Latest in Tag: Al-Qeddesine Church bombing Highlight
Latest in Tag: Al-Qeddesine Church bombing
Foreign media highlights “Christians’ security need” in coverage of Palm Sunday attacksÂ
Washington Post and The New York Times question the efficiency of security measuresÂ
Prosecution investigates Interior Minister’s alleged involvement in church attack
By Essam Fadl The High State Security Prosecution office will investigate on Tuesday the alleged involvement of former Minister of Interior in the Alexandria Church attack on New Year’s, a source at the General Prosecutor’s office said. The source didn’t want to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. Coptic lawyer Mamdouh …
Interior Minister unveils details of Alex church attack, publishing ban imposed
By Marwa Al-A’asar CAIRO: In an exclusive and rare interview in daily state-owned Al-Ahram published on Tuesday, Interior Minister El-Habib El-Adly reiterated details of the investigation into the Alexandria church bombing on New Year’s Eve. El-Adly announced for the first time that security authorities had arrested a cell of 19 suicide bombers linked to Al-Qaeda …
Egypt says church attack targeted national unity
By AFP CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Saturday that a deadly church attack in Alexandria on New Year’s Eve targeted the whole country and not just its Coptic Christians. The bombing outside the church that killed 23 people emerging from mass was “directed at Egypt and Egyptian unity and to weaken …
Egypt blames Palestinian Qaeda-linked group for Alex church bomb
By Marwa Awad and Yasmine Saleh/Reuters CAIRO: Egypt’s interior minister said on Sunday the government had proof that the Army of Islam, a Palestinian group linked to Al-Qaeda, was behind the New Year’s Day bombing of a church that killed 23 people. The Army of Islam praised the attack but denied involvement. Egyptian officials had suspected …
Security continues to arrest Salafis in connection with Alex church attack
By Essam Fadl ALEXANDRIA: Security forces arrested four people associated with Salafi group in connection with the New Year’s bomb attack outside Al-Qeddesine (The Church of the Two Saints) that left 23 people dead and over 90 injured. Sources associated with Salafi groups, who believe in a stricter interpretation of Islam, told Daily News Egypt …
MPs call for charges against media over church explosion coverage
By Abdel-Rahman Hussein CAIRO: A group of National Democratic Party (NDP) MPs have called for criminal charges against certain media outlets over their coverage of the Alexandria church bombing on Jan. 1 due to their “promotion of sectarian disunity.” The calls were spearheaded by MP and the president’s chief of staff Zakaria Azmi, who reportedly …
Security disperses solidarity protest for alleged torture victim
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Security forces dispersed a protest held in downtown Cairo in solidarity with Sayed Belal, a suspect in the Alexandria church attack allegedly tortured to death during investigations, arresting the majority of protestors. The protest, organized by Youth for Justice and Freedom, April 6, Free Front for Peaceful Change movements and a …
Trial of eight protesters adjourned to Jan. 20
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Rod Al Farag Misdemeanors Court adjourned the trial of eight protesters arrested in Shubra last week to Jan. 20 to continue hearing the defense team. “The court heard the defense of five protesters and will continue hearing the rest next Thursday,” Ahmed Seif Al-Islam, head of the defense team, told Daily …
MB member detained among church attack suspects in Alexandria
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: State security detained 24-year-old Muslim Brotherhood (MB) member Mohamed Ismail on Jan. 5 as part of the investigation in the New Year’s attack on Al-Qeddesine (The Church of the Two Saints), said the MB’s Alexandria office. Ismail, a communications engineer for an industrial company, has been held for a week at the …
Alexandria Salafi group condemns church attack, rejects escalation
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: A Salafi group in Alexandria condemned the deadly attack on the Church of the Two Saints on the New Year’s in a statement on its website, describing it as an “evil” that threatens Egypt and Islam. The group, which believes in a strict interpretation of Islam, denied any relation with the attack …
Church attack forensic, criminal reports ready for general prosecutor
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Forensic and criminal evidence teams are set to present their final reports regarding the New Year’s Eve attack on Al-Qeddesine (Church of the Two Saints) in Alexandria to the General Prosecutor this Thursday. The forensic reports will be compared with witnesses’ testimonies to determine how the attack was executed. The investigation team …
Public figures sign petition to impeach Minister of Interior
By Farah Yousry CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptian public figures signed a petition calling for the impeachment of Minister of Interior Habib El-Adly for abusing his powers in light of the New Year’s bombing in front of Al-Qeddesine (The Church of the Two Saints) in Alexandria. According to Arab Lotfy, a film studies professor at the American …
Two lawyers call for surveillance cameras to secure Egypt’s churches
By Essam Fadl CAIRO: Two Coptic lawyers filed a lawsuit on Saturday to oblige the Minster of Interior to install surveillance cameras at churches, monasteries, and surrounding streets throughout the country to improve state security. Nabil Gabriel and Saied Fayez mentioned in their lawsuit that the New Year’s Eve bombing that took place in front of …
Moussa rejects intervention over Christian attacks
By AFP BAGHDAD: Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa rejects the potential “exploitation” of attacks on Christians in the Arab world as a pretext for intervention by outside powers, he said in Iraq on Saturday. “Exploiting these events for intervention is something we cannot accept,” Moussa said at a news conference in response to a …
Sayed Belal’s family pressured to drop torture case, say activists
