Egypts Muslim Brotherhood in Destructive 12-hour Rampage

August 15, 2013

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has been accused of destroying 47 Christian churches, monasteries, schools and hospitals in a violent rampage through the capital. Many people have been killed or injured in the recent clashes which have reverberated around the world. On Saturday this week the Coptic Orthodox Dioceses of Sydney and Melbourne will hold simultaneous ecumenical services for people of all denominations and faiths to pray for the victims of sectarian violence in Cairo yesterday when more than 278 lost their lives, and for Egypts Christians whose lives are in increasing danger. Yesterday as the world focussed its attention on the events unfolding in Cairo, the members of the Muslim Brotherhood went on a 12-hour rampage against Christians in cities and towns across Egypt. More than 47 of the nations churches were destroyed along with monasteries, convents, community centres, Bible Society offices. In addition Members of the Brotherhood attacked nuns, assaulted priests, kidnapped a pastor and his wife and set fire to 17 Coptic homes, destroyed Coptic-owned pharmacies, hotels and businesses and bookshops. Bishop Anba Suriel, Australias highest ranking Coptic cleric and leader of Australias 80,000 Coptic Christians says the community is in shock. There is no doubt what occurred across Egypt yesterday was an organised and systematic attack against Egypts Coptic Christians that is unprecedented in the modern era, Bishop Suriel says. Egypts Copts who trace their origins to the days of the Pharaohs and their faith back to 50 AD, and the earliest days of Christianity, have suffered increasing persecution from Islamic extremists over the past few years. Yesterdays simultaneous attacks by Muslim Brotherhood supporters of outsted President Mohammed Morsi however are unparalleled in recent times both in the range and extent of the attacks as well as the ferocity of the destruction.

The violence that erupted in Cairo yesterday when Egypts interim Government called in security forces and the army to remove two encampments of Muslim Brotherhood protesters, resulting in the deaths of 278 with thousands injured has received wide media coverage. But the simultaneous and obviously planned destruction of churches and Christian institutions as well as attacks, assaults and kidnaps on Egypts Christians have been largely ignored by Western media, Bishop Suriel says. This morning the Foreign Minister Bob Carr called for restraint by Egypts interim government and the Muslim Brotherhood pro-Morsi supporters and issued a travel warning, yet he failed to mention or even acknowledge the destruction wrought by the Brotherhood against Egypts Christians and the Copts in particular. Once again we are calling on the Foreign Minister to use Australias position as a member of the United Nations Security Council to raise awareness of what is happening to Egypts Coptic community and Egypts Christians, Bishop Suriel says. He believes it is vital the world is aware not only of the plight of Egypts Christians but of the danger posed by the Muslim Brotherhood to Egypt as well as other countries, including Australia. There are definitely members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Australia and we should not forget this is an organisation that not only has links to terrorist groups such as Jamaar Islamiah and Islamic extremism, but was banned for decades in Egypt as a terrorist organisation, he says. Bishop Suriel says what is seldom reported in the West is the fact that when in power Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood-backed Government not only began to create what they hoped would eventually be an Islamic state, but appointed known terrorists to high-ranking positions in the Government. Adel El Khayat, a member of the Islamic terrorist organization, Jamaar Islamiah and one of those who was involved in the massacre of 67 tourists at Luxor in 1997 was appointed by Morsi to become governor of Luxor. There was outrage as well as alarm throughout Egypt when the appointment was announced and made Morsi and the Brotherhoods intentions clear, Bishop Suriel says. Morsi was removed from office in June this year after a series of peaceful demonstrations and a petition signed by more than 33 million Egyptians, he says pointing out this number was many times the number of those who voted for the Muslim Brotherhood-backed president 12 months before and included the vast majority of Egypts moderate Muslims and the millions who had fought for democracy and freedom during the so-called Arab spring. The millions who wanted Morsi to stand down became alarmed when he wrote Sharia law into Egypts constitution and troubled as it became clear he was determined to impose Sunni ideology on the entire population, and to eventually create an Islamic state under strict Sharia law.

