Egypt Accused of Deliberately Failing to Protect Christian Copts and Churches From Islamist Attacks
The Revolutionary Socialists (RS) movement on Tuesday denounced the massacre at the Virgin Mary Church in Warraq, Giza which killed four people and left 18 injured.
"As long as the state deliberately fails to fulfill its role towards the protection of the property and the churches of Copts, sectarian violence will continue ablaze until further notice," the group said in a statement.
The movement demanded the dismissal of the entire government, which the movement accused of failing to provide security for its citizens, saying it would stand against attacks waged by reactionary forces against Copts.
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The movement stressed the need for passing a unified law for houses of worship. It also called for the formation of popular committees to protect churches and religious minorities.
RS expressed surprise at the regime's claim of "waging a holy war on terror," and the imposition of an emergency state and a curfew, while terrorist groups have attacked more than 200 Christians and burned scores of churches.
The movement noted that the crime of Warraq will not be the last as long as the state stands idly by and fails to address the attacks on Copts.
Copts have been subjected to fierce attacks by Islamists since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi in July and the breaking-up of the Muslim Brotherhood's sit-ins in Rabaa el-Adaweya and Nahda squares on August 14.
The attacks resulted in burning of 82 churches, of which 32 churches were completely destroyed, in addition to the looting and torching of a large number of homes and shops owned by Copts in various Egyptian governorates.
