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"Horrible" Christian Churches in Egypt are Torched

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"Horrible" Christian Churches in Egypt are Torched

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The Christians are blaming the Muslims on the attacks on their churches. The Egyptians are trying to protest.

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For 67 years, the Virgin Mary Church has been a peaceful refuge for Shenouda El Sayeh, much like the Giza province village of Kafr Hakim where it rests and where he has lived all those years.

But, as he swept its floors on Thursday, it was painfully obvious things had changed.

The night before, a mob -- chanting against Coptic Christians such as El Sayeh and calling for Egypt to become an "Islamic state" -- had torched and looted the Virgin Mary Church.

"I didn't expect this to happen," El Sayeh said.

He's not alone. Christians all around Egypt are cleaning up in the aftermath of a spate of attacks, which came on the country's deadliest day since the 2011 revolution that overthrew longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

Bishop Angaelos, the Cairo-born head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, said he was told by colleagues in Egypt that 52 churches were attacked in a 24-hour span that started Wednesday, as well as numerous Christians' homes and businesses.

Ishak Ibrahim, a researcher with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told CNN he had confirmed attacks on at least 30 churches so far, in addition to the targeting of church-related facilities, including schools and cultural centers.

Those churches reportedly set ablaze Wednesday included St. George Church in Sohag, a city south of Cairo on the Nile River.

And the new day brought new attacks. Prince Tadros Church in Fayoum, which is southwest of Cairo, was stormed and burned Thursday night, according to the official Middle East News Agency.

This and other attacks have been blamed by some on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement which backs recently deposed President Mohamed Morsy. Government efforts to clear the group's Cairo protest camps resulted in gruesome scenes in the capital: Egypt's health ministry says that at least 580 people were killed and more than 4,000 injured amid clashes involving security forces and Morsy supporters.

Against this backdrop, it may be some time before it's established what group, if any, is behind the church attacks, and how coordinated this violence has been.

Until then, Christians in Egypt are left to try to put things back together, as well as to attempt to make sense of what's transpired.

As Dalia Ziada of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, told CNN: "This is horrible to happen in only one day."

'A very dangerous game to play'

Egypt will have much to deal with if, and when, things do settle down. Once that happens, Angaelos says that a proper investigation of the church attacks should follow -- especially since, he feels, the sheer scale of incidents suggests they were orchestrated, rather than a byproduct of chaotic unrest.

"We would want the people who have done it to be brought to justice because I think they are trying to do something which is much more dangerous," he said.

"It's not just about burning churches, it's about burning churches to initiate a response that then spirals into even greater violence -- and that is a very, very dangerous game to play."

The targeting of churches and Christian properties was not unexpected, Angaelos said, given the tensions in Cairo and elsewhere and in light of escalating attacks on Coptic Christians in recent weeks.

The growing threat led him last week to issue a statement warning of "a very real risk upon the life of every Christian." Pope Tawadros II, the church's leader in Egypt, also suspended weekly public events for fear of attacks on Christian congregations.

But the warnings didn't prevent the violence, nor did security efforts to protect churches and Christian communities, according to Ibrahim.

Said Angaelos, "The ferocity and the speed with which it all happened ... was quite surprising."

A Bible Society of Egypt statement posted online Wednesday reported the "complete burning and destruction" of its bookshops in the cities of Assiut and Minia, in southern Egypt.

"Fortunately we were closed today, fearing such an attack, so none of our staff were injured," wrote Ramez Atallah, the society's general director. "The attackers demolished the metal doors protecting the bookshops, broke the store windows behind them and set the bookshops on fire."

Other stores and parked cars on those streets were also destroyed, he said.

"It is important to underline that -- while some Christian properties have been the victim of this violence -- they are by no means the only ones targeted," Atallah said.

"This is an attack against the state by a violent minority in an attempt to destabilize the nation."

On it are sites in Alexandria, Arish, Assiut, Beni Suef, Cairo, Fayoum, Gharbiya, Giza, Minya, Qena, Sohag and Suez. They include churches and schools, as well as homes and businesses belonging to Coptic Christians. CNN has not been able independently to verify the reports.

Asked about the attacks on churches Wednesday, U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the United States was deeply concerned. "We will continue speaking out against this and continue talking to all parties and all sides about renouncing this violence, about moving forward with a democratic process."

Daniel Sinclair, director of communications at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said the group was "deeply concerned at the unwarranted and continuing targeting of the Coptic community. We urge the government to ensure comprehensive security to all Egyptians, regardless of their religion."

Egypt's Christian minority has been the target of a number of attacks in recent years. The bombing of a major church in Alexandria in January 2011 killed 21 people and sparked worldwide condemnation.

The situation has only become worse since Egypt's popular revolution overthrew former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, said Angaelos.

"In the past two-and-a-half years, we've had more deaths of people just because they are Christians than in the last 20 years," he said, adding that this had not triggered violent retaliation.

He hopes for forgiveness and reconciliation among all Egyptians going forward, to help build a unified country.

Christians have been in Egypt since the 1st century and were, for centuries, the majority. Some 90% of Coptic Christians still live in the country, he said, making up the largest Christian community in the Middle East.

Angaelos puts the proportion of Christians in Egypt at 15 to 20% of the population. The CIA World Factbook says 10% of Egypt's population is Christian, while the Pew Research Center, which says firm numbers are hard to come by, puts the figure at about 5%.

Back in Kafr Hakim, Atia Ghattas told CNN his family's houses were attacked on the same night the church was looted. There was incitement against the Coptic community through the mosques in the area, he said.

