Egypt’s Coptic Church criticized government for protest
The Coptic Church of Egypt disapproved of the government’s actions in dealing with a protest in Cario that led to at least 24 people dead, according to the New York Times.
The protest, which has been the most brutal protest since the revolution that overthrew their president eight months ago, started after the Copts requested to rebuild their church after it was demolished. The Christians also sought laws regulating buildings of worship without the tedious paperwork and criminalizing attacks on places of worship.
The church blames the military and police forces for allowing anti-Christian instigators to turn what should have been a peaceful protest into a dangerous riot. Families of the deceased are refusing to allow the government to perform autopsies on their bodies, due to the fear of the medical examiners lying to protect the killers.
President Obama has expressed concern about the protest and calls for the Christians’ protection and for elections to happen soon. The White House issued a statement saying, “Now is a time for restraint on all sides so that Egyptians can move forward together to forge a strong and united Egypt.” Spokesperson for the White House, Jay Carney, called for violence on both sides to come to a close and stated that the U.S. will continue to believe that the rights of minorities, like the Copts, should be respected.
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