2011 Imbaba church attacks
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Imbaba church attacks were a series of attacks that took place on 7 May 2011 against Coptic Christian churches in the poor working-class neighborhood of Imbaba
in Cairo
, Egypt. The attacks were blamed on Salafi
Muslims, and the attacks began when the Salafis attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, where they alleged a Christian woman was being held against her will because she wanted to convert to Islam. The attacks resulted in the burning of 3 Coptic Orthodox churches, and the destruction of many Christian-owned houses and businesses. In addition, 15 people were killed in the attacks, and about 232 injured. Among those killed were four Christians and six Muslims, while two other bodies were still unidentified. Imbaba
has been known to be a stronghold of Muslim fundamentalists since the 1970's, but also comprises a significant number of Coptic Christians.
Muslims attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina in Imababa, claiming that a Christian convert to Islam was held hostage there. Christians denied that anybody was being held hostage, and police search of the church did not reveal anything. Yet, Salafi Muslims insisted on attacking the church. When the Christians protected their church and refused that the Muslims raid it, the Salafis opened gunfire at them, and threw firebombs and molotov cocktails. There were no guns with the Christians, and no gunshots were shot from within the church. During the attacks, the two sides also exchanged the throwing of stones. Apartments and shops belonging to the Christians were also torched and destroyed.
After torching the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, Salafis went ahead and burned another church, the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary, also in Imbaba
.
Military soldiers later arrived to repel the Muslim protesters. Copts also scuffled with the soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect them. Nearby, firefighters also fought to control a blaze started at the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary.
The Copts then took to the streets to protest the attacks, chanting "Oh God! Oh Jesus!", and "We sacrifice our souls and blood for the Holy Cross". They also clashed with army soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect the Christians and their churches. On the other hand, Salafi Muslims demonstrated shouting "We sacrifice our souls and blood for Islam" While other Muslims, especially residents of the area shouted "Muslims and Christians are one hand", with both Muslim and Christian residents of Imbaba attempting to protect the churches and stop the fires and violence. Many blamed the police and army forces for remaining as bystanders without intervening while the two groups were clashing together. In addition, many injured victims could not be transported to hospitals because the ambulance cars were prevented from entering the area of clashes.
in Alexandria
, which left 23 dead. Claims that Coptic Christian women who had converted to Islam have been kidnapped by Coptic authorities and held in churches or monasteries has exacerbated the tension. Such claims were adopted by an al-Qaeda
-linked group in Iraq
responsible for the 2010 Baghdad church attack
on 31 October 2010. The group, the Islamic State of Iraq
, vowed further attacks against Christians until two Coptic women, who they allege converted to Islam and were being held against their will, were freed. On 29 April, some 2,000 Salafists protested outside the Coptic Church's headquarters in Cairo, demanding the release of the two alleged imprisoned converts.
None of these claims was founded. In fact, the Imbaba church attacks took place on the same day a video was broadcasted featuring Kamilia Shehata
, one of these two Christian woman whom the Salafi Muslims claimed had converted to Islam and was being held hostage by the Coptic Church. In that video, Kamilia Shehata
affirmed that she was Christian and had never converted to Islam. She also mentioned that everything the Salafis said about her were "lies" and "completely wrong facts". Kamilia Shehata had been a major focus of Salafi
activism since 2010. They had organized several marches in Alexandria
calling for her release and attacking Pope Shenouda III. They also threatened to attack churches in order to free her. On 29 April 2011, about 2,000 Salafi Muslims protested outside the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to demand the release of Kamilia Shehata. These claims of the Coptic Church holding Kamilia Shehata hostage were picked up by Al Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq
to justify their 2010 Baghdad church attack
, which resulted in the massacre
of 58 Christians in Iraq. The group also vowed more attacks until Kamilia was released. Two months later, on New Year's Eve 2011, a suicide bomber killed 23 Coptic Christians in the 2011 Alexandria bombing
.
Muslims with collaboration from some Muslim thugs who live in the neighborhood. According to the commission, the aggressors organized themselves into two groups; the first firing gunshots to prevent the Christians from protecting the church, while the second group broke into the church and completely torched it. Egypt's human rights council also blamed the Salafi
Muslims for the attack. The human rights council also blamed the Salafis for "the intensification of extremist religious interpretations that propose rearranging Egyptian society to exclude Christians."
Immediately following the attacks, a few Copts demonstrated in front of the American Embassy in Cairo, calling for international protection of Egypt's Christian community, and criticizing the Egyptian government for not doing enough to protect them.
On the day following the attack, thousands of Christians protested in Tahrir Square and in front of Maspiro television building
against the government's leniency towards the aggressors and to call for immediate investigation into the clashes and the torching of churches. The Christian protesters were met with stones and bricks thrown from rooftops, and various clashes erupted between Christians and Muslims, which resulted in the injury of 42 people. Christians also demonstrated in Alexandria
to denounce the attack on their churches in Imbaba.
