In the violence that exploded across Egypt on August 14, supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi attacked scores of church buildings and Christian-owned homes and businesses in response to national security forces breaking up two protest camps in downtown Cairo.
At least two Coptic Christians were killed in the reprisal attacks, which started midmorning after the armed break-up of the camps that the Muslim Brotherhood and others had occupied for six weeks. Pro-Morsi assailants attacked 27 church buildings, setting fires that gutted most of them, according to the Coptic Watani Weekly; the government reported attacks on only seven Coptic churches.
The assailants attacked a convent along with at least two Christian schools and set at least 30 Coptic-owned homes across the country on fire, along with scores of businesses. They also destroyed three Bible Society stores.
Egyptian Bible Society
Wael Ibrahim, manager of the Assuit branch of the Egyptian Bible Society, said: ‘I watched from afar, and I saw the Muslim Brotherhood people divide up into teams of ten to attack anyone who approached the store. I eventually left and called the police because it was all I could do. Half an hour later I got a call, and someone told me the Bible Society was on fire, so I quickly went back. But I couldn’t get close enough to defend the place.’
Ibrahim said he watched the shop burn down, destroying all their stock, and then he reported that the mob set fire, one-by-one, to every Christian-owned store in the area.
Nationwide, two Christians have been confirmed killed — Iskander Rizk Allah from Delga in Minya Governorate, said to be in his 60s, and Rami Zakria of Alexandria. The violence in several cities across Egypt, including an attack on St. George’s Church in the city of Sohag, constituted the largest assault on the Christian community in Egypt during the current crisis.
Protest camps cleared
During the early morning, security forces attacked protestors at the camps they had occupied in Nasr City, an area of Cairo, since the first week in July. They were protesting the ousting of President Morsi on July 3. He was deposed by the military after massive nationwide protests. Millions had gathered to protest the way Morsi consolidated power among his Islamist base despite promises not to do so. They also protested his handling of the economy and a trend toward ruling by unilateral and possibly illegal edicts.
Christians blamed
Immediately before and after Morsi’s removal, his supporters had repeatedly blamed the Christian minority for the protests that led to his removal from office. In sermons across the country, numerous imams called for Christians to be attacked, according to human rights activists. Immediately prior to the attack on the camp, leaders in the Muslim Brotherhood warned that if it were broken up, Christians would be attacked.
‘I believe they are angry because they created a story where the Christians are to blame for the collapse of Morsi,’ said one evangelical Coptic lay pastor. ‘Before the protest, we were only 7% of the population and not worth paying attention to. But suddenly during the protest, we ballooned into 33 million people and were the only ones at any of the protests. No Muslims, no secular people, just us.’
The simultaneous timing of the attacks across the country has led many Copts to speculate that they were planned and not spontaneous. They also happened across theological lines; it appears no denomination was spared.
