Egypt’s Muslims become ‘human shields’ to protect Christians
Read Time:1 Minute, 35 Second
The Coptic Christians of Egypt are one of the oldest Christian denominations tracing their roots back 1900 years. In response to the New Years Eve bombing, Muslims turned up in droves for the Coptic Christmas mass Thursday night, offering their bodies, and lives, as “shields” to Egypt’s threatened Christian community.
Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honored, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside.
From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.
Among those shields were movie stars Adel Imam and Yousra, popular Muslim televangelist and preacher Amr Khaled, the two sons of President Hosni Mubarak, and thousands of citizens who have said they consider the attack one on Egypt as a whole.
The economic woes of a country that favors the rich have only exacerbated the frustration of a population of 80 million whose majority struggle each day to survive. Accounts of thefts, drugs, and violence have surged in recent years, and the chorus of voices of discontent has continued to grow.
The terror attack that struck the country on New Year’s eve is in many ways a final straw – a breaking point, not just for the Coptic community, but for Muslims as well, who too feel marginalized, oppressed, and overlooked by a government that fails to address their needs. On this Coptic Christmas eve, the solidarity was not just one of religion, but of a desperate and collective plea for a better life and a government with accountability.
The Cross and the Crescent side by side in Egypt
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Scott. Michael Scott said: RT @madmike1 Egypt's Muslims become 'human shields' to protect Christians http://bit.ly/eqsEVe […]
Would liberal Democrats side with progressive anti-war protesters or the Republicans denouncing them?
Muslims are just anybody else. They don’t like being attacked and bombed.They may disagree with extreme responses,but are more concerned with the massive state terrorism coming from Christian nations.
It’s true that we don’t call it a crusade (other than GWB misspeaking) but that’s cause we don’t need to. We’ve got them outgunned 1000 to 1.Were the situation reversed – were the Christian West the victims of state terrorism, we would quite likely strike back in isolated acts of terrorism and do it in the name of Jesus. We did it in the past.
The quiet Muslims I am referring to are those in ‘safe’ countries were the ability to speak does not carry punishment in it’s wake.
What an amazing read. What an amazing act.
For too long I have been disappointed by the deafening silence of the Muslim in the street in regards to radical Islam and the easy way it kills.
Holte,
I was greatly heartened when I’d read of this last night.Al Jazeera English interviewed a young Christian woman on her way to mass, she said she was willing to die for her belief. Brave woman.