Egypt: Coptic Cathedral Bombed During Mass, At Least 25 Dead
Most of the victims are thought to be women and children
Just six days after a bombing in Cairo killed six policemen, another bomb explodes at Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, killing 25 and wounding another 35 people. The victims are believed to be mostly women and children.
Hasam, a terrorist group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, claimed responsibility for the first Cairo bombing, but no one has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing Saint Mark’s.
A bombing at Egypt’s main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 25 people and wounded another 35 on Sunday, in one of the deadliest attacks carried out against the religious minority in recent memory.
The attack came two days after a bomb elsewhere in Cairo killed six policemen, an assault claimed by a shadowy group that authorities say is linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Islamic militants have targeted Christians in the past, including a New Year’s Day bombing at a church in Alexandria in 2011 that killed at least 21 people.
Egypt’s official MENA news agency said an assailant lobbed a bomb into a chapel close to the outer wall of St Mark’s Cathedral, seat of Egypt’s Orthodox Christian church and home to the office of its spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II. Egyptian state TV gave the casualty toll.
Witnesses said the explosion may have been caused by an explosive device planted inside the chapel. Conflicting accounts are common in the immediate aftermath of attacks.
The blast took place as a Sunday mass being held in the chapel was about to end and coincided with a national holiday in Egypt marking the birth of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Most of the victims are thought to be women and children.
BREAKING: Bomb explodes in #Egypt by #Cairo's biggest Coptic Cathedral, at least five dead https://t.co/6WhxZ8C87u pic.twitter.com/trPgjxf1Q7
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) December 11, 2016
At Least 25 people were killed and 31 injured in Cairo. Explosion hit smaller churches attached to Cathedral. #Egypt
— Ian James Lee (@ianjameslee) December 11, 2016
Witnesses describe the horrific scene.
CBS News continues:
An Associated Press reporter who arrived at the scene shortly after the blast saw blood-stained pews and shards of glass scattered across the chapel’s floor. Men and women wailed and cried outside.
“I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene,” said cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous, who rushed to the chapel after he heard the blast. His clothes and hands were stained with blood and his hair matted with dust.
“I saw a headless woman being carried away,” Mariam Shenouda said as she pounded her chest in grief. “Everyone was in a state of shock. We were scooping up people’s flesh off the floor,” she said.
“There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes,” she added.
Although details are conflicting, the bomb may have been set in or near the women’s section of the cathedral.
CBC Extra reporting that most of the casulaties are women and children because the bomb went off in the women section of the church.
— The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) December 11, 2016
Egypt’s official MENA news agency said an assailant lobbed a bomb into a chapel close to the outer wall of the cathedral.
However, witnesses said the explosion may have been caused by an explosive device planted inside the chapel. Conflicting accounts are common in the immediate aftermath of attacks.
. . . . Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 90 million, have faced persecution and discrimination that spiked during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by a popular uprising in 2011.
Islamist extremists have regularly incited violence against Copts, especially since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
For Coptic Christians, an attack on Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral is like an attack on the Vatican. #Egypt #Cairo
— Ian James Lee (@ianjameslee) December 11, 2016
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Comments
The single most attacked religion world-wide is Christianity, going away.
And their attackers are uniquely Muslims, if you only look at violent attacks.
Of course you are right about the violence of radical Islam. I must point out, however, that Christians in India are commonly attacked by Hindus.
Evil. SImply evil. And, any who would try to offer an apologetic of this heinous did are just as evil.
The Coptic Church has been in Egypt since the mid-first century A.D. It is based on the teachings of Saint Mark who brought Christianity to Egypt. Existing there for roughly 1,974 years, the Coptic Church has mostly maintained its autonomy even though variously persecuted over the centuries.
One source notes:
“Daily, in all Coptic Churches all over the world, Copts pray for the reunion of all Christian Churches. They pray for Egypt, its Nile, its crops, its president, its army, its government, and above all its people. They pray for the world’s peace and for the well-being of the human race.”
Despite this most recent diabolical act, no doubt the Coptic Chrsitians will continue to pray accordingly. All persons of good will ought to do well as for them.
