year’s Eve, while fears of sectarian tension in Egypt flared up.

The suicide bombing in Alexandria is a treacherous crime aimed at crabbing Egypt’s stability and security and creating sectarian strife in the Egyptian street, said Minister of Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils Mofeed Shehab in a statement.

Hundreds of Copts took part in marches Sunday in Cairo and Alexandria, condemning the church explosion and protesting against government’s failure to protect their community. Clashes between hundreds of outraged young Christian protesters and the Egyptian police intensified near the church on Saturday. “We will sacrifice our blood and soul for the Christ,” chanted the protesters. Meanwhile, many Coptic worshippers condemned terrorism and urged the government to act responsibly and work hard to punish the perpetrators.

“This is not fair. The government has to find us a solution to this and stop acting that cool and referring everything to meaningless excuses,” said a Coptic worshipper.

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayyeb, Egypt’s top Muslim cleric, paid a visit to Pope Shenouda III, head of Coptic Orthodox Church in Cairo, on Sunday and expressed his condolences over the fall of innocent people in the attack.

The meeting didn’t cool down the anger of Copts, who continued their protest although Pope Shenouda called on all Copts to be calm and exercise self-restraint. It was reported that protesters attacked the vehicles of the Grand Imam until the police interfered.

Copts held mass on Sunday at the Al-Qiddeseen Church in Alexandria, mourning the victims of the blast, which killed 21 and wounded 100 others. Tears and pains overwhelmed the worshippers, who lit candles and prayed for their fellows killed in the tragedy. The Al-Qiddeseen Church officially denounced the attack and reaffirmed that it was not sectarian, appealing for patience and calm. Cairo, Tuesday, Xinhua