ALEXANDRIA,
April 15, 2006 (IslamOnlin.net) – Egyptian Church leaders ridiculed
on Saturday, April 15, the official theory about the attacks that
targeted three churches in the northern city of Alexandria a day
earlier, amid condemnations from Muslim scholars.
"The
authorities must be transparent and frank when it comes to the facts
about the attacks on churches," Bishop Johanna Nassif of
Alexandria Coptic Church told IslamOnline.net on Saturday, April 15.
"Injustice
and irresponsible action could trigger irrational reactions," he
cautioned.
One
Christian, Noshi Atta Girgis, was killed and at least five others
wounded in knife attacks at three Coptic churches in Alexandria
Friday.
The
Egyptian Interior Ministry said the rampage was carried out by a
single attacker within the span of an hour.
It
identified the assailant as 25-year-old Mahmud Salaheddin Abdul Razek,
describing him as "mentally unstable".
Abdul
Razek, who has been remanded in custody for four days, is facing
charges of murder, illegal entry into a place of worship and illegal
possession of weapons.
The
insanity argument is usually used by Egyptian authorities to label
people involved in sensitive incidents, including communal violence
and attacks on foreign tourists.
Calm
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Angry
Copts complained of persecution. (Reuters)
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Bishop
Nassif urged the angry 3,000 Copts who took part in the funeral to
remain calm and act wisely.
Clashes
erupted as the funeral procession left the Quidissin church where the
funeral service had taken place and headed to the nearby cemetery.
Muslims
and Copts attacked each other with sticks and stones were thrown from
nearby buildings, says IOL correspondent.
Egyptian
security forces, deployed in great numbers, immediately interfered
firing tear gas, leaving five people wounded.
The
deadliest recent communal clashes occurred in October 2005 when Muslim
protestors attacked a church in Alexandria for hosting a play
offensive to Islam, killing three people.
A
19-year-old Muslim who stabbed a nun during the rioting was sentenced
to three years in jail in February.
Exploitation
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Al-Awa
condemned the church attacks, warning sectarian sedition would
only "serve the enemies of Egypt."
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Bishop
Johanna Nassif said some people are "plating the seeds of
sedition."
"We
do want to leave any room for rumors and must reassure Egyptian
(Coptic) expatriates about their brothers in the country," he
told IOL.
"We
are now living in a global village where everything is open. These
attacks would make expatriate Copts to feel that the atmosphere in
Egypt is unhealthy and must be changed," said Nassif.
The
bishop cautioned that some people might exploit the situation.
Bishop
Ehab Samir warned against the exploitation of the attacks as a pretext
to meddle in Egypt's affairs.
"There
are no needs for expatriate Copts to urge foreign intervention,"
he said.
Samir
accused some people of playing the religious persecution card for
personal gains.
"Some
people dream of immigrating and use such pretexts to get immigration
privileges.
"Such
rumor-mongers are very dangerous people and only do harm to
society."
The
church attacks were vehemently condemned by MPs from Egypt's Muslim
Brotherhood.
"We
consider this crime an attack against all the Egyptian people, Muslim
and Copt," they said in a statement.
The
MPs urged the Egyptian security forces to protect places of worship
and warned against exploiting the situation to undermine the unity of
the Egyptian people.
The
International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) also condemned the
attacks on the three churches.
In
statements to the Doha-based Al-Jazeera news channel, IUMS Secretary
General Salim Al-Awa sent his heartfelt condolences to the family and
relatives of Girgis.
He
cautioned Egyptians against being dragged into a sectarian sedition
which would only "serve the enemies of Egypt."
Al-Awa,
an Egyptian, urged the government to prevent the recurrence of such
attacks.
The
IUMS was launched in July of last year in the British capital London
as an independent body and a reference for all Muslims worldwide with
prominent scholar Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi as its chair.
