Egypt's Pope Tawadros targeted by Islamists

Cairo, 10 August 2013: "We fear that Pope Tawadros II might become a target of Islamist reprisal," said Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Egypt. "In recent weeks, after the fall of the Morsi administration, attacks and acts of intimidation against the Christian minority have occurred on a daily basis."

On 3 July, when General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, ushering in a period of transition, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, and Coptic Pope Tawadros, expressed both their enthusiasm and approval. The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church added, "The plan laid out by the general will be carried out by people who care about the country's fate."

Such a statement in support of the caretaker government has led many members of the Muslim Brotherhood to think that Christians were behind a plot against President Morsi, and this has triggered a spate of reprisals from violent groups.

"Pope Tawadros II," Fr Greiche said, "used to go to Cairo's St Mark Cathedral every Wednesday to meet with the faithful and hold a series of weekly readings. Since President Morsi's ouster more than a month ago, he has been forced to hold those meetings in a monastery outside the city."Source: AsiaNews