[ELSHIEKH]

September 22, 2003

Canadian Coptic Association

PRESS RELEASE

Police & Security Forces Attack

Old Church in Assiout, Upper Egypt


On Friday September 19, 2003 worshippers who were going to the mass at St George historical church (6:30 - 9:00 A.M.), got a surprise visit by heavily armed police and Central Security Forces. They were stopped before getting into the church. The police conducted physical and personal search of all men and women before letting them in. They also had the guts to remove a head cover of a Nun. This was done in the most humiliating imaginable manner. Later they were ordered with their priest Fr. Abanoub Thabet, and the deacons to leave the site immediately. Despite the terrorizing exercise, the priest and the worshippers refused to leave the church site in defiance. The ill-mannered attackers started to act violently, insulting and cursing the parishioners. They grabbed the holy bread and threw them on the floor and stepping on it with their boots. This shameful and blasphemous act is unprecedented in the history of the church. The police then surrounded the church heavily and prevented new comers to get in, and arrested several deacons and laymen.



The ejected worshippers went to the nearby churches and talked about what was going on in St George church and thousands of Christians rushed to the scene to stand by their brethren in a show of solidarity. The (Copts) Christians kept shouting loudly, "We will defend our holy places or die as martyrs," and " We will protect the cross by our blood."

There were reports that those who were arrested were later released. However the situation there is still at an impasse and it is not clear what are the government's plans and intentions. People in Assiout fear that the police may want to give the church to the Muslims to turn it into a mosque or make it a tourist's place of interest under the government control.

One thing is clear that it has been recently a noticeable an increase in the attacks of security forces on the Christian's holy places, especially that with Historical Value; St. Makarious The Great Monastery in Wadi El-Natroun, Egyptian Western Desert (May 26, 2003), St. Antonious The Great Monastery in the Egyptian Eastern Desert (Attacked 5:40 am August 19, 2003). Patmos Centre, a Christian centre for physically and mentally handicapped children 30 kilometres east of Cairo, have faced seven attacks in the past six and a half years and now fear another. On April 5th, 2003, soldiers under the command of a Lieutenant General were only prevented from destroying the center’s perimeter wall by staff who bravely lay down in the path of the bulldozer. Soldiers from the local army unit are seeking to destroy the wall. We believe that Security Forces were supposedly organized to protect citizens and not to attack them.

We ask President Mubarak, Egyptian authorities, Assiout Governor Ahmed Hamam Atia, Chief National Security Forces Sameh Abou-El-Lial, Moustafa Tawfeek and every Official in power to bring the situation to order peacefully once and for all. We call on all freedom loving people and organizations around the world to intervene to stop the continual dangerous harassments of the Egyptian police to the peaceful Christians of Egypt (The Copts).



Assiout, is 380 kilometers south of Cairo, is the third largest city in Egypt. Assiout was the largest concentration of Christians in the country. Saint George church is a small historic monastery since the 12’s Century, which includes several churches at the sits on the foot of the mountain north west of Assiout.


For more info e-mail: ssnaguib@sympatico.ca and Fax (514) 485 - 1533