(Ynet News) Eldad Beck - Recent months have seen a significant escalation in violent clashes between radical Islamists and members of the Copt minority across Egypt. Maha, an Egyptian merchant in her 40s and a Christian Copt, has no doubt as to who stands behind the growing violence against Copts - the Salafiyun, the ultra-conservative Islamic camp. "They hate everyone," said Maha. "They also hate Muslims who are not like them, but they mostly hate us, Christians. One of their leaders said during a TV show that he dreams of waking up one day and discovering that Egypt is free of Christians....We were in this country hundreds of years before Islam and the Arabs arrived." According to official figures, some eight million Copts live in Egypt, comprising 10% of the population. The Copt Church claims the community numbers 13 million. "At first we thought that the revolution would put Egypt on the right path," said Maher, who immigrated to Canada and returned to visit his family. "We believed that the many minorities in the country would be able to live freely in a new society, yet today we no longer believe it. The Islamists are reckless and are taking over the country. It's only a matter of time before they impose Islamic law here."
2011-07-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive