Cairo (AsiaNews) - The Islamists attacks on St. Mark's
Cathedral in Cairo has aroused considerable concern within the Coptic Orthodox community,
which for the first time has pointed the finger at President Mohamed Morsi and
his entourage. The
charge against the Islamist head of state was voiced by Coptic Orthodox
Patriarch, Tawadros II, who in a recent interview with the private Ontv television
said: "We want facts, not just words. President Morsi has promised to do everything
in his power to protect
the cathedral, but in reality he hasn't". Today,
hundreds of young Christians and Muslims organized a protest against attacks
and to enhance dialogue and unity between the two components of Egyptian
society.
On 7
April, in front of St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, a group of Islamists hurled
stones and Molotov cocktails at participants in the funerals of four Christians
killed in sectarian clashes that took place on April 5 in the district of
Khosous on the outskirts of the capital. The
attack, which took place under the eyes of the police, left two dead and over
80 injured. A
church building was also set on fire.
According
to the Patriarch, Morsi is responsible for what happened, "his behavior comes
under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events. In two thousand
years our cathedral has never suffered an attack like that." Tawadros II
urges the authorities to take a clear position because "the situation has
gone beyond the limits of freedom of
expression and has reached an unsustainable level of chaos."
After
the assault Morsi said that the violence of recent days "are an attack
against my own person," and proposed the revival of the defunct Committee
for justice and equality. But
Tawadros II has responded that " there are already enough of these committees
and groups, none of them ever really worked".
The
amateur images filmed by some activists of the Maspero Youth Union show
the violence of the clashes on April 7, with dozens of extremists shouting
anti-Christian slogans, inciting hatred against the minority. In
the video the police can also be seen throwing tear gas inside the cathedral,
intoxicating even women and elderly people who had taken refuge in the church. In
a video some unknown masked men are seen shooting from a terrace on the Christians
below.
Here
are the videos of the clashes posted to AsiaNews by young activists of the Maspero
Youth Union:
Video
of the clashes in front of St. Mark's Cathedral in the Christian quarter of
Abasseya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7laPVTKztA
Unknown masked shooting at the Copts:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dga0BKvjHGq8&h=KAQEhMAmu&s=1
Tear
gas attack on the Patriarch's residence:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D28l701J5d9I&h=wAQGgCa3d&s=1
Fire in the Patriarch's
residence:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJhn_MFh-gV8&h=9AQFszWTU&s=1
Tear gas
used against injured people and ambulances:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embedded%26v%3D0Z4cSUmKiaQ&h=MAQGbYlAr&s=1
Fire in a
building in the complex of the Cathedral:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dgkk_wXpSYhk&h=tAQErMpeY&s=1
Police
fire tear gas at the cathedral:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1S3mlkf_Gy0&h=kAQHWzRd2&s=1
Attacks
against the cathedral with pipe bombs and stones:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcffaSBC70lM&h=vAQFuXCjt&s=1
Christians in
front of the Cathedral in flames:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5J7BY8gg880&h=MAQGbYlAr&s=1
Egyptians try to
stop the clashes:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtQv11xnNBrs&h=dAQGewPKb&s=1
Photo of thugs
involved in the attacks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4lUfrhoqQU
Muslims chant "Allah is Great" during the assault on the cathedral:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxM7hV1yeW0