Friday Protest could Turn Ugly for Christians in Egypt

ICC Note:
In Egypt today, demonstrators are expected to flood into Tahrir Square for the “second day of anger”. Christians and secularists will lead the protests denouncing the political rise of Islamists. Since Egypt’s uprising in early 2011, immense persecution has followed with more than 80 Christians killed and several churches destroyed as a result of anti-Christian violence. Christians fear their freedoms will continue to be taken from them. At today’s protest, for example, a “fatwa (religious edict) [was] released by a couple of Islamist leaders, declaring that anyone who demonstrates on Friday against the “one-party show” are enemies of Allah and should be killed,” Open Door News reports.
By Emily Fuentes
8/23/2012 Egypt (Open Door News) – August 24 is tomorrow – the “second day of anger” as some Egyptians have chosen to name it.
It’s described as the nationwide plea of opposition movements; writers, politicians and many others desiring a new, open civil country to revolt against the Islamist parties who seem to be seeking to turn Egypt into a closed Islamic state. Their appeal to condemn the Islamists’ greed for power may (or may not!) manage to convince crowds of Egyptians to go down again to the streets.
The hope of these opposing movements and public figures is to try to restore the objectives and accomplishments of Egypt’s historic 25th of January Revolution. They fear that all this progress has now been snatched up by one group in society, thus destroying the dream of a new Egypt that would be a country for everyone, no matter what their background, faith, ideology or sex.
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What makes this potential clash even scarier is the recent “fatwa” (religious edict) released by a couple of Islamist leaders, declaring that anyone who demonstrates on Friday against the “one-party show” are enemies of Allah and should be killed.
Fear has already filled the hearts of many Egyptian Christians, as well as Muslims, dreading the possible scenarios of chaos that could take place on Friday and even continue. Some people have even decided to leave our major cities temporarily, until the “hurricane” has passed.
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