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| Africa: North |
| Christian Community in Egypt Attacked Again - Attack Ignored Again |
| 2004-01-06 |
| EFL The Patmos Christian Centre has been attacked for the ninth time. In the fracas one of the employees was killed. Today beginning at 11.30am local time the Egyptian army subjected the Patmos Christian Centre to an hour long attack. Five hundred soldiers descended upon the centre, 30km to the east of Cairo, accompanied by two bulldozers. They blocked the entrance to the compound with a large pile of stones and rubble and then they destroyed seven metres of adjoining wall. Those working at the centre rushed out en masse to prevent the army from coming onto their property. Soldiers threw stones and bottles at the protestors. In the mêlée a bus ploughed into a crowd who were surrounding Bishop Botros who heads the centre. The Bishop was not among those injured, but one staff member, Kirilos Daoud, was killed. Seven people are currently in hospital, one in a critical condition. The police have tried to find the bus driver, but the army appear to have taken him away. Also injured was a nun who was beaten by soldiers. This is the ninth attack on the centre in the past six and a half years. (actually the 1st attack was in 96, the next in 97 then there were multiple attacks in 2001 and 2002) Soldiers from the local army unit are seeking to destroy the wall supposedly in order to conform to a new law passed on 25 January 2003 which requires all buildings to be at least 100 metres from the Cairo-Suez road. The wall stands 50 metres from the road and was built ten years ago in full accordance with the law at the time. Workers at the centre point out that the local army barracks’ own walls also stand 50 metres from the road and no attempt has been made to demolish these. Similarly many other buildings in the area are much closer to the road, including some 15 mosques which stand only 5 – 10 metres from the road. Likewise no attempts have been made to demolish any of these buildings... and the reaction of the UN, the world council of Churches was... nothing - is anybody surprised |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #4 It was all a mistake. He was very short... |
| Posted by: Fred 2004-1-6 9:44:43 PM |
| #3 Also injured was a nun who was beaten by soldiers. What? Weren't their any toddlers around for them to attack? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-1-6 8:06:09 AM |
| #2 Unto Ceasor? |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-1-6 12:19:58 AM |
| #1 I think a docking of, say, $10 million each time this occurs should be the State Dept order of the day under the new foreign aid plan....head's up, Hosni! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-6 12:17:24 AM |