A cruel offensive has begun with the aim of sparking civil war and setting sectarian strife as well as avenging Copts. The attack was founded on looting, murder, and deforming bodies of the innocent. It is a strange and rare incident unknown to the Egyptian temperament. These are actions that cannot originate but from human beasts. They are satanic acts, falsely and slanderously disguised in the garments of a most tolerant religion. The Brotherhood is doing it now. They are burning Egypt, as their leaders have, fearlessly and unhesitatingly, said they would on television screen.
Holy Pope Tawadros’ response was exemplary. His holiness gave everyone a lesson in sophistication and transcending crises for the sake of the homeland. He said it loud and clear in face of the advocates of segregation and war: “Egypt’s churches are the incense and offering that we present in love of Egypt.”
For the sake of history and in order to document the actions of terrorist movements, the Coptic Church has conducted a preliminary assessment to make an inventory of the criminal and terrorist actions against peaceful Copts and has divided the crimes as follows:
First: Churches which were looted and completely burned down reached a number of 37 churches. These were completely ruined at the hands of the purportedly religious who have committed actions that assert the demonization of their ideas and deeds and their behavior void of faith, mercy, justice, and love which is a feature of all believers in God Almighty.
1- Saint Mary and Anba Abram Coptic Orthodox Church. Affiliated to it is a services building, the residence of the bishop and a children’s day care center situated in Delga Village, Deir Mowass District, Minia Governorate.
2- St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in South Abou Helal, Minia Governorate.
3- The Baptist Church in Beni-Mazar District, Minia Governorate.
4- Prince Tadros Church on Husseiny Street, Seidnawy Square, Minia Governorate.
5- Third Evangelical Church, Minia Governorate.
6- The Evangelical Church situated in Ezbet Gad el Sayed, Minia Governorate.
7- Anba Moussa Alaswad Church in South Abou Helal, Minia Governorate.
8- Salvation of Souls Church, Midan Palace Street, Minia Governorate.
9- St. Mina Church, Markaz Street, Beni-Mazar.
10- The Evangelical Church, Malawi District, Minia Governorate.
11- The services building, the land of the diocese, Sohag Governorate.
12- St. Mark’s Church and services building on Kahraba Street, Sohag Governorate.
13- St. Mary and Anba Abram Church, Sohag Governorate.
14- Prince Tadros Shatby Monastery, Nazla Village, Youssef Seddiq District, Fayoum Governorate.
15- St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Nazla Village, Youssef Seddiq District, Fayoum Governorate.
16- St. Demyana Church, Zerbi Village, Tamya District, Fayoum Governorate.
17- The Evangelical Church, Zerbi Village, Tamya District, Fayoum Governorate.
18- Prince Tadros Church, Dessia Village, Fayoum Governorate.
19- The Franciscan Fathers’ Church and its school, Road 23, Suez Governorate.
20- The Old Greek Church, Paradis Street, Suez Governorate.
21- The Evangelical Church on Geish Street, Suez Governorate.
22- St. George’s Church, Qaltah Street, Assyut Governorate.
23- The Apostolic Church, Namis Street, Assyut Governorate.
24- St. John’s Church, Abanob District, Assyut Governorate.
25- The Adventist Church, Youssry Ragheb Street, Assyut Governorate.
26- The Reformation Church, Assyut Governorate.
27- St. Teresa Church, Assyut Governorate.
28- St. Mary’s Church, Ashra Street, Boulaq el Dakrour, Giza Governorate.
29- St. Mary’s Church, Kirdasa, Giza.
30- St. George’s Church, 23rd July Street, Arish, North Sinai.
31- The Good Sheperd Nuns’ Monastery and its church and school, Geish Street, Suez Governorate.
32- The Evangelical Church, Monshaet Badeen Village, Minia Governorate.
33- The Sacred Family Coptic Catholic Church beside the police station, Malawi District, Minia Governorate.
34- The Second Evangelical Church beside the police station, Malawi District, Minia Governorate.
35- St. George and Abou Seifein Church, Lahasa Village, Maghagha District, Minia Governorate.
36- The Apostolic Church and its affiliated medical center on Omar Street, Ezbet Eskander, Abou Helal, Minia Governorate.
37- St. Mina Church, Beni-Mazar District, Minia Governorate.
Second: Churches which came under siege and were partially attacked by having stones and Molotov cocktails thrown at them or that were shot at. These are 21 churches as follows:
1- St. Mark’s Coptic Catholic Church, South Abou Helal, Minia Governorate.
2- The Jesuit Fathers’ Church, South Abou Helal, Minia Governorate.
3- St. Mary’s Church, Gazareen Street, South Abou Helal, Minia Govenorate.
4- St. John the Baptist’s Bishopric, Qoussieh District, Assyut Governorate.
5- St. Mary’s Church, Hod Ashara, Qenna Governorate.
6- Atfih Bishopric, Giza Governorate.
7- The Two Martyr’s Church, Sol Village, Atfih District, Giza Governorate.
8- St. Mary’s Church, Saf, Giza.
