Egypt’s Christians said they feared a repeat attack against their community on Coptic Christmas Eve yesterday, despite authorities planning heavy security following a New Year’s suicide bombing of a church in Alexandria that killed 21.
In response to the threats against the Christians by extremists, Egyptian activists have called on Muslims to form human shields in front of the churches on Christmas Eve as a gesture of solidarity with the country’s Coptic Christian minority, which makes up 10 percent of Egypt’s 80 million people.
The bombing of the church, the worst act of sectarian violence in the country in a decade, touched off days of demonstrations and riots by the Christians, who blame the government for encouraging discrimination and prejudice and not doing enough to protect them.
Some Christians even said they would skip yesterday’s Christmas Eve services for fear that there would be more attacks.
“I had a fight with my mother. She kept saying no churches this year. I wanted to go, but my parents are afraid something might happen again,” said Karim Monier, a 19-year-old student living in the middle-class neighborhood of Hadayak Helwan in southern Cairo.
Egyptian authorities have beefed up security around many churches all over country, with explosives experts on hand. Armored vehicles will be stationed in main squares in case of emergency.
The Egyptian Interior Ministry on Wednesday released to the public a composite photo of what is said was the one remaining victim out of the 21 dead who has not yet been identified. The ministry asked for anyone who recognized the face to report the identity to authorities, apparently aiming to determine whether he could be the bomber.
Police said the face in the photo had been pieced together from remains and parts of the image appeared digitally manipulated to fill in gaps.
Extremist Islamic Web sites affiliated with al-Qaeda have been circulating lists of Coptic churches in Egypt and Europe — including the one attacked at New Year — along with instructions on how to attack them.
“Blow up the churches while they are celebrating Christmas or any other time when the churches are packed,” the statement read.
Coptic Web sites have been worriedly circulating the lists of churches as a warning to their members and several European governments have announced they will be increasing security at their own Coptic sites.
Mohammed Moussaoui, head of France’s main Muslim group, said it would send a delegation to attend a Coptic Christian Christmas service in France today.
The threats have sparked a backlash in Egypt, where there have long been sectarian tensions, and numerous groups are pushing for Muslims to guard churches as human shields.
Prominent young Egyptian actor Khaled Aboul Naga called on Muslims in his blog not to “stand still while Coptic Egyptians feel unsafe in their worshiping places,” and urged people to head to any nearby church to attend Christmas Eve prayers.
Past attempts by the country’s activists to stand in solidarity with the Copts, however, have been punished by the government.
Following fierce riots by Christians on Monday night in Cairo’s Shubra neighborhood, police arrested activists that had come to show solidarity with the angry Copts.
On Wednesday, the general prosecutor referred eight members of the April 6 reform movement to a speedy trial set for the next day on charges of assaulting police, disturbing public safety and sabotage — despite the involvement of hundreds of others.
“Based on the charges facing the eight activists, which do not need a comment regarding their absurdity, we can foresee that tomorrow’s [Thursday] trial is meant as a harassment of the solidarity ... to attend the Coptic Christmas Mass tomorrow,” said the El-Nadim Center, a prominent human rights group.
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