Church attacked in Minya

The Holy Virgin and Anba Bola church in the village of Kidwan, Minya, was attacked this morning, and its contents completely destroyed. Fr Angelius Naim, the church’s priest told Watani that he left the church this morning after he had performed the funeral service for a 23-year old Coptic woman. A few hours later, he received a phone call from one of the Coptic villagers informing him that dozens of Muslim young men had broken into the building, destroyed the iron gate, ruined all the furniture and utensils inside, and threw them out into the street. Fr Angelius confirmed to Watani that all the building permits were in order. The building, he said, was licensed as a community centre, and the Church had obtained an oral permit from the security authorities to hold prayers there. They had not yet started to do so, he said; they had merely held a few services and meetings so far. Today’s funeral was the first public religious service to be held there, he said.

The Church filed a report on the attack with the prosecution. The building has been cordoned off by the security forces which took tight measures in anticipation of any escalated attacks against the village Copts.