Saints Church Attack

Alexandria of Egypt woke up on the first day of the new year to the sound of a bomb explosion. The explosion was carried out against Coptic Christians who were attending a Christian Mass in Alexandria Church, leaving 21 people dead, and 79 injured.

“The blast struck Coptic worshipers as they exited the Qidiseen, or saints, church just after a New Year's Eve Mass in the eastern section of Alexandria, the ancient city along Egypt's Mediterranean coast.

According to the Ministry of Health, all but eight of the injured and all the fatalities were Christians. No one claimed immediate responsibility for the attack. The Ministry of Information quoted an unnamed official as saying a suicide bomber may have carried out the attack and "foreign terrorists" were responsible.”-Los Angeles Times.

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The attack sparked anger among Copts, who attacked the police, broke into a mosque and threw its books out. Did this angry crowd do right by their attack on the mosque and the police? Absolutely not. But I can totally understand their anger.

The attack on the church may have really been carried out by “foreign terrorists” as reported, but everything else surrounding the Christian-Muslim relationships in Egypt makes one worry about the future of this relationship, and consequently the welfare of both sides of the story. This needs to be given a closer look by the Egyptian government before things get out of control.

Christian citizens in Egypt need to be treated equally as their Muslim counterparts. Policy makers need to understand that injustice only creates anger, and that is not good in any place… People need to understand and appreciate societal diversity. Not all members of the same society need to be of the same religion, and we all have to learn to accept and even enjoy that if possible.

My condolences go out to the families of lost ones in this attack. May their souls rest in peace…