Churches torched across Egypt in anti-Coptic violence by Morsi loyalists

[oberliner]

Churches across Egypt came under frenzied attack as the country became convulsed in violent turmoil after security forces forcibly broke up two Cairo protest camps held by supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Incensed by the bloody crackdown that has claimed more than 500 lives, Morsi loyalists orchestrated nationwide assaults on Christian targets Wednesday, wreaking havoc on churches, homes, and Christian-owned businesses throughout the country.

Coptic rights group the Maspero Youth Union (MYU) estimated that as many as 36 churches were "completely" devastated by fire across nine Egyptian governorates, including Minya, Sohag and Assiut — home to large Coptic communities.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/79124/Egypt/Politics-/Churches-torched-across-Egypt-in-antiCoptic-violen.aspx

[cali]

1. mass murder hundreds of MB supporters and the there's

retaliation at soft targets. shocker. It's deplorable, but what the fuck did people think would happen?

[oberliner]

2. What about prior incitement against Coptic Christians?

I mean when the Morsi government was in power, before any of this took place.

Isn't there a greater context here than just soft targets being hit in retaliation?

[cali]

3. perhaps, but surely you won't deny that the protests were peaceful

until yesterday when the military slaughtered unarmed men, women and children. You do realize that ElBaradei quit over that massacre, right?

What the fuck do you think sparked the violence? Perhaps YOU know more than ElBaradei.

[oberliner]

4. Of course

I am just hoping that whatever tensions existed previously between these communities isn't exacerbated by the killings.

Christians civilians weren't the ones doing the slaughtering, were they?

[leftynyc]

5. The Muslim Brotherhood was

after the Coptics long before this week.

http://shoebat.com/2013/07/19/egypt-coptic-christians-subjected-to-increased-persecution-after-morsis-ouster/

http://guardianlv.com/2013/07/egypt-christians-persecution-amidst-revolution/

[Yo_Mama]

7. There have been pretty much ongoing attacks against Copts

before and after the coup:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/15/egypt-coptic-church-islamists/2640419/

More from Amnesty in March:
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/amnesty-slams-morsy-failing-protect-copts

Amnesty in July:
http://www.copticworld.org/articles/2310/

Note the attack on Shia Muslims - it's any religious minority, especially in rural areas.

It's likely that the protest camps were peaceful but the normal suspects are now turning against the Copts. The country has been seeing rising levels of violence for years. Nothing is simple here.

Under Mubarak attacks accelerated. In the interim administration, there were plenty of attacks. Under Mursi there were attacks, And now, there are attacks. To blame the violence against Copts in the last few days on the recent events is to ignore evidence. Those who are normally hostile against the Coptic community are certainly blaming the Copts for the anti-Mursi demonstrations and his downfall, but that seems to be a pretext rather than a precipitation.

[MineralMan]

6. Egypt's Coptic Christians have suffered persecution

from many sources for a very long time. Why? They're not Muslims. This is nothing new, but is just an example of the issues facing the Middle East.

[oberliner]

8. Indeed

They have dealt with this for quite some time that is for sure.