Quote:
Originally Posted by Hooves
So.... Let me get this right, there was a car bombing in a church, then all of a sudden Christians and Muslims start pelting each other? Even setting more cars on fire? Now there is a major riot between Christians and Muslims sparking all over from that one car bombing?
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Except for the "all of a sudden", you've got it right.
For the past 30 years, Copts (which simply means Egyptian in the old Egyptian language), have been facing escalating daily harassment and persecution from the majority Muslim population, as well as blatant neglect if not half voiced persecution from the government.
The latest major event was only about a month ago:
Quote:
Egypt: Rumor of Coptic-Muslim Affair Leads to Burning of Christians’ Homes
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 17, 2010
Muslims set fire overnight to at least 10 houses belonging to Coptic Christians in a southern Egypt village over rumors that a Christian resident had an affair with a Muslim girl, security officials said Tuesday. They said security forces sealed off the village of Al Nawahid in Qena Province, about 290 miles south of Cairo, to prevent the violence from spreading, and several people were arrested. The village was calm by nightfall, after religious leaders from both sides persuaded their followers to end the confrontation. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million. Coptic Christians and Muslims generally live in peace, though violence occasionally occurs in the south, mostly over disputes about land or church construction.
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There was even a protest in NY from the expat community on the issue only
two weeks ago:
Quote:
Monday, December 14, 2009
Coptic Christians Rally in New York against Egypt Government's Islamic Persecution: "killings, destruction and looting of their property, displacement from their homes and the forced Islamization of their minor daughters.”
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During the past year, radicalization of Copts is appearing on the stage:
The Economist
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Religious disorder
Sep 10th 2010, 11:41 by M.R. | CAIRO
IN JULY, thousands of fist-waving Coptic Christians gathered at Cairo’s main cathedral. Screaming that Christian blood is not cheap, they raised a single demand: “Bring us Camelia Shehata!” Earlier this week, thousands of fist-waving Muslims gathered at Cairo’s oldest mosque. Screaming that Muslim blood is not cheap, they raised the same demand.
[...]To the despair of milder-mannered Egyptians, Coptic and Muslim radicals have both declared Ms Shehata a symbol and a martyr. Each has their own story. The only point where they meet is that on July 18th, the 24-year old mother of one child, and the wife of a priest in the town of Deir Mawas, 400km south of Cairo, vanished from her home. Five days later, police handed her into church custody. There she has remained ever since, incommunicado. (personal note, she did reappear later)
According to the church, which is the biggest in the Middle East with perhaps 7m adherents in Egypt, Ms Shehata had been kidnapped by local Muslims who attempted to convert her to Islam. Only the threat of widespread unrest by Copts, who face petty discrimination and have suffered sporadic but persistent and bloody sectarian attacks, forced the government to intervene. The police eventually found her and returned her to the flock. Church officials claim there have several similar attempts at forced conversion of Christian women. One case they cite occurred in 2004, when Wafa Constantine, the wife of another priest, disappeared briefly before being escorted into a nunnery. She has not been heard from since.
[...] (see link for the muslim version of the incident)
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