Banned as a terrorist organisation in Egypt during deposed President Hosni Mubaraks rule, the Muslim Brotherhood not only continues its strong links with terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah and has also forged strong ties with al-Qaeda with al-Qaeda distinctive black flag now flying above many of the nations destroyed churches. This has been fuelled by al-Qaedas Egyptian leader, Ayman Zawahiri who accused Coptic Pope Tawadros II last week of conducting a Crusade to overthrow Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood and claimed the leader of the worlds Copts intended to create a Coptic state in Egypt. Although the oldest ethnic group in Egypt, the Copts make up just 10 percent of Egypts 80 million population, and under Church teaching, dedicated to peace, the idea of Coptic overthrow should be greeted with incredulity. Instead it is being used to further inflame Islamic extremism and incite further attacks on Coptic Christians. Portrayed by Muslim Brotherhood as the instigator in Morsis overthrow, Pope Tawadros has received numerous death threats and is at risk of assassination. The Brotherhood has made serious threats against his life and His Holiness has been forced to live in seclusion at his residence where he is unable to leave. Filthy language and graffiti has also been scrawled across the outside walls of the residence, Bishop Suriel says and adds that it is important the West understand that whatever the Muslim Brotherhood may claim, democracy is not a priority. When Morsi was finally forced to stand down in June this year, Bishop Suriel wrote to the Foreign Minister Bob Carr after the Minister gave a television interview saying that Western leaders were deeply disappointed that President Morsi had been forced to step down and that the first democratically elected government in Egypt had failed. Concerned Australias Foreign Minister was out of touch with the situation in Egypt, and having just returned from Egypt himself, the leader of Australias Coptic Christians documented the threat posed by Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood and the plight of Egypts Copts and Christian communities. Today, deeply saddened by what is happening in Egypt and at the high number of deaths and injuries that occurred in Cairo last night along with the simultaneous violence against Christians across the nation, Bishop Suriel asks Christians across Australia to pray for peace and to pray for his homeland. I was up most of the night as events unfolded. I saw members of the Brotherhood chanting Islamic slogans as they set fire to gas cylinders inside churches. The Foreign Minister must have also seen this or at least be aware of this and the destruction of so many churches and Christian institutions. Bishop Suriel prays peace will return immediately to Egypt.

Violence is never an answer. In Egypt there must be communication and reconciliation with all parties sitting around a table, he says and insists the Muslim Brotherhood must also be part of this. The problem is the Brotherhood will not sit down and search for a solution. Instead they are using violence to force Egyptians to accept Morsis return.
SURSA http://www.pravmir.com/egypts-muslim-brotherhood-in-destructive-12-hourrampage/

comunicat al Patriarhiei copte din #Egipt #Egypt Share Plz Statement of the Coptic Church The Egyptian Coptic Church follows the regrettable development of events on the lands of our motherland Egypt. It affirms that it strongly supports the Egyptian Police and Armed Forces as well as all the institutions of the Egyptian nation in confronting the groups of armed violence and dark terrorism operating from inside and outside Egypt, the attacks against the States entities and the peaceful churches and the terrorization of Muslim and Christian Egyptians in full contradiction with the values of religions, moralities and humanity. Whereas we appreciate the stances taken by states and countries that understand the reality of such developments, we strongly condemn the misleading media coverage in the Western countries, and we call upon the media representatives to objectively look into the reality of events, and to refrain from providing an international or political cover for such terrorist blood-thirsty groups and all those who belong to them, as such groups intend to unfold devastation and destruction in our beloved country. We call upon the Western and international media to reflect the real image of what is happening, in a truthful genuine manner and with due integrity. While we present our condolences to the families of the victims and those who lost their lives in service, we wish the injured a speedy recovery. We adhere to the strong national unity, and we fully reject all endeavours to drag the country into sectarian animosity. We consider that any foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Egypt is totally rejected. While the hands of evil are involved in burning, killing, and destroying, the hands of God are close to us: protecting, fostering and building. We have confidence in Gods assistance that will help our Egyptian people in overcoming such a difficult chapter of our history towards a better and brighter future, where justice, peace and democracy will prevail, exactly what the people of the noble River Nile valley deserves. Long live Egypt, free and dignified!