By Theodore Shoebat
Hundreds of Muslims attacked a church in Egypt, calling for it to be demolished. They beat Christians and also destroyed Christian statues. As we read in one report from the Gospel Herald:
Hundreds of Muslim demonstrators assaulted a Coptic Christian church south of Cairo, calling for it to be demolished, wrecking sacred objects and attacking worshippers.
The incident took place after Friday prayers when demonstrators gathered outside the building, changting hostile slogans and called for the church’s demolition, the diocese in Atfih told the AP.
In addition to destroying the church’s contents, the Muslims assaulted Christians inside before security personnel arrived and dispersed them. The wounded were later transferred to a nearby hospital.
A media coordinator at the diocese, the Rev. Yehnes Youssef, said later on Saturday that three Copts were wounded but have been treated. So far, authorities have detained 15 people.
According to ABC, the church in Giza is yet to be sanctioned by the state — even though it has been observing prayers for 15 years. The diocese said it had officially sought to legalize the building’s status under a 2016 law that laid down the rules for building churches, sparking the protests.
While building a mosque results in very few restrictions, the harsh rules imposed on Christian places of worship has prompted Christians to illegally build churches or set up churches in other buildings.
Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority — who date back to the first decades following the life of Jesus Christ — comprises about 10 percent of the country’s population of 93 million people. For the past few years, the group has been targeted by jihadist militants, and ISIS previously vowed to keep making Coptic Christians a main target for their attacks. Earlier this year, ISIS warned Christians living in Egypt that they will pay for their faith with “a river of blood from their sons”.