Salafists seize Church land in Cairo to hit back at new patriarch
November 08, 2012: "By seizing land that belongs to the Diocese of Shubra al-Kheima,
Salafists are sending a warning to the new Coptic patriarch, Tawadros II," said Rafic
Greiche. Speaking to AsiaNews, the clergyman, who is the spokesman of the Egyptian
Catholic Church, explained that with such action Muslim extremists want to intimidate
Shenouda III's successor because of his statement against the inclusion of Sharia
in Egypt's future constitution.
On Monday night, about a hundred of Muslim
extremists wielding sticks and rods seized land near the S. Mina Church in Shubra
al-Kheima, in the centre of Cairo. With police standing idly by, the Islamists occupied
the parcel of land for more than a day and put up a sign bearing the words 'Al-Rahma
Mosque'. Only this morning did law enforcement moved in after Church authorities informed
the Interior Ministry.
The diocese is headed by Bishop Antonius Morcos, who
is Coptic Church media point man as well as new patriarch's spokesman. "Such an action
is nothing new in Egypt, but this is the first time that extremists directly go after
a high-profile Coptic prelate," Fr Greiche said.
In a statement issued yesterday
Patriarch Tawadros II criticised the Islamist stranglehold on the constituent assembly,
saying that the Coptic Orthodox Church would oppose any step taken by the constituent
assembly to impose Islamic law on the country.
Today, groups of Christian and
Muslim activists called on the authorities to arrest the Salafists who carried out
the action. Members of the Maspero Youth Movement and leaders of the Free Egyptian
Party appealed to President Morsi to stop such acts, which stir sectarian hatred.