Egypt’s Coptic Christians celebrated Christmas on 7 January with heightened security put into place by the Government who feared an Islamic attack.
ABCNews.com reported that Egyptian police searched more than 300 churches in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, looking for explosive devices. Police also set up roadblocks in front of churches and temporarily banned vehicles from idling near churches.
These measures were taken in order to prevent an attack on Egypt’s Christians on a holiday that would find many Christians attending church services. Militant attacks have increased since the military overthrew the Government of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
President’s encouragement
Egypt’s current president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, is reportedly much friendlier toward Egypt’s Christian minority. ‘We have been late in restoring and fixing what has been burned. Everything will be fixed. ... Please accept our apologies for what happened’, he said while speaking to Christian crowds at Cairo’s St Mark’s Cathedral.
The very presence of an Egyptian president in a church is rare. Many Christian Egyptians, who make up ten per cent of the country’s population, are optimistic about el-Sisi’s Government.
However, trials remain for Egypt’s Christians. Some Muslims believe Christians conspired with the military to overthrow Morsi’s regime, which was more sympathetic to Muslims.
