The Incidences of Alexandria
- The incidences of Alexandria are well known to everyone. They were audio and video broadcasted on some satellite TV channels and in details, they were also published on the internet, in newspapers and were pointed at on TV, lot of people talked about what happened...
- When we write a briefing about those incidences, we
don’t actually add anything but people will be surprised if
the magazine is published without any notice about what
happened...
- Actually, what we are writing now is not for the people
but we present it in front of God as a prayer…throughout
our life we didn’t ever hide anything from God, and Heblessed
be His name- knows everything even if we don’t
write it down...
- The incidences started as a reaction to what was written
with provocative manner in some of the private newspapers,
they were not charged or even blamed by anyone for
what they wrote. Some people reacted with hostility
towards what was written and those incidences then took
place...
- Thousands of those who participated in the incidences
crowded together round St. George Church in Moharam
Bek, they were forcefully and vigorously hitting on the
church doors trying to break in, we thank the Lord for
they weren’t able to do so otherwise a catastrophe would
have taken place…the police officers hindered them from
doing so, and at the same time there were some of the
youths inside the church waiting for their destiny in
panic...and God witnessed and listened...
- Then there was the attack on the devoted sister whom
the newspapers said about her that she was a nun; someone
waited for her by the church’s door and stabbed her
many times, one of the police force defended her so he
was also stabbed, one of the attorneys was also stabbed
and the devoted sister fell on the ground, her photo was
broadcasted on some satellite TV channels…and God witnessed
all that…God preserved the life of this sister who
could have died and the suspect was detained and confessed
saying that he is in a healthy mental state and
knows what he was doing...!
- Incidences then proceeded harshly and with violence.
- Some people said that what happened is a mixture of the
previous incidences which took place on the 18th and 19th
of January 1977 and what happened in Zawya Al Hamra
on 1989.
- The incidences which took place on Fri evening
21/10/2005 and on Sat morning include twenty violent
acts: setting on fires, damaging, robbery of the houses of
Christians, their pharmacies and their stores.
- They also attacked the churches; they stoned the Virgin
Church in Moharam Bek and threw bottles containing
explosive materials at the church. They also attacked the
Evangelical Churches in Ibn Zahron Street throwing the
Holy Bibles at the streets stepping with their feet over
them and burnt them...they attacked the organization
named "Friends of the Holy Bible" and destroyed their
office, they brought the cross and the books outside and stepped over them with their feet.
- They destroyed the office of the Archangel Michael’s organization.
- They also attacked the "Faith" Evangelical Church at the Iskandarany Street throwing it with explosive bottles and attacked the "Brothers" Church.
- They set fire on a religious library with its religious photos, framed icons and Christian statues.
- They attacked "Isis" Hospital and stoned it; they broke the hospital’s frontage and damaged some medical equipment.
- They attacked the "Salvation of Souls" assembly...and God witnessed and listened, a book of remembrance was written before the lord.
- Incidences proceeded, and the number of complaints which the Copts registered at the persecution office reached 43 reports which we have their serial numbers, dates and names of those who filed them.
- They also put signs on the houses of Christians to make, and this was causing panic among people.
- They threatened some people that they would kill them.
- One of the priests of St. George church had a nervous breakdown and wives of priests were also in panic.
- Some of the police force vehicles were burnt.
- 121 were put into custody 104 of whom were then released and 17 are still in jail
- It was such a difficult time in the history of Alexandria, and they were keen to transfer anger and demonstrations to other places.
(El Keraza Magazine)
Copyright © 2005 Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A. The above article may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of Saint Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, California, U.S.A.
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