(The source cited and for more information about the Coptic Christians reference:
http://coptic.net/EncyclopediaCoptica/ )
A beautiful cathedral which we passed many times on our way to and from the eastern suburbs into central Cairo. Relics of St. Mark are there, returned to Egypt from Venice. Lord, have mercy.
And what are Christians going to do about it? Write a sternly worded letter? Turn the other cheek??
Muslims attack other religions because they know no one is going to push back. The only people who do are Russians and Indians. Everyone else just looks the other way.
The current Egyptian government will prosecute the perpetrators, and they will find them. The radical Islamists threaten Sisi as well as Christians.
“CBS News reports…”
Skipped over that part.
Muslims understand only violence. These Christians should be reaching out to Russia for help, not the US. America no longer cares if Christians are slaughtered, only about Muslim feelings.
That will change on January 20, 2017.
Quisling Obama will be a bad memory, and out of power.
Not true about what Muslims understand. Islam only provides for violence, but most Muslims particularly in the West don’t know that. Most Muslims in the West have a beer and skittles unicorn idea of Islam and its prophet Muhammad. I can cite their own sources to them, and they just won’t believe them.
Sahih Bukhari (Prayers)
” Narrated `Abdul `Aziz:
Anas said, ‘When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) invaded Khaibar, we offered the Fajr prayer there (early in the morning) when it was still dark. The Prophet (ﷺ) rode and Abu Talha rode too and I was riding behind Abu Talha. The Prophet (ﷺ) passed through the lane of Khaibar quickly and my knee was touching the thigh of the Prophet (ﷺ) . He uncovered his thigh and I saw the whiteness of the thigh of the Prophet. When he entered the town, he said, ‘Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is ruined. Whenever we approach near a (hostile) nation (to fight) then evil will be the morning of those who have been warned.’ He repeated this thrice. The people came out for their jobs and some of them said, ‘Muhammad (has come).’ (Some of our companions added, “With his army.”) We conquered Khaibar, took the captives, and the booty was collected. Dihya came and said, ‘O Allah’s Prophet! Give me a slave girl from the captives.’ The Prophet said, ‘Go and take any slave girl.’ He took Safiya bint Huyai. A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)s! You gave Safiya bint Huyai to Dihya and she is the chief mistress of the tribes of Quraidha and An-Nadir and she befits none but you.’ So the Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Bring him along with her.’ So Dihya came with her and when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw her, he said to Dihya, ‘Take any slave girl other than her from the captives.’ Anas added: The Prophet (ﷺ) then manumitted her and married her.” Thabit asked Anas, “O Abu Hamza! What did the Prophet (ﷺ) pay her (as Mahr)?” He said, “Her self was her Mahr for he manumitted her and then married her.” Anas added, “While on the way, Um Sulaim dressed her for marriage (ceremony) and at night she sent her as a bride to the Prophet (ﷺ) . So the Prophet was a bridegroom and he said, ‘Whoever has anything (food) should bring it.’ He spread out a leather sheet (for the food) and some brought dates and others cooking butter. (I think he (Anas) mentioned As-Sawaq). So they prepared a dish of Hais (a kind of meal). And that was Walima (the marriage banquet) of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) .”
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 371
In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 23
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 367
(deprecated numbering scheme)”
There is just so much here. Take your pick. The Islamic state is not Islamic, Mr Obama, because of the sex slavery?
According to Muslim lore Safiyah was the 17 y.o. widow of a man called Kinana. Muhammad would know that, because he executed her husband. Apparently he was a man of influence among the Jews of Khaybar, and he knew where the community hid some money. So Muhammad had one of his followers light a fire on his chest until Kinana gave up the information.
Prophet my ass.
Sorry. Getting back to the point, it isn’t true that the only thing Muslims understand is violence. A lot of them are just as susceptible to the truth as you or I. They’ve just never heard it.
I recommend trying that route first.
Yusuf Ali mangles the Arabic. He tries to make the Quran more palatable to a western audience in his transliteration. He fails, but he tried.
Islam has plenty of nasty things to say about Jews, don’t get me wrong. But Islam can not be properly understood as anything less than the the anti-Christ.
