Egyptian Salafists have occupied and held prayers on church land and threatened to burn Coptic shops if they are blocked from praying there today, a Coptic bishop said.
“A group of Salafists entered land belonging the diocese on Monday at 10:00 pm and stayed till the next day’s afternoon prayers. They put up a banner saying ‘Abdel Rahman mosque’,” Bishop Morcos told AFP on Wednesday.
He said the Salafists, threatened to torch Coptic shops if they were prevented from using the land for Friday’s weekly prayers.
Morcos said the church wants to build on the land as soon as the permits are granted, and that a complaint had been filed with police and the state prosecutor.
There was no comment from the interior ministry.
In the meantime, in order to avoid the possibility of clashes, he said he will prevent young Copts from going to the property.
Copts have suffered an increase in attacks since a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, leading to months of insecurity.
Many of the Christians opposed the election in June of President Mohammad Mursi, an Islamist from the Muslim Brotherhood movement.
Mursi himself has assured Copts of equal rights.
