Egypt Violence Leaves Scores Killed, Injured, Pope Shenouda III Accuses ‘Infiltrators’ behind Egypt Riots

Monday, 10 October 2011

Egypt Violence Leaves Scores Killed, Injured, Pope Shenouda III Accuses ‘Infiltrators’ behind Egypt Riots

Egypt Violence Leaves Scores Killed, Injured

Clashes between Christians and military police in Egypt left at least 24 killed, in what was considered the worst violence that rocked the country since the February uprising.

Christians protesting about an attack on a church clashes with military police as they set cars on fire burned army vehicles and hurled rocks at police who they said used heavy-handed tactics against them.

A curfew was imposed from 2:00 am (0000 GMT Monday) to 7:00 am in the area from Maspero to Abbassiya square in central Cairo, said a banner broadcast on television Sunday night.

The Health Ministry said the death toll had reached 24 with 213 injured, the official MENA news agency reported. It did not identify the dead but state television had earlier reported three soldiers were killed.

Christians, who make up 10 percent of Egypt's roughly 80 million people, took to the streets after the incident last week. They also demanded the sacking of the province's governor for failing to protect the building.
Following the clashes, the cabinet called for an emergency meeting on Monday, vowing the violence would not derail Egypt's first election since the regime of Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February.

"SELF-RESTRAINT"

For his part, Prime Minister called for self-restraint, urging the Egyptians "not to give in to sedition because it is a fire which burns up everybody."

"Instead of advancing to build a modern state of democratic principles, we are back searching for security and stability, worrying that there are hidden hands, both domestic and foreign, seeking to obstruct the will of Egyptians in establishing a democracy," Sharaf said on state television.

"We will not surrender to these malicious conspiracies and we will not accept reverting back," he said in his address.
“What is taking place are not clashes between Muslims and Christians but attempts to provoke chaos and dissent," the prime minister said further on his Facebook page.
"This is not befitting the children of the homeland who remain and will remain a single hand against the forces of vandalism... and extremism," Sharaf added.

Tensions between Christians and Muslims have increased since the uprising. But Muslim and Christian activists said the violence Sunday was not due to sectarian differences but was directed at the army's handling of the protest.

On the other hand, the violence raises fears that the parliamentary elections, which will take place soon, may be delayed. The elections will start in November 28, with the candidates due to begin registering during the week starting Wednesday.

Source: Agencies

Pope Shenouda III Accuses ‘Infiltrators’ behind Egypt Riots

Local Editor

The clashes that erupted Sunday between Coptic Christians and Egyptian security forces have raised fears that sectarian and political tensions in the country will increase, given that Egypt is passing through a transition period following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt's ruling military council on Monday ordered a speedy probe into clashes which killed 25 people as the cabinet held crisis talks amid fears of widespread sectarian unrest.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) "tasked the government with quickly forming a fact finding committee to determine what happened," in a statement read on state television.
It called for "all measures against all those proven to have been involved, either directly or by incitement."
Both the ruling council and the cabinet held crisis talks, a day after the clashes in Cairo that left 25 dead, mostly Coptic Christians, and more than 300 people injured, according to health ministry figures.

Military prosecutors began questioning 25 people accused of involvement in the clashes, MENA said, after a security official said 40 people were arrested overnight.
Copts had been holding a demonstration against an attack earlier this month on a church in the southern city of Aswan when the violence broke out. Fighting also later took place near the hospital that caused more casualties.

Egypt's Coptic Orthodox church led by Pope Shenouda III accused "infiltrators" among the demonstrators of having triggered the battle in streets on the Nile waterfront.

"The Christian faith denounces violence. Strangers infiltrated the demonstration and committed the crimes for which the Copts have been blamed," it said after Shenuda held a meeting with 70 church leaders.
"Copts have suffered repeated problems without accountability for the aggressors," it said in a statement, calling on authorities to "solve the root causes of the problems."
The clashes rattled the Cairo stock exchange, which shed 5.15% within minutes of opening.

On the international scene, European leaders who were gathered for talks in Luxembourg, where the bloodshed in Cairo suddenly took center-stage, expressed alarm at the clashes.
A curfew was imposed overnight in parts of the Egyptian capital following the violence.

In a late-night address, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf appealed to Egyptians "not to give in to sedition" and warned that the country was "in danger."

The grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Tayyeb, the Sunni religious head, called for crisis talks between Muslim and Christian leaders later on Monday "in a bid to contain the crisis." state television said.
On Monday, Egyptian authorities announced the hanging of a man sentenced to death for shooting six Copts last year.

The protesters in Cairo clashed with anti-riot police and soldiers guarding the state television building, after thousands took part in a protest march from the Shobra district.
State television reported that three soldiers were shot dead and dozens of their comrades wounded.

Hezbollah Urges Brothers in Egypt to Adopt Dialogue to Resolve Crises

Local Editor

Hezbollah expressed its deep sorrow of the events that took place in Egypt during the past few hours and claimed the lives of many of the Egyptian people.

In a statement issued Monday, Hezbollah believed that "such events present a kind of sedition planned by the enemies of Egypt and the Arabs, Muslims and Christians."

“What is happening is an integral part of the American project aimed at the overall fragmentation of the region based on racial, religious and ethnic basis,” the statement read.

Hezbollah called on brothers in Egypt to be aware of the dangers plotted against them and urged them to adopt dialogue as a means to resolve problems and crises.