WATANI International
24 June 2011
On Thursday 23 June, crowds of hardline Salafi Muslims surrounded the church of Mar-Girgis (St George) in the village of Beni-Ahmed al-Gharbiya in Minya, Upper Egypt, threatening to kill the priest, Fr Gorgy Thabet, if he does not leave the village. The security forces held them back from breaking into the church, and succeeded in taking the priest out, unharmed, and made him leave the village. Hours later, the crowds dispersed, threatening that if the Church did not issue a statement acquiescing to their demands they would hold Muslim prayers in the church on Friday.
The archbishopric of Minya issued an official statement on the matter.
“Crowds of hardline Salafi Muslims—some of them carrying arms—have resumed their demonstration around the church of Mar-Girgis in the village of Beni-Ahmed al-Gharbiya, threatening to kill the priest, Fr Gorgy Thabet, if he does not leave the village,” the statement declared.
“The archbishopric had, some two months ago, delegated another priest to the village to assist Fr Gorgy and to help calm matters down, but the hardliners resumed their demand that he should leave. The archbishopric officially informed the authorities about the matter which,” the Church said, “has caused it to take deep offence.
“Serving the congregation is a question which concerns the Church alone,” the statement declared, “and no person or movement outside the Church has any right to interfere in it.”
Anba Makarius, bishop-general of Minya, described the Salafi threats as blackmail, and unwarranted interference in the affairs of the Church. He called upon the authorities to intervene in order to uphold the rule of law and to spread peace and security.
The archbishopric refused any pre-conditions to holding negotiations with the local political and security authorities. It applauded the efforts of the authorities in working to resolve the problem and disperse the demonstrators.
Some two months ago sectarian violence had erupted in Beni-Ahmed in the wake of an attempt by the Church to expand its building onto an adjacent 10-sq.m.-plot of land it owns. A reconciliation meeting was held then, and the Church agreed to halt all construction. The archbishopric asked Fr Gorgy to leave the village for some time until matters calm down. When Fr Gorgy was sent back, together with an assistant, violent demonstrations again erupted. The Church has refused to give in to the Salafi “blackmail and threats” to remove the priest, and has requested the authorities to uphold the rule of law.