Easter for Egypt’s Coptic community passed on May 5 without incident came as a relief for many Christians who have felt increasingly under threat after early April’s violence in Al Khosous and Cairo’s St. Mark’s Cathedral.
The fighting in Al Khosous on April 5 left four Christians and one Muslim dead. The funeral, which took place at the seat of Egypt’s papacy, St. Mark’s Cathedral, witnessed attacks on the mourners within the church compound by unknown Muslim assailants, Reuters reported on April 6. Witnesses accused the police of standing by as mourners were attacked and firing teargas into the compound.
In a rare display of discord, on April 8 Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, criticized Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi for not protecting the church during the funeral.
Egypt Independent reported that Pope Tawadros called for the vigilant application of justice and the law. Morsi had telephoned the pope the previous day, April 7, to say he considered any attack on the church a personal attack on him.
Although Morsi attended Easter services last year as a presidential candidate, he instead offered this year’s Easter greeting to the pope via telephone. Pope Tawadros II, who led his first Easter service since becoming head of the Coptic Church, read out a list of names of other Egyptian leaders who had also greeted the pope by phone. Reflecting the current political divide, the worshippers applauded the most loudly for Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, Sheikh Mazhar Shaheen of Omar Makram mosque by Tahrir Square, and head of the Judges Club Ahmed Al Zend, all of whom are perceived to be engaged in their own battles with the Muslim Brotherhood dominated government. President Morsi’s name received very little applause.
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