Father Boktor Saad, of Kafr Hakim's Virgin Mary Church, said he believes that a small group of extremists were responsible for inciting groups to attack his church.

But, he and other church staff said, not everyone participated, and some non-Christians prevented the situation in that village from getting worse.

They credited moderate Muslims with putting out the fire at Virgin Mary, and halting further attacks on Coptic Christians' homes and shops.

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'horrible': christian churches across egypt stormed

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By Sarah Sirgany and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN

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'Horrible': Christian churches across Egypt stormed, torched

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For 67 years, the Virgin Mary Church has been a peaceful refuge for Shenouda El Sayeh, much like the Giza province village of Kafr Hakim where it rests and where he has lived all those years. But, as he swept its floors on Thursday, it was painfully obvious things had changed.

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It is explaining how they all have one God and they are monotheistic. Then it explains their differences and similarities.

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Monotheism

Sociologists study a wide variety of religions to understand how they affect society as a whole. They study religion objectively and do not attempt to say whether any religion is right or wrong. There are approximately twenty major religions that are observed worldwide. In this lesson, we'll discuss three significant monotheistic religions that sociologists study.

Monotheism is belief in a single god. This is different from , which is belief in multiple gods. Three of the most well-known monotheistic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three of these religions believe in the same God, who is all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful. However, their other beliefs, ideologies, and doctrine differ greatly. Let's discuss each religion in more depth.

Judaism

As far as number of followers, Judaism doesn't even make the top ten religions. Jews make up a majority of the population in only one country - Israel. However, Judaism is one of the oldest religions still existing today and has special importance to the U.S. because the largest concentration of Jews is found in North America.

A central religious belief of Judaism is the covenant, a special relationship with the one and only God, by which the Jews became God's chosen people. The covenant, which is symbolized by circumcision, is an agreement of the Jews to follow God's Ten Commandments. As reward, the Jewish people would possess the Holy Land and be blessed with prosperity and victory over their enemies.

The Ten Commandments, believed to have been given to the prophet Moses by God, play a fundamental role in both Judaism and Christianity. They include a set of principles regarding worship and ethics - rules like keeping the Sabbath and not committing murder, theft, and adultery. The Ten Commandments are listed in the sacred text of Judaism: the Hebrew Bible. Most people know the Hebrew Bible as the Christian Old Testament. Of special importance are the first five books - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy - called the Torah. Jews regard it as both a record of their history and of the moral behaviors they must follow.

Jewish identity arises primarily from the culture and traditions of their people. Jewish beliefs vary widely on theological matters. However, there are three main 'movements' that represent certain theological beliefs: Orthodox Judaism, which is very traditional; Reform Judaism, which is the most liberal; and Conservative Judaism, which is the middle ground between the other two denominations.

Christianity

The second monotheistic religion we'll discuss is the largest. Christianity is the most widespread religion in the world, with two billion followers - that's almost one-third of the people on the planet! However, most Christians live in Europe or the Americas. As already noted, Christianity believes in the same God as Judaism. Yet, Christianity views Him as a Holy Trinity :

1. God, the Creator and Heavenly Father

2. Jesus Christ, Son of God and Redeemer

3. The Holy Spirit, a Christian's personal experience of God's presence

Christianity began as a sect of Judaism. However, it was based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish prophet who spread a message of personal salvation. Christians believe that Jesus is divine and the savior of humanity. During the first century, Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion. His death is considered the reason for salvation and eternal life for all people, through divine grace. This is why the cross became a sacred Christian symbol. According to Christian belief, three days after his execution, Jesus arose from the dead, showing that he was the Son of God.

The sacred text of Christianity is the Holy Bible, which consists of the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament - which, among other things, narrates the life of Jesus. As mentioned earlier, the Ten Commandments play a fundamental role in Christian doctrine. Most Christians believe those who accept salvation through Jesus and follow the Ten Commandments will be rewarded in Heaven. Sinners who do not repent or who reject God will be punished in Hell.

Over time, Christianity has taken various forms, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and Protestantism. Today, there are hundreds of Protestant denominations. In the U.S., dozens of these denominations - the Baptists and Methodists are the two largest - command sizable followers.

Islam

The final monotheistic religion we'll discuss in this lesson is Islam, which is the second largest religion in the world. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Although we tend to associate Islam with Arabs, the highest populations of the world's Muslims live elsewhere: Northern Africa and Indonesia. There are also millions of Muslims who live in the U.S.

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judaism & christianity - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Monotheism: Islam, Judaism & Christianity - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Sociologists study a wide variety of religions to understand how they affect society as a whole. They study religion objectively and do not attempt to say whether any religion is right or wrong. There are approximately twenty major religions that are observed worldwide. In this lesson, we'll discuss three significant monotheistic religions that sociologists study.

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The famous sight in Jerusalem where Muhammad shrined and went to heaven.

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The holy book for Muslims that they read almost every day in their temple.

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During lint, Orthodox Christians can not eat meat on Wednesdays or Fridays.

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They don't drink because they think it's not pure.

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They can't eat pork because Muslims think Jewish people are pork because Allah turned Jewish people into pigs.

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It is located in Jerusalem it is identified as both of crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth.

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Christians read in the book the Bible. The Bible is made up of two sections, the New Testament and Old Testament.

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The holy book for Judaism, they read this every Sunday, or when ever they go to their temples.

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Judasism people put there prayers in the crack in the Wailing Wall.

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The Christian symbol is a cross because Jesus died on the cross.

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This is the Islamic symbol because Islamic societies use the lunar calender to start fasting in the month of Ramadan.

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It is the symbol of Judaism because King David used this symbol as his shield.