Crisis in Tahrir

Egypt: Coptic man accused of rape has trial postponed

| 19 January 2010 | Comments (10)

church sceneCAIRO: An Egyptian Coptic Christian man accused of kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old Muslim girl had his trial adjourned until next month, the official MENA news agency reported on Tuesday. The alleged assault in Qena led to widespread protests by the Muslim community and increased tensions between the two religious groups, which culminated in the murder of 6 Copts and one Muslim security guard at a church on January 6.

The 21-year-old Girgis Baroumi Girgis, is accused of having raped 12-year-old Yossra Mohamed in the southern village of Farshut in November, near Qena.

Security personnel have argued that the rape prompted what they have called the “revenge attack” by the Muslim gunmen on the church as Christians were leaving a Christmas Eve mass in Nag Hammadi.

When news of the alleged attack made its rounds in the area, hundreds of Muslims took to the streets, burning Christian-owned shops and attacking a local police station where Girgis was believed to be being held. The riots forced the government to bring in dozens of police trucks in an effort to quell the tensions.

The attack revealed Egypt’s chasm between the two main religious groups. Muslims demanded justice for the attack, while Copts argued it was simply the act of a deranged man who did not represent the Coptic community in Egypt.

Roughly 10 percent of Egypt’s 80-million-strong population are Coptic Christians, who complain of discrimination and marginalisation.

George Ishaq, a leading Kefaya member and Coptic scholar, said that both Muslim and Coptic leaders must address issues of citizenship in order for sectarian issues to be relieved. He said that Egyptians must “act like Egyptians.”

They must “come together and unite against the common enemy that continues to oppress all people, regardless of their faith,” he said.

BM

ShortURL: http://goo.gl/FEicv

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Section: Egypt, Latest News, Religion

Egypt in Crisis
Religion in Focus

  • Pingback: ALYSSA LAPPEN: SEEING REAL LIFE SHARIA IN ACTION BUT CALLING IT SOMETHING ELSE | RUTHFULLY YOURS

  • Pingback: Seeing Real Life Sharia in Action: Calling it something else. « The American Kafir

  • Pingback: Alyssa A. Lappen » Blog Archives » Seeing real life sharia in action

  • http://bikyamasr amira

    the officer paid money for the father to report the coptic boy so they can have a reason to attack the city and the officers and the muslim street boys can share what they can get from the christian properties together.
    This boy Girgis is set up by them,please pray for him,Marie GERGES DO SOMETHING.

  • Marean

    usually stems from the top down…i wonder what the country’s government looks like on the inside (rotten) therefore what do yo expect from the citizens. Christians have and will always be targeted and prosecuted, time they stood up for themselves and give back what they’ve put up with for a long time……(Australia)

  • Pingback: Friday Links — January 22, 2010 » Muslimah Media Watch

  • Coptic Egyptian

    come together and unite against the common enemy that continues to oppress all people, regardless of their faith. WE need to take our country back, the cause of all this is the teaching of islam. WAKE UP WORLD islam is not a peacefull religion. islam is distruction . May God help us all.

  • Mrf_1SAP

    “come together and unite against the common enemy that continues to oppress all people, regardless of their faith,” he said.
    For how long are we going to hide the real issue here. Egypt’s tragedy isn’t social or political issue, it is a religious issue, it is a question of Faith. This is not the 1919 with Saad, marching against the English. The statement would have been relevant then. So how can we put our faith aside when this is really the reason behind our backwardness, cultural instability, political and economical ruin. I am persuaded that there is not amount of any talks could change the current circumstances. We need a revolution, New kind of government, that will help boost the economical situation in the country. The issue will not be fixed unless Egyptians are educated, understand human rights, and understand their duty to their Faith and God.

  • Pingback: Tweets that mention Egypt: Coptic man accused of rape has trial postponed | Bikya Masr -- Topsy.com

  • http://none Eleonora

    “They must “come together and unite against the common enemy that continues to oppress all people, regardless of their faith,” he said.”

    I could not agree with him more – Wake Up, Egyptians!!!

    ~*~*~*~

    I’m missing though the statement by the MP that this criminal (the shooter) was released one week before the incident took place in preparation for the upcoming (parlamentary) elections – too hot a statement for Bikya Masr??