Global General

Suspected suicide bomber kills 21 at Egypt church

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-01-02 09:57

Communal Frustrations

An Egyptian Christian clashes with Egyptian riot police in front of the the Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria, 230 km (140 miles) north of Cairo January 1, 2011. A car bombing outside the church killed 21 people as worshippers gathered to mark the New Year, security and medical sources said on Saturday. [Photo/Agencies]

Health Ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shahin said 21 people had been confirmed killed so far and 97 were wounded, the official Middle East News Agency reported.

The church said 20 people were confirmed killed and remains had been found indicating 4-5 others died in the blast, which struck as worshippers marking the New Year left the church.

"We condemn this unfortunate incident that threatens our nation, its security and safety of its citizens. What happened is a dangerous escalation of sectarian events that target the Copts," said a statement from the Alexandria Council of Priests.

Christians make up about 10 percent of Muslim-majority Egypt's 79 million people. Tensions often flare between the two communities over issues such as building churches or close relationships between members of the two faiths.

Analysts said this attack was on a much bigger scale and appeared far more organised than the kind of violence that usually erupts when communal frustrations boil over.

After protests overnight, more than 100 Christians protested again on Saturday near the Coptic Orthodox church that was hit. "We sacrifice our souls and blood for the cross," they chanted. Police used teargas to disperse protesters.

Islamist Threat

Egypt's Christians have been threatened by the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq, which attacked a church in Baghdad two months ago in what it called a response to the mistreatment of Muslim converts by Egyptian Copts.

Egyptian Muslims and Christians hold a Koran and a cross in the Shobra district of Cairo January 1, 2011, to protest against a bomb attack on a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, 230 km (140 miles) north of Cairo. [Photo/Agencies]

A statement posted on an Islamist website called on Muslims to "bomb churches during the Christmas holiday when churches are crowded". It was not clear who was behind the statement that listed churches in Egypt and elsewhere, including Alexandria's Church of the Two Saints that was targeted.

The Orthodox Coptic Christmas is on January 7.

Pope Benedict, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, denounced violence against Christians in his New Year address.

Analysts said they did not expect a return to the kind of Islamic militant insurgency crushed by Egypt's government in the 1990s. Nevertheless, the attack could add to sectarian tension and points to influence of foreign Islamist groups.

"The first and most likely possibility is that a sleeper cell of al Qaeda group carried out this operation and this would mean that al Qaeda has penetrated the Islamic political movement in Egypt," said analyst Nabil Abdel-Fattah.

Alexandria governor Adel Labib "accused al Qaeda of planning the bombing", state television reported.

Officials are swift to play down sectarian differences and have been keen to emphasise national harmony before the September presidential poll.

Egyptian Christians carry a coffin containing the body of a bombing victim, at the Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria, 230 km (140 miles) north of Cairo, January 1, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Mubarak, 82 and in power since 1981, is expected to run if he is able to. Gallbladder surgery in March revived questions about his health, but he has returned to a full schedule.

Sectarian tension is fuelled in part by Christian grievances such as laws making it easier to build mosques than churches.

In November, hundreds of Christians clashed with police, and with some Muslims who joined in, in Cairo in a protest against a decision to halt construction of a church. Officials said the Christians had no licence to build. Two Christians died, dozens were hurt and more than 150 detained.

Last January, a drive-by shooting of six Christians and a Muslim policeman at a church in southern Egypt sparked protests.