Policeman shoots 4 Christians in Egypt

January 12, 2011

Less than two weeks after a church bombing in Alexandria left 21 Coptic Christians dead, an off-duty policeman shot four Christians on a train, killing a 71-year-old man. A fifth person was also wounded.

“This lunatic went up and down the coach looking for Christians,” said Coptic Orthodox Bishop Morcos of Shobra El-Kheima, who had spoken with witnesses to the shooting. “Seeing a group of girls and women who were not wearing the [Islamic’ veil, he took them for Christians and fired, shouting Allahu Akbar [Allah is great].”

The new attack on Christians came just after the Egyptian government announced that it was recalling its ambassador from the Holy See, in a protest against the Pope's statement that the country must do more to protect Christians. Before returning to Cairo the ambassador, Lamia Aly Hamada Mekhemar, met with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States.

A Vatican statement after the meeting said that the Egyptian envoy “described the concerns of her government at this present difficult time.” The statement indicated that Archbishop Mamberti “gave assurances that the it also fully shares the Egyptian government's concern to avoid the escalation of religiously motivated conflict and tensions, and appreciates the efforts being made to that end.”

 

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Further information:

• Policeman kills Christian on Egypt train (AFP)
• Egyptian Ambassador Received in the Vatican (AsiaNews)
• Cairo protests against the Vatican. Another Christian killed and five wounded (AsiaNews)
• Egypt recalls Vatican ambassador, protesting Pope's remarks (CWN, 1/11)