Coptic church officials on alert

[LuvNewcastle]

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2011/0104/Coptic-church-officials-on-alert-around-the-world


The Coptic church targeted in the New Year’s attack in Alexandria, Egypt, was found on a list of targets that includes Coptic churches in Western Europe, the US, and Australia, prompting fear that some of those other churches may be the next target.

The list was found on Shumukh-al-Islam, an Islamist website linked to Al Qaeda, CNN reported. It first appeared on Dec. 2, but churches were not alarmed until after the attack in Egypt. There is concern that there will be more attacks on or around Jan. 7, when the Copts celebrate Christmas.

The website called on Muslims to assist to assist with attacks on those churches, the Herald Sun in Australia reports.

[dimbear]

1. When Greece and Turkey faced a similar problem, they exchanged

Christians from Turkey for Muslims from Greece. Not saying that made everything hunky-dory, but it seemed to work.

[onager]

2. I know that bombed church well.

I lived in Alexandria from 2005-09, and passed by All Saints Church twice a day on my commute to work.

The news reports say it was probably a suicide bomber. But that church is located in a spot that offers very easy (and quick) entry and exit from the city. It's at the end of a major street, Avenue 45, that is a very short distance from access to several busy highways.

In April 2006, during the Coptic Easter celebration, riots broke out in that neighborhood after several bizarre stabbings in Alexandria's Coptic churches.

That's one of the worst things I've ever seen. Neighbors that I saw standing together every morning waiting for buses or sending the kids to school, were suddenly trying to kill each other.

I lived just a couple of miles from that church. For days, the whole area stank from burning cars and buildings and tear gas. For several weeks we commuted to work thru a cordon of very serious riot cops holding clubs and shotguns.

My Egyptian co-workers were horrified by that. They kept insisting: "This doesn't happen in Alexandria. Everyone gets along here."

From what I saw, that was true. My co-workers included Muslims and Christians, and I never saw a cross word between them. When a Christian wanted to take his family on an Easter holiday, the Muslims covered his work shift. He did the same for them during Ramadan.

I'm an atheist myself. Crap like this is one of the reasons why.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. That's pretty scary.

The most frightening aspect of it is how easily and quickly people can change from being friendly neighbors to being mortal enemies. No one is truly immune from this kind of thing. It really can happen anywhere.