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| Africa North |
| Egypt reinforces security in anticipation of Coptic Christmas |
| 2011-01-05 |
| [Ennahar] The Egyptian security forces were on heightened alert in the vicinity of churches for the celebrations of the Coptic Orthodox Christmas on Thursday and Friday after the attack that killed 21 people in Alexandria New Year's night The police presence at checkpoints before the religious buildings have been strengthened, said Monday sources within the security services. Monitoring ports and airports has also been strengthened after the bombing, according to officials who evoke the trail of Al Qaeda, a jacket wallah acting for foreign terrorists. The massacre has not been formally claimed. The Orthodox Coptic Patriarch Shenouda III has assured that he intended to celebrate Christmas mass. "Do not pray would mean that terrorism is depriving us of the celebration of the birth of Christ," he said, quoted by the daily al-Ahram. Shenouda III has also launched an appeal for calm to the faithful. "I call our sons to calm as calm can solve all problems," he said in a television interview whose content was also distributed by the official news agency MENA. The patriarch expressed regret over some aspects of the protests against the bombing of Alexandria. "The slogans used by some have transgressed all values (...) and some have attempted to use violence, while violence is absolutely not our approach," said Shenouda III, involving in these outbursts persons not belonging to the Coptic community, he has not identified. In the same interview, the patriarch called on the Egyptian government to take into account the demands of the Copts, who experience violence and complain of discrimination, as required by law to obtain presidential approval to build churches. "If he considers that a law adversely affects some, the state must correct the law or make another," he said. Coptic Orthodox Christmas on Friday, also day of prayer for Mohammedans. The celebrations will start on Thursday. Besides the risk of attacks, the authorities fear further festivities with Christian demonstrators, or festivities between Christians and Mohammedans. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 They should have long since petitioned the government to permit them to have an armed security militia Armed dhimmis is one of the biggest no no in Sharia. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-01-05 12:36 |
| #1 The Copts need some security advice. For example, while it is good to have state security, it should only be the outer ring. The inner ring has to be all Copt. Likewise, vehicle barriers are very easy to fabricate. Typically, such attacks are of three types. Either an individual with a suicide belt; or a group with belts, rifles and grenades; or a car bomb. So that is what you plan for. They should have long since petitioned the government to permit them to have an armed security militia, even if that militia is only permitted in the vicinity of their churches. As well as a firm rule that the police cannot confiscate the militia's weapons before or during such a mass gathering. More than anything else, they have to have constant push on the government for anything they can get. They cannot rely on the government or police to do anything for them, so they need government to at least get out of the way. (Sounds familiar) |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-01-05 08:25 |