Indian missionary in Egypt expresses fear of Christians

August 30, 2013 - An Indian Jesuit missionary in Egypt has said Christians live in constant fear of violence every moment, although 75% of students in the school he runs are Muslim. "When they march in front of our church during demonstrations organized by the Muslim Brotherhood, protesters are amazed that the building is still there," Fr Bimal Kerketta told AsiaNews. The priest from Ranchi, Jharkhand, has been in Egypt for ten years working as the principal of the school run by the Jesuit Fathers in Minya. "Each day, they gather in front of the building to shout slogan of intimidation,” he said. Minya Governorate, which is located on the Nile south of Cairo, felt the brunt of the wrath of the Muslim Brotherhood following President Mohammed Morsi's removal from power. Members of the Brotherhood particularly targeted Christian schools and churches, but also museums and anything that stood for modernity. One of the country's main museums of ancient Egyptian art is located in Minya and was recently damaged and looted, with about a thousand pieces stolen. Since 30 June, when President Mohammed Morsi was ousted, at least 12 churches have been torched and destroyed in Minya alone. Fr. Kerketta has sent AsiaNews several images of charred vehicles and properties of the Church. (Source: AsiaNews)