Ahram Online , Friday 22 Apr 2011
Fearing that Egypt’s Coptic community may be at risk as sectarian tensions grow, Muslims plan to act as human shields during Easter prayers
Solidarity in front of a Heliopolis Church on January 7 following attacks targeting Two Saints Church on New Year’s Eve.
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Several Facebook groups and event invitations have been circulating calling on Muslims to head to churches on Saturday and Sunday to act as human shields for Coptic prayers during Easter holidays.
Considering the latest sectarian tensions and hate speech that have hit the country, especially after the mass demonstrations witnessed at Qena demanding the resignation of the governor for being a Christian, many fear that Egypt’s Coptic community may be at risk.
Muslims have before turned up in droves for the Coptic Christmas mass, offering their bodies and lives as “shields” to protect Egypt’s Christian community following the terror attacks that struck the country on New Year’s Eve, targeting the Two Saints Church in Alexandria and leaving 21 dead.
Similarly, during Egypt’s revolution, Christians in Tahrir Square acted as human shields to protect praying Muslims as the demonstrators were threatened by attacks from pro-regime thugs and snipers.
Categories: Africa, Arab World, Egypt, North Africa