From the moment Mohamed Morsi was elected president of Egypt, Christians began to be singled out by Islamists for violence. And as Morsi’s removal grew imminent in late June, Islamists in villages like Al Nazla even marked the homes of Christians with red paint so they would be easier to target.
In the last few days, the aggression against Christians hit new levels.
As the Egyptian military clashed with pro-Morsi demonstrators in Cairo on the morning of August 14, a mosque in Al Nazla announced that Christians were attacking the pro-Morsi demonstrators. Although false, this outraged Islamists who in turn “marched on Saint Virgin Mary Church,” shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they pillaged the church compound.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, after carrying everything they could out of the church, the Islamists burned what was left–including the church building itself.
Next to the gate of the church, the Islamists painted the words, “Victory or martyrdom.”
Saint Virgin Mary Church is “one of 47 churches and monasteries that have been burned, robbed, or attacked since August 14.”
It was reported that Egypt’s interim government has “implicitly accused the Muslim Brotherhood of organizing the violence.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.