3,000 attack Egyptian Christians over rumored cell phone picture
Timothy Whiteman
30/1/2012
The Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) is reporting that a riotous mob consisting of extremist Muslim Salafists and members of the Muslim Brotherhood have attacked unarmed Christian villagers in Egypt.
An estimated 3,000 Muslims essentially took over the town of Kobry el-Sharbat, and looted then burned a number of homes and shops owned by Orthodox Christian Coptics.
The violence erupted when a rumor was spread that a Coptic man, Mourad Samy Guirgis, allegedly had an “intimate picture” of an unnamed Muslim woman on his cell phone.
It’s also being reported that Guirgis turned himself over to local police for his own protection.
It was reported that terrorized women and children who lost their homes were in the streets without any place to go.
According to Father Boktor Nashed from St. George’s Coptic Church in el-Nahdah:
“We contacted security forces, but they arrived very, very late. Those who lost their home, left the village.”
The fire brigade was prevented from going into the village by the Muslims and the fires were left to burn themselves out.
According to Coptic activist Mariam Ragy, it took the army 1 hour to drive 2 kilometers to the village:
“This happens every time. They wait outside the village until the Muslims have had enough violence, then they appear.”
The “Second Revolution”?
After the much reported on “Arab Spring” that brought about the end of the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, there has been allegations of an Islamist movement within Egypt that has already effectively taken control of the nation.
Mina Girguis, of the Maspero Youth Union in Alexandria was quoted as stating:
“Collective punishment of Copts for someone else’s mistake, which is yet to be determined, is completely unacceptable.”
As reported by AINA:
[Girguis] believes that the reason for this violence is fabricated, and the military is behind it.
‘They are trying to divert the attention from the second revolution which is taking place now.'”
