Morsi Muslims 'Rage' Against Copts

Monday, July 8, 2013

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

CAIRO, EGYPT (Worthy News)-- Mobs of Muslims enraged over the forceful removal of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Mohamed Morsi from office have retaliated against Christians across Egypt, according to Morning Star News.

The attacks came as part of nation-wide protests that culminated Friday in what Morsi supporters called a "Day of Rage".

And it was: hours after the Egyptian military announced that it had expelled Morsi and his cabinet from office, reports of attacks against Christians and their properties by Brotherhood supporters began to surface.

The first attack came Wednesday in the village of Delgia where dozens of Morsi supporters attacked Al Eslah Church, looting the building and attacking local Coptic-owned homes; the mob then moved on to St. George Catholic church in Delgia, pelting it with rocks and setting its rectory on fire, according to Morning Star.

Later that same day, Egyptian troops prevented Muslim mobs from attacking both the Church of the Holy Virgin in Marsa Matrouh and the Coptic cathedral in Qena, so the mobs looted local Christian-owned homes and businesses instead.

On Friday, The Egypt Independent reported that after a Muslim was killed in a fight with a Copt in Naga Hassan, west of Luxor, Muslims began looting and burning dozens of Christian-owned homes and businesses, later attacking the Church of the Virgin Mary in downtown Luxor.

Samia Sidhom, managing editor of the Weekly Watani, said attacks by Morsi suppporters came as no surprise.

"Everyone was expecting they would take their revenge."

Sidhom said people wanted Morsi out because he was more interested in consolidating the power of his Freedom and Justice Party, a political proxy of the Muslim Brotherhood, than putting Egypt on the path to prosperity.

"Their priority was not the Egyptian people, but establishing an Islamic caliphate; they said they would be inclusive -- that they would make Egypt a prosperous country, but once they got into office, they did the exact opposite."

In the days leading up to the successful anti-Morsi petition, Morsi's supporters began threatening Christians via Brotherhood run mass media outlets. When Morsi was finally forced from office, Islamist broadcasts blamed both Egypt's military and its Christians, whose blood they vowed to spill in revenge for the former's coup.