Violence Against Christians Continues in Egypt After Christmas Eve Shootings
By Mary Abdelmassih
1/10/2010 Egypt (AINA) — Violence broke out in the evening of January 8, 2010, in the southern Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi, in the main market and ‘Bein el Mehatat’ area, spreading as well to the neighbouring town of Bahgoura. Muslim mobs used swords, butane gas cylinders for explosions and Molotov cocktails to loot and torch Coptic-owned homes, shops and cars (video).
Mary Om Boktor Kyrollos, a Coptic widow from Bahgoura, died of fumes after her home was torched yesterday by Muslims while she was indoors. She was buried in the early hours of January 09, 2010.
Reverend Misaeel, pastor of the church in Bahgoura told Coptic News that violence started on Friday at 20:00. In Bahgoura, 3 kilometers from Nag Hammadi, where most of the violence took place, inhabitants confirmed that water and electricity were disconnected in the evening, during the fires. “Fire brigades arrive 90 minutes late, and the vehicles which arrived had empty tanks.”
Eyewitnesses said the perpetrators were chanting “Allah is Great” and “No God except Allah” while destroying, looting and torching Coptic property.
According to Free Copts, Muslims mobs were led by elements loyal to the first defendant in the Christmas Eve Massacre on January 6, 2010, when the Christian congregation was sprayed with bullets as they came out of church after celebrating the Coptic Christmas Eve mass. 8 were killed and 15 wounded (AINA 1-7-2010).
