The Copts in Egypt have not let themselves be swayed: Despite threats, they celebrated their Christmas fairs around the country - under massive police protection. Many Muslims took part in solidarity in the services. Preparations for the Christmas Fair ran straight at full speed when a message arrived, all had feared.It was said, was late Thursday afternoon in a church again, a bomb was found, this time in Minya, Upper Egypt. The cleaning woman had found a suspicious box in the same sweeping and informed the police. Only hours later it was clear that in the can though as nails in the bomb were in Alexandria, but instead only correct explosives fireworks hit.
An ugly string and a sad confirmation of the Coptic community in Egypt that their fears are justified since the bloody attack on New Year's morning. Al-Qaida in Iraq announced in October, to attack facilities in Coptic Egypt. This has been the reports of two Koptinnen who wanted to convert to Islam and to have been hidden by the Coptic Church in order to prevent them.
Islamist groups were then organized demonstrations and Al-Qaeda to justify the history of their attacks on Christians in Iraq. Also on the Internet attacked extremist websites on the subject and threatened the Coptic Church in Egypt. There are also instructions have been found to build a bomb - and a list of churches as a potential attack targets.
The St. Mark's and St. Peter's Church in Alexandria said to have been on that list. But despite the warnings, only four police officers secured the building on New Year's morning, before the bomb exploded shortly after midnight, the 23 people to death and tore more than 100 injured. The Christmas festival, which the Copts on after the sixth calendar ianischen and 7 January commit should be quite the memory of the victims of the attack.
And despite further threats on Islamist Web sites on Christmas Eve again to attack churches, had entered this year, many to church who otherwise prefer to remain at home. visited "We either live together or we die together" too many Muslims, the Christmas Fair. "I want to set an example and show my Coptic neighbors and friends that I stand by them in this difficult time," said Alaa Hassan, who lives near the pyramids.
Muslim intellectuals and activists had called for a church to express solidarity and also as a living shield for the Coptic minority to act in the country. "I know it might not be sure, but either we live together or we die together, we are all Egyptians," says Sherine Mohamed, a 50-year-old housewife.
Many people made it but not for Christmas Devotional. The security was on Thursday evening so high that roads were blocked for hours. At a snail's pace, it went through the 18-million metropolis of Cairo. The area around the cathedral in Abasseya was completely closed off, no car, not even pedestrians could pass through the adjacent streets.
The 3,000 invited guests had to lengthy security checks to go through. Some 2,000 security forces were positioned in and around the cathedral. To show that the Coptic Pope Shenouda III. held, even some Muslims were invited. Among them, foreign guests, the sons of the president, Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, actors and even the controversial TV preacher Amr Khaled.
In many other churches, the faithful were sent home early. The Christmas Mass usually starts around seven clock in the evening and never ends before 24 Clock. This year, however, many churches closed at nine clock the doors to minimize the risk of an attack as low as possible. Many Christians are poor, the disadvantaged Copts feel a long time.
Make six to twelve percent of the population and often feel discriminated against by law to state and society. A career in the civil service is rare. A large proportion of Christians among the poorest of the poor. But there is a well-off middle class and some wealthy Copts, who are especially successful in the private sector.
"35 percent of the private sector in Egypt, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in the hands of the Copts," said Youssef Sidhom, editor of the Coptic weekly Watani. It comes to arguments over and over for many reasons. A forbidden love story between a Muslim and a Christian, a rumor that a Christian was forced to convert to Islam, and arguments over property and land, a non-approved church.
And the clashes are sharper. Still, most Copts do not believe that the situation will escalate. Many are grateful and deeply touched by the sympathy of their Muslim friends and acquaintances. "All Muslims around me trying to show himself immensely me how much they condemn the attack," said Maryam Fekry.
That the attack was religiously motivated in Alexandria, she does not believe. The majority of the Copts and Muslims seem to agree that he had a political background. "People who do such a thing going to split, Egypt, the Muslim taxi driver says on the way home from church. "But they will not make it." Rarely, Muslims and Copts have recently been so united.
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