9- The Jesuit Fathers’ School, Minia Governorate.
10- St. George’s Church, Bakous, Alexandria.
11- St. Maximus Church, Road 45, Alexandria.
12- Malawy Bishopric, Malawy District, Minia Governorate.
13- Coptic Orthodox Bishopric, Deir Mowass, Minia Governorate.
14- The Angel’s Church, Namis Street, Assyut Governorate.
15- Coptic Orthodox Bishopric, Abou Tig District, Assyut Governorate.
16- St. Mary’s Church, Kafr Abdou, 6th October.
17- St. Mary’s Church, Mansouriah, Giza.
18- Monk’s Monastery of Abou Fana and cutting the road leading to it, Malawy, Minia Governorate.
19- St. Mina’s Church, Beni-Mazar, Minia Governorate.
20- St. George’s Church, Hadayek Helwan, Giza.
21- St. John the Baptist’s Church, Qoussieh District, Assyut Governorate.
Third: Coptic schools completely burned down. These are 7 as follows:
1- Coptic School for Boys, Hosseiny Street, Minia Governorate.
2- The school and monastery of the Nun’s of St. Josheph, Minia Governorate.
3- The Good Shepherd School, Minia Governorate.
4- The Franciscan Nuns’ School, Beni-Suef Governorate.
5- The Franciscan School, Suez Governorate.
6- The Coptic Catholic Good Shepherd School beside the police station, Malawy, Minia Governorate.
7- Ghattas Primary School, Malawy.
Fourth: Establishments affiliated to churches and totally burned down:
1- Friends of the Bible Society, Fayoum Governorate.
2- Christian Youth Club, Adnan al Malky Street, Minia Governorate.
3- Christs’ Soldiers Boys Orphanage, Minia Governorate.
4- The Bible Society Bookshop, Minia Governorate.
5- The Jesuit and Frere Organization, Minia Governorate.
6- Dahabiya Boat affiliated to the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, Minia.
7- The Bible Society Bookshop, Assyut Governorate.
Fifth: Houses, pharmacies, shops, hotels owned by Copts looted and completely burned down:
1- 970 houses in different parts of the country. Some of the owners were displaced outside their cities.
2- 176 commercial shops in different parts of the country.
3- 37 pharmacies in different governorates.
4- 3 hotels: Horus, Sosena, and Akhnaton.
5- 75 cars and buses owned by churches and Coptic individuals.
Sixth: Names of Coptic martyrs at the hands of Muslim Brothers and salafists.
1- Ramy Zakaria, events of St. George, Bakous, Alexandria.
2- Eskander Tos, events of Delga village, Deir Mowass District. ( Eskander was slaughtered, his body parts were cut off after his death, chained to an agricultural tractor, pulled to the cemetery, and thrown in front of a tomb where he was buried by a Bedouin man who lives near the cemetery).
3- Bishoy Mikhail, Mermaid Boat, Minia Governorate.
4- Mina Raafat Aziz, taxi driver, Alexandria, slaughtered.
5- Fawzy Maurice Fares, Geneina Division, Ezbet el Nakhl, Marg, Cairo. Died due to a live bullet in the head.
6- Malak Emil Attiya, a live bullet in the chest, Tahta Bishopric, in front of the Saint Kiryakos Church.
7- Kidnapping around 7 Coptic persons in Upper Egypt.
Due to their wrong understanding of God’s attributes and His essence and the meaning of prayer and in violation of the teachings of their prophet, predecessors and caliphs, the Muslim Brothers have prayed the Friday prayers inside the Coptic churches after burning them down and looting them. The Muslim Brothers prayed in 3 churches as follows:
1- St. Mary and Anba Abram Church, Delga Village, Deir Mowass District, Minia Governorate.
2- Anba Moussa Alaswad Church, Minia Governorate.
3- The Evangelical Church, Monshaet Badin, Samalot District, Minia Governorate.
All these bloody events void of religion, patriotism, humanity, and rationalism were attributed to the fatwas of some sheikhs of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists who have spoken from the pulpits of mosques, thus deviating from their true function. Their repugnant calls and fatwas were hailed by the gangs and mobs of the Muslim Brothers and Salafists who were quick to rise to the call of the jihad of burning and looting and killing. Consequently, lives were lost, money was stolen and churches were burned and ruined. Hatred and extremism legitimized their attacks on the Copts of Egypt.
Who will heal the wounds of Egypt’s Copts?
Who will recompense them?
Who is responsible for their safety?
Today, the entire world is looking towards Egypt and waiting for the rights to be restored to their owners, for security to be restored to the people of Egypt. Today the heart and eyes of every single person who was harmed at the hands of those traitors, traitors to their religion before being traitors to their homeland, is looking towards the hand that will recompense them their great material losses. As for their loss in lives they have entrusted them to God Almighty as taught by their religion.
Every day that passes by is a victory of terrorism for these miserable people who have incurred loss in their homes, churches, children, and livelihood. When will Egypt extend a helping hand to heal the wounds of her children?