The sole purpose of the Jesus of the Quran is to denounce the Jesus of the New Testament. The core teachings of the New Testament, even if you don’t believe them, is that Jesus is God, that he died for our sins, and rose on the third day. The Jesus of the Quran denies all that.
And, the Islam goes on to substitute Muhammad for Jesus. If you doubt me, test me.
Fortunately the Quran was written by a bunch of illiterate goat herders, and is quite the joke. So nobody with a brain can take it seriously.
Surah 4 157 An Nisa (The Women)
“And [for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah .” And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.”
The Quran has the Jews bragging about a lot about things no Joooo would ever brag about. Raise your hands, Jew people, if you’ve ever said Ezra is the son of God?
Yeah, didn’t think so.
Surah 4:160 An Nisa (The Women)
“For wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their averting from the way of Allah many [people],”
Understand what is going on here. Allah is bragging about creating a false religion. Jesus didn’t die on the cross. Allah just made it look like He did.
And for no good reason except Allah likes deceiving people.
Jews, Christians, who in your scripture enjoys deceipt?
Sorry, the Prince of Lies is only in your scripture, and in Islam’s, not in ours. Satan in our scripture is a faithful servant of God.
In Hebrew Satan means “opponent” or “adversary,” not faithful servant.
http://biblehub.com/hebrew/7854.htm
“NAS: in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding
KJV: in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding
INT: of the LORD the way an adversary now he was riding”
This is why, when Peter tried to argue Jesus out of dying on the cross Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan.” Not literally, as in the fallen angel. But as the first century Jews understood the word.
And I’m not trying to argue into believing the message. But that Jesus was a Jew, and spoke Hebrew.
From Benghazi to Cairo to Kiev.
I must admit a certain respect for, shall we say, the flair with which the expressed themselves.
”
Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan!
O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are thou, that canst not slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil shits, and your army eats. Thou shallt not, thou son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons; we have no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck thy mother.
Thou Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria, swineherd of Greater and Lesser Egypt, pig of Armenia, Podolian thief, catamite of Tartary, hangman of Kamyanets, and fool of all the world and underworld, an idiot before God, grandson of the Serpent, and the crick in our dick. Pig’s snout, mare’s arse, slaughterhouse cur, unchristened brow, screw thine own mother!
So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife. You won’t even be herding pigs for the Christians. Now we’ll conclude, for we don’t know the date and don’t own a calendar; the moon’s in the sky, the year with the Lord, the day’s the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!
– Koshovyi otaman Ivan Sirko, with the whole Zaporozhian Host.”
Earlier this year on Quora I tangled with some Moslem about that one. He was willing to accept that no Jews today hold such a belief, but he insisted that Mohammed knew the Jews of Arabia in his time better than I could, and if he said those Jews believed this then it must be true, and how could I possibly know it wasn’t? I tried to explain that this is so foreign a concept that it couldn’t exist even as a heresy. Misguided Jews might make up a belief like that about Moshe, but Ezra wasn’t even a prophet. It did no good. I nearly got banned for saying that the explanation is simply that Mohammed was an ignorant liar, and made the whole thing up.
“…but Ezra wasn’t even a prophet. It did no good. I nearly got banned for saying that the explanation is simply that Mohammed was an ignorant liar, and made the whole thing up.”
Join the club.
Surah 4:171 An Nisa (The Women)
“O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, “Three”; desist – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.”
Surah 5:73 Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread)
“They have certainly disbelieved who say, ” Allah is the third of three.” And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.”
Whatever problems you may or may not have with Christians, no Christian has ever said God is not one. Our profession of faith is that Christ is ONE in being with the Father. And Mary is not part of it.
“1 Corinthians 8.4-6
4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things,
and we exist through him. ”
Again, I’m not trying to talk you into seeing things my way. But Muhammad, or whoever wrote the Quran, apparently heard about Christianity on a camel ride to Damascus. And got it all wrong.
The Quran affirms the authority of the Torah and the Gospel.
Surah 10:94
“But if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to you, ask those who read the Book before you; certainly the truth has come to you from your Lord, therefore you should not be of the disputers.”
One gets the definite impression that Allah had no clue as to what those who read the book before Muhammad were understanding.