Minority Christians woke up in an Egypt on the verge of civil war with as many as 27 churches being attacked and at least two Coptic Christians killed among the at least 525 people who lost their lives in an army crackdown on protests and related clashes.
The Bible Society headquarters in the capital Cairo, Egypt’s main Bible publisher, was also attacked, in the violence that also inured nearly 3,000 people nationwide, Christians and officials said.
Clashes began Wednesday, August 15, when Egyptian security forces cleared out thousands of people at two sit-ins in Cairo demanding the return of ousted president Mohammed Morsi. Dozens of people were believed to have been killed in the operation at the Nahda Square and the Rabaa al-Adawiya sites, where protesters set up camps following Morsi’s ouster on July 3.
Interim President Adly Mansour declared a nation-wide state of emergency while Vice-President Mohammed El Baradei announced his resignation saying he “cannot bear the responsibility for one drop of blood.”
Christians, seen as supporting the ouster of Morsi, were soon targets of furious Morsi supporters, rights investigators and Christian leaders confirmed. Dozens of churches, schools, monasteries, stores, and homes were ransacked and destroyed, according to witnesses, activists and local Christians.
Read more: Egypt Christians Among Over 500 Killed; Churches Burning
The Bible Society headquarters in the capital Cairo, Egypt’s main Bible publisher, was also attacked, in the violence that also inured nearly 3,000 people nationwide, Christians and officials said.
Clashes began Wednesday, August 15, when Egyptian security forces cleared out thousands of people at two sit-ins in Cairo demanding the return of ousted president Mohammed Morsi. Dozens of people were believed to have been killed in the operation at the Nahda Square and the Rabaa al-Adawiya sites, where protesters set up camps following Morsi’s ouster on July 3.
Interim President Adly Mansour declared a nation-wide state of emergency while Vice-President Mohammed El Baradei announced his resignation saying he “cannot bear the responsibility for one drop of blood.”
Christians, seen as supporting the ouster of Morsi, were soon targets of furious Morsi supporters, rights investigators and Christian leaders confirmed. Dozens of churches, schools, monasteries, stores, and homes were ransacked and destroyed, according to witnesses, activists and local Christians.
Read more: Egypt Christians Among Over 500 Killed; Churches Burning
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