WATANI International
20 March 2011
In the wake of the Etfeeh incident and the consequent Coptic protests in Manshiyet Nasser at the foothill of Muqattam, east of Cairo, Copts in several neighbouring districts—in Muski, Qalaa, Duweiqa, Sayeda Aisha, and others—were attacked.
After the Military Council issued an order to rebuild the torched church in Sole, Muslims in al-Qalaa (the Citadel) neighbourhood formed street gangs and started attacking Copts in their homes and businesses, cursing and threatening them with death. The terrorised Copts locked themselves up in their homes in fear. Several Coptic-owned shops were burned.
The presence of al-Khalifa police station in the vicinity did nothing to deter the street gangs. One Christian resident who asked for his name to be withheld told Watani that the gangs broke into his home and threatened him with a dagger. It was his Muslim neighbour who protected him and his family.
“We were prisoners in our houses for more than three days,” a Qalaa woman told Watani, “we called Fr Ermiya, the priest of the neighbourhood church of the Angel Gabriel, for help. He called the Armed Forces repeatedly to ask for protection, but they never responded.”