Egyptians Urge Prosecution of Those Targeting, Attacking Coptic Christians
The Dostour or Constitution Party, in Minya, Upper Egypt has called on Egypt's Prosecutor General to quickly start an investigation into the repeated attacks on Coptic Christians in the Raida and Bani Ahmed el-Sharqiya villages, which have resulted in the burning of a number of houses, shops and cars owned by Copts.
In a statement, the party said authorities must quickly uncover the circumstances of the incident, while calling for "intensifying the punishment against the perpetrators who have intimidated Copts, the partners in the homeland."
The statement condemned the sectarian attacks on Copts in both the villages of Bani Ahmed and Raida villages that damaged houses, shops and places of worship of Christians following a discussion between a Christian young man and a supporter of former President Morsi.
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After the heated discussion, Morsi's supporters gathered from several neighboring villages and attacked Christians while chanting racist slogans. The party also condemned the police's response time in reaching the event site.
The Secretariat of the Dostour Party condemned and denounced the repeated attack on churches and houses of Christian citizens in Upper Egypt and elsewhere over the past month by elements associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Many of the protests have been based on the grounds that they [Christians] participated in the demonstrations that overthrew former President Mohamed Morsi with millions of Egyptians.
Copts in the village of Bani Ahmed el-Sharqiya, in Minya have been subjected to attacks by supporters of deposed President Morsi.
The attacks resulted in the looting, destruction and burning of several shops and houses. Reports stated that assailants tried to break into the Virgin Mary Church in Bani Ahmed and moved to the Raida village where they attacked the Evangelical Church while chanting hostile slogans, firing bullets and throwing Molotov cocktails.
