Cairo church attack kills 25

The bombing of Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral, the deadliest attack on Egypt’s Christian minority in years, killed at least 25 people and wounded 49, many of them women and children who were attending Sunday mass.
A Saudi Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack that claimed dozens of innocent lives.
“Islam rejects this cowardly terrorist act, which is rejected by all religions and is against humanitarian norms, general values and principles. We offer our deepest and most sincere condolences to the Egyptian people and the government, and our prayers and hope of speedy recovery to the wounded people,” added the statement.
The attack comes as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is battling terrorism on several fronts. As insurgency rages in northern Sinai, led by the Egyptian branch of Daesh.
The militant group also carried out deadly attacks in Cairo and urged its supporters, in recent weeks, to launch attacks around the world as it goes on the defensive in its Iraqi and Syrian strongholds.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Exiled Brotherhood officials and homegrown militant groups condemned the attack.
Daesh supporters celebrated on social media.
The explosion took place in the chapel adjoining St. Mark’s cathedral, Cairo’s main basilica and the seat of Coptic Pope Tawadros II, where security is normally tight.
The chapel’s floor was covered in debris from shattered windows, its wooden pews blasted apart, its pillars blackened.
Scattered around were abandoned shoes and sticky patches of blood.
“As soon as the priest called us to prepare for prayer, the explosion happened,” Emad Shoukry, who was inside when the blast happened, told Reuters.
“The explosion shook the place.... The dust covered the hall and I was looking for the door, although I couldn’t see anything.... I managed to leave in the middle of screams and there were a lot of people thrown on the ground.”
Security sources told Reuters that at least six children were among the dead; the blast detonated on the side of the church normally used by women.
They said the explosion was caused by a device containing at least 12 kg (26 pounds) of TNT.
Mohammed Nosseir, former member of the Egyptian Democratic Front party, political analyst and writer at the Daily News Egypt and AlArabiya.net, told Arab News that the attack sends a message that terrorism targets the whole society, regardless of people’s ethnic or religious affiliations.
“Targeting a church as the people are commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a crime against humanity. The Egyptian people of all religious backgrounds have been living in harmony for hundreds of years. What happened is not exclusive to the Egyptian community. Such terrorism has hit different countries across the world,” Nosseir said, adding that Muslims and Christian denounce all forms of terrorism.
“The Egyptian people are pacifist and not inclined toward violence. We are going through tough times since the Jan. 25 revolution, five years ago. Some people resorted to violence, which is rejected by all walks of life in the Egyptian society. The society rejects all attacks, be they on the police, on the army personnel or on a religious site,” he said.
Egyptian researcher of Islamic groups Hani Nassira told Arab News the Egyptian security should not be blamed for this security breach, adding that similar attacks happened in other countries with most advanced security apparatus.
“It would not be fair to blame it on the Egyptian security system. Yes, there were some loopholes, and the security measure should be revised, but we have to remember that terrorism hit even countries with maximum-security measures like France and Belgium,” he said.
“We are facing a form of terrorism that tries to commit suicide attacks everywhere, regardless of the religious or the social sensitivities of the sites attacked, including the attack on the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia,” said Nassira, adding that one needs to look at the region as a whole to have a full grasp of what’s happening around.
“The influence of the terrorist group Daesh and its control of territories in Syria and Iraq continues to decline, which has made them desperate and hence it is dispatching its members of its sleeper cells to other countries, whether in Europe or in Arab countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding that caution is required and eyes need to be wide open to thwart the terrorist groups’ goal of creating chaos in the region and in the world.
In France, for example, the Interior Ministry issued a strong report warning of terrorist attacks during Christmas, he said. This is alarming and the world should take it seriously. The attack on the Coptic church was a cowardly attack. It seems that political terrorism is being initiated in Egypt by the group that calls itself “Saviors of the revolution,” said Nassira.
He stressed that the terrorists aimed at creating sedition in the society, but this is unlikely to happen.
“They might succeed at individual level. The terrorists are active in recruiting new elements, but they will never succeed in changing the general mindset of the Egyptian people who have been coexisting in harmony,” he said.
“Egyptians, Christians and Muslims are aware of the terrorists’ goals. They know that the terrorists aim to create sectarian strife.
But the people are aware of this evil ideology; previous terrorist activities have failed and this one will fail as well. Terrorism does not distinguish between religions. It has no identity except the identity of its followers. This kind of act does not reflect Islam, the religion of moderation and tolerance,” said Nassira.
Sissi’s office condemned the “terrorist attack,” declaring three days of mourning and promising justice.
Al-Azhar, Egypt’s main Islamic center of learning, also denounced the attacks.
Orthodox Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 90 million people, are the Middle East’s biggest Christian community.
The last major attack on a church took place as worshippers were leaving the new year service in Alexandria, weeks before the start of the 2011 uprising. At least 21 people were killed.
Coptic Pope Tawadros II cut short a visit to Greece after learning of the attack. Church officials said they will not allow the bombing to create sectarian differences.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also strongly condemned attack.
OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef Al-Othaimeen presented his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and the government of Egypt, wishing the wounded speedy recovery.
He also reaffirmed OIC’s continued support for Egypt in its war on terror, reiterating the OIC’s principled position, which condemns all forms and manifestations of terrorism.
Among those others who condemned the attack on Cairo church included the EU, Belgium, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Palestine and Lebanon.

Source: Arab News