This Day in History: Suicide bomber attacks Coptic Christians in Alexandra, Egypt
A lot has transpired since the suicide bomber in Alexandria, Egypt attacked a Coptic Church, killing 23 people and injuring 70 others.
photo courtesy of Mahmoud Gamal El-Din
The attack was a precursor to the subsequent Arab Spring and the uprising in Egypt which led to the first regime change.
The governor of Alexandria, Adel Labib, accused al-Qaeda of planning the bombing. “The al-Qaida organisation threatened to attack churches inside Egypt. This has nothing to do with sectarianism,” he told state television.
His assessment was shared by Kameel Sadeeq of the city’s Coptic Christian council. “People went in to church to pray to God but ended up as scattered limbs,” he told Reuters. “This massacre has al-Qaida written all over, the same pattern al-Qaida has adopted in other countries.”
Following the blast, hundreds of Christians took to the streets, clashing with police and Muslims.
Some Christians and Muslims hurled rocks at one another after a mosque was reportedly targeted.
Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds. The Reuters news agency reported that some of the protesting Christians had shouted: “We sacrifice our souls and blood for the cross.”
The interior ministry said the blast also damaged a mosque near the church and eight Muslims were among the wounded.
Photo: Screenshot of Reuters coverage of the blast – more HERE
