Muslim rioters attack, kill Coptic Christians in Egypt

CAIRO, Egypt — Coptic Christians attending a funeral service for four Coptic Christians killed in an anti-Christian rampage were in turn attacked themselves by at least 200 Muslim rioters.

The incident, which started with a few dozen men pelting the mourners with stones, escalated into an attack against Christians at St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral involving firearms, flash-bang grenades, tear gas, fire bombs and other improvised weapons. Police took more than an hour to respond and did nothing to stop the attack. Almost three dozen Coptic Christians suffered injuries in the attack, and one is thought to have been killed. 

During afternoon prayers, an imam in Khusus called for anyone who had a weapon to “kill the Christians and cleanse Al Khusus” of “infidels.” A mob formed over a couple of hours, according to numerous residents, and then swept through a Christian part of the neighborhood. As they screamed “Allahu Akbar (God is great),” the mob attacked a Baptist church building and then moved on to a Coptic Orthodox Church. The Baptist church building was not significantly damaged, but a preschool nursery run by the Church of St. George was destroyed. The mob also destroyed several Coptic-owned homes and looted several Coptic-owned businesses.