Egypt: 2nd day of attacks on churches
August 16, 2013
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By the end of a second day of attacks on Christian institutions, homes, and businesses in Egypt, Islamists had burned down over 50 churches, a Coptic Orthodox bishop told CNN.
The Muslim Brotherhood had declared a "Friday of Anger" to protest the actions, and Islamic militants took to the streets after gathering in mosques for Friday prayers. Their attacks on Christian targets followed police and military action against Muslim Brotherhood protestors who support ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
“The military tried to evacuate this sit-in by the Muslim Brotherhood, but they (Brotherhood members) went out and set fire to important sites, including many churches," a spokesman for the Catholic Coptic Church, Father Hani Bakhoum Kiroulos, told Catholic News Service. “This is a problem not just for Christians but also for moderate Muslims. We are facing a group of terrorists who seek to set the whole country ablaze.”
Referring to the July 3 ouster of Morsi, he added that “the Church did not support a military coup--on the contrary, the military supported the desire of the people, and the Church is part of the people.”
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Further information:
- 'Horrible': Christian churches throughout Egypt stormed, torched (CNN)
- Coptic Christian churches, buildings targeted in Egypt for second straight day (Fox News)
- Catholic spokesman defends Egyptian army crackdown against protesters (CNS)
- Muslim Brotherhood calls for 'Friday of Anger' as Cairo death toll rises along with number of torched Christian buildings (AsiaNews)
- Hundreds dead and churches attacked in Egypt violence (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
- Full Remarks: Obama condemns violence in Egypt (CNN)
- Violence escalating against Christian churches in Egypt (CWN, 8/14)
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Posted by: -
Aug. 17, 2013 1:03 AM ET USA
A very sad state of affairs for Christians that is directly linked to the Moslem Brotherhood and their radical Islamic orthodoxy. Here in America the USCCB should be screaming from the rooftops why these religious atrocities against Christians are not being broadly reported by the mainstream media. It is disgraceful.
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Posted by: jacquebquique5708 -
Aug. 16, 2013 9:39 PM ET USA
The Coptic representative states that the military supported "the people". So, why can't Mr. Obama and his sycophants (McCain and Graham)acknowledge this?
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Posted by: ramonantonio3455448 -
Aug. 16, 2013 8:40 PM ET USA
Although this is a sad reality of Egipt's unrest, it is adamantly needed that Catholic media cover this issues in detail. General media coverage does not, will not and in fact edits direct references to the deep religious conflicts in this war. It is a disservice to news coverage. I encourage Catholic Culture to propose a deep coverage focusing on this issues and openly solicit Catholic donors to sustain this commitment to the truth. Too late will be too late and the news will be epitaphs.