Attack by Muslim mobs on newly built St Mary and Anba Abraam church in Cairo 

United Copts of Great Britain learned that an attack by more than 3000 Muslim extremists’ mob took place on yesterday 23/11/08. The attack has led to extensive damages to St Mary and Anba Abraam church, Ain Shams, Cairo. The building of the church which was consecrated the same day in the morning seems to have trigged massive hostility.

To download the attack video from Copts United

The radicalised mob could not stand the sight of the building which they called  “infidels worship house in Islamic Land” shouting “No god but Allah” and “Allah Akbar” “we will demolish the church” Events escalated from bad to worse when the number of Muslim demonstrators swelled up reaching more than 3,000 people who gathered in front of the Virgin Mary and Anba Ibraam church. 
 
Security forces tried to disperse the protesters but they could not meet the hostile crowd which came in large numbers from different areas. The crowed attacked the church, hurled stones and burned several cars owned by Christians, and causing the injury of more than 5 people. Worshipers and several priests were trapped inside the church unable to return home because of the hostile crowd outside. 
 
The Egyptian police did not seem to be too bothered about arresting the perpetrator of violence at the start of the riot. The police had a flimsy existence from the beginning of the attack about 5pm local time. 
 
At
12 midnight, Cairo time the police arrested Imad Abdullah, Joseph Fuad Ramses and Yusuf Nasim all Christians. Also arrested 38 Muslim youth but soon released 30 of them “under the pretext of being minors” 
 
United Copts of Great Britain learned that the Assistant Investigation Police Department deputy Inspector Wael Tahoon had a hand in planning and executing the attack on the church. 
 
The history as given to us goes back to a year and a half ago, when a Christian man bought a factory and built a church on the site in the third floor a general services building of following obtaining the necessary permits. As soon as the permit to build the church was obtained, and before the building began it was a surprise to find a mosque is being built opposite the planned church site.
 

The mosque builders continued to harass the church builders throughout the period of building the church to extreme degree including urinating on the walls of the new building and threatening contractor and workers by death. 
 
During the Morning Prayer of consecration, worshipers were surprised that Al-Nour mosque opposite the church started to broadcast Koran at
10 o’clock in the morning with loud speakers on full volume. Witnesses said that the imam of the mosque said that the Eid prayers are to start today and will continue until the day of the Feast (which is many days earlier the usual schedule). The speakers transmitted loud talk and noise in an attempt to Provoke Copts inside the church. The police were present but few in numbers. 
 
Fanatic Muslims started to gather about
5 o’clock in the afternoon, the influx of a large number of citizens from different parts of Ain Shams, Ezbet El-Nakhl, Madinet El-Salaam, and Mataria made the numbers well over 3000. The crowd started shouting and denouncing the building of a new church. 
 
Slogans such as “We will demolish the church” “Islam is the solution "," God is great "," there is no church to be build here "... etc continued till 4am on 24th November. 
 
The security began arrive about
7 pm, later joined with fire trucks to disperse the demonstrators with water hoses but in vein. 
 
A group of lawyers, including Copts Nabil Gabriel, Saeed Abdel Meseeh, Said Fayez, Ashraf Edward, and Joseph Ibrahim, director of the Egyptian Centre for Human Rights and Development were present, the centre will issue a statement about the event later.
 

 


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