, the Egyptian prime minister, promised to implement within 30 days a new legislation that lifted the restrictions facing the construction of new Christian churches in Egypt, and standardized the requirements needed for building houses of worship belonging to all faiths. The Egyptian government also passed a new law criminalizing discrimination based on religion, and another banning demonstrations and gatherings outside places of worship.
Following the attacks, the Egyptian army declared it had arrested 190 people in connection with the clashes.
Imbaba
Imbaba is a neighbourhood in northern Cairo, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt. The attacks were blamed on Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Muslims, and the attacks began when the Salafis attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, where they alleged a Christian woman was being held against her will because she wanted to convert to Islam. The attacks resulted in the burning of 3 Coptic Orthodox churches, and the destruction of many Christian-owned houses and businesses. In addition, 15 people were killed in the attacks, and about 232 injured. Among those killed were four Christians and six Muslims, while two other bodies were still unidentified. Imbaba
Imbaba
Imbaba is a neighbourhood in northern Cairo, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate...
has been known to be a stronghold of Muslim fundamentalists since the 1970's, but also comprises a significant number of Coptic Christians.
Events
The attack began when a mob estimated at 500 "hard-line" SalafiSalafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Muslims attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina in Imababa, claiming that a Christian convert to Islam was held hostage there. Christians denied that anybody was being held hostage, and police search of the church did not reveal anything. Yet, Salafi Muslims insisted on attacking the church. When the Christians protected their church and refused that the Muslims raid it, the Salafis opened gunfire at them, and threw firebombs and molotov cocktails. There were no guns with the Christians, and no gunshots were shot from within the church. During the attacks, the two sides also exchanged the throwing of stones. Apartments and shops belonging to the Christians were also torched and destroyed.
After torching the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, Salafis went ahead and burned another church, the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary, also in Imbaba
Imbaba
Imbaba is a neighbourhood in northern Cairo, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate...
.
Military soldiers later arrived to repel the Muslim protesters. Copts also scuffled with the soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect them. Nearby, firefighters also fought to control a blaze started at the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary.
The Copts then took to the streets to protest the attacks, chanting "Oh God! Oh Jesus!", and "We sacrifice our souls and blood for the Holy Cross". They also clashed with army soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect the Christians and their churches. On the other hand, Salafi Muslims demonstrated shouting "We sacrifice our souls and blood for Islam" While other Muslims, especially residents of the area shouted "Muslims and Christians are one hand", with both Muslim and Christian residents of Imbaba attempting to protect the churches and stop the fires and violence. Many blamed the police and army forces for remaining as bystanders without intervening while the two groups were clashing together. In addition, many injured victims could not be transported to hospitals because the ambulance cars were prevented from entering the area of clashes.
Background
The year 2011 was marked by an increased violence against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority by Muslim radicals. The year began with the bombing of a Coptic church2011 Alexandria bombing
The 2011 Alexandria bombing was an attack on Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, 1 January 2011. Twenty three people died as a result of the attack, all of them Coptic Christians. Some 97 more people were injured...
in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, which left 23 dead. Claims that Coptic Christian women who had converted to Islam have been kidnapped by Coptic authorities and held in churches or monasteries has exacerbated the tension. Such claims were adopted by an al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
-linked group in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
responsible for the 2010 Baghdad church attack
2010 Baghdad church attack
The 2010 Baghdad church attack was an attack on the Our Lady of Salvation Syriac Catholic cathedralof Baghdad, Iraq, that took place during Sunday evening Mass on October 31, 2010. The attack left at least 58 people dead, after more than 100 had been taken hostage...
on 31 October 2010. The group, the Islamic State of Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq , is an umbrella organization of a number Iraqi insurgency groups established on October 15 2006.The group is composed of and supported by a variety of insurgency groups, including its predecessor, the Mujahideen Shura Council, Al-Qaeda, Jeish al-Fatiheen, Jund al-Sahaba,...
, vowed further attacks against Christians until two Coptic women, who they allege converted to Islam and were being held against their will, were freed. On 29 April, some 2,000 Salafists protested outside the Coptic Church's headquarters in Cairo, demanding the release of the two alleged imprisoned converts.
None of these claims was founded. In fact, the Imbaba church attacks took place on the same day a video was broadcasted featuring Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata Zakher or "Camellia Shehata Zakher" is a school teacher Deir Mawas, Egypt and the wife of Tadros Samaan, the Coptic Priest of Saint Mark's Church in Mowas Cathedral in Minya. She disappeared in July 2010 following a family dispute. According to some reports the dispute was over her...
, one of these two Christian woman whom the Salafi Muslims claimed had converted to Islam and was being held hostage by the Coptic Church. In that video, Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata Zakher or "Camellia Shehata Zakher" is a school teacher Deir Mawas, Egypt and the wife of Tadros Samaan, the Coptic Priest of Saint Mark's Church in Mowas Cathedral in Minya. She disappeared in July 2010 following a family dispute. According to some reports the dispute was over her...
affirmed that she was Christian and had never converted to Islam. She also mentioned that everything the Salafis said about her were "lies" and "completely wrