Egyptian Armed Forces Demolish Fences Guarding Coptic Monasteries

[nalnn]

Source: AINA

Egyptian armed forces this week demolished fences surrounding ancient Coptic monasteries, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by armed Arabs, robbers and escaped prisoners, who have seized the opportunity of the state of diminished protection by the authorities in Egypt to carry out assaults and thefts.

"Three monasteries have been attacked by outlaws and have asked for protection from the armed forces, but were told to defend themselves." said activist Mark Ebeid. "When the terrified monks built fences to protect themselves, armed forces appeared only then with bulldozers to demolish the fences. It is worth noting that these monasteries are among the most ancient in Egypt, with valuable Coptic icons and manuscripts among others, which are of tremendous value to collectors."

On Sunday February 20, armed forced stormed the 4th century old monastery of St. Boula in the Red Sea area, assaulted three monks and then demolished a small fence supporting a gate leading to the fenceless monastery. "The idea of the erection of the gate was prompted after being attacked at midnight on February 13 by five prisoners who broke out from their prisons," said Father Botros Anba Boula, "and were armed with a pistol and batons. The monks ran after them but they fled to the surrounding mountains except for one who stumbled and was apprehended and held by the monks until the police picked him up three days later."

Read more: http://www.aina.org/news/20110222203937.htm

---

I was afraid of this. The whole region is f'n nuts. Has anyone happen to have read the remarks the Ahmadinejad mad condemning the Libyan crackdown on its protesters?

[mainer]

1. oh no. There's going to be a mass evac of Coptics now.

They've coexisted for centuries, and now this.

[hardcover]

2. This is a very bad sign of things to come

I had such high hopes for Egypt but always with the fear that this could be the outcome. Another Iran in the making.

[Jmaxfie1]

3. Damn, not good. The Copts were the ones pushing hardest for a liberal secular state.

This is very bad.

[hardcover]

4. Can someone contact Wael Ghonim to weigh in on this?

He should take a stand.