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Human rights activists said that the family of Sayed Belal, a suspect in the Alexandria church attack allegedly tortured to death during investigations last Thursday, is being pressured to drop a torture case filed against state security. “Belal’s family has been under pressure from security organizations to give up the case or …
Church attack protestors demand ‘secular state’
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Tens of protestors gathering in front of the Saad Zaghloul Mausoleum Friday night criticized the government’s response to the attack on an Alexandria church and demanded a secular state. Protestors denounced the New Year’s Eve attack on Al-Qeddissine (Church of Two Saints) in Alexandria — which killed 23 and injured more than …
Failed gov’t policies the reason for increasing protests, say experts
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Experts and human rights groups said that the failed government policies in dealing with sectarian tensions in Egypt is what led to the rise in protests following the bomb attack in front of Al Qeddesine (Church of the Two Saints) in Alexandria on Jan. 1. In a series of protests that condemned …
Egyptians line Corniche to mourn Alexandria victims
By Abdel-Rahman Hussein CAIRO: About 150 people gathered at Qasr El Nil Bridge Friday afternoon to mourn the victims of the New Year’s Alexandria church bombing. Many of the mourners were holding Qurans and Bibles and reading from them as they faced the Nile. Some stood silent, sometimes with heads bowed down. Similar silent gatherings were …
Church attack suspect tortured to death, allege reports
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: A suspect allegedly arrested during investigations of the attack on Al-Qeddesine (The Church of Two Saints) in Alexandria was tortured to death by state security officials, human rights groups said. A bombing that targeted worshipers leaving the church after New Year’s Mass left 23 dead and over 90 injured. Initial reports suggested …
Trial of 8 Shubra protestors postponed to Jan. 13
By Heba Fahmy and Heba Afify CAIRO: The Rod El Farag Misdemenor Court on Thursday released eight protestors arrested earlier this week in Shubra and postponed the case to Jan. 13. Ahmed Ragheb, director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, said that the lawyers did not expect the court’s “brave decision” to release the activists and …
Opposition groups protest on Christmas in solidarity with Alex bombing victims
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Dozens of protesters staged a sit-in protest in front of the Omar Makram Mosque in Tahrir Square on Thursday, holding candles and expressing their solidarity with victims of the bombing that took place in front of Al-Qeddesine (the Church of the Two Saints) in Alexandria. Protesters accused the government of failing to …
Muslims join Christians in celebrating Coptic Christmas, praying for unity
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Muslims joined Christians in celebrating Coptic Christmas in churches throughout Cairo on Thursday night and, under tight security measures, prayed side-by-side for the safety of Egypt. At Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Abbasiya, Pope Shenouda III — the head of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church — gave his sermon in the presence of a …
Aboul Gheit rules out foreign protection after church attack
By AFP RABAT: The protection of places of worship in Egypt is the responsibility of the government, an Egyptian minister said Wednesday, ruling out foreign security for Coptic Christians attacked this week. A New Year’s Day attack on a Copt church in Egypt that killed 23 people has raised alarm about the safety of Christians …
US worried by ‘trend’ of Christian attacks
By AFP WASHINGTON: The United States said Tuesday it is “deeply concerned” about the rise in attacks against Christians in parts of the Middle East and Africa. “We are certainly aware of a recent string of attacks against Christians from Iraq to Egypt to Nigeria,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. “We are deeply concerned …
Alex church declares official state of mourning over bombing victims
By Essam Fadl CAIRO: The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchy in Alexandria declared an official state of mourning on Wednesday for the victims of the New Year’s Eve church bombing, with no celebrations or guest welcoming during the Christmas services. The Orthodox Church issued a statement asking Copts to be wise so that the Holy Synod’s efforts to …
Eight church attack protesters referred to misdemeanor court
By Essam Fadl CAIRO: The Prosecutor General referred on Wednesday eight protesters arrested earlier this week in Shubra to the Rod El-Farag Misdemeanor Court for an urgent trial to start Jan. 6. The defendants were remanded in custody to await their first hearing. The eight Muslim protesters were initially detained after police forces arrested them during …
Bombing opens vein of Christian anger in Egypt
By Paul Schemm / AP CAIRO: The New Year’s Day suicide bombing of a church that killed 21 people has opened up a vein of fury among Egypt’s Christians, built up over years of what they call government failure to address persistent discrimination and violence against their community. Christian protests spread to Cairo from the northern …
Dutch Muslims offer to guard Coptic churches
By AFP THE HAGUE: Dutch Muslims on Tuesday offered to guard three Coptic churches in the Netherlands which have been threatened on an Al-Qaeda-linked website after a New Year’s Day bombing killed 23 Coptic Christians in Egypt. The Dutch Muslim Council, the Council of Moroccan Mosques in the Netherlands and the Federation of Islamic Organizations …
Christians demonstrate in Assiut
By AP ASSIUT: About 500 young Coptic Christians have defied a call by their leaders to avoid demonstrations and descended into the main streets of this southern city protesting the New Year’s Day church bombing that killed 21. The demonstrators gathered Tuesday evening in front of the ruling party’s headquarters in the city of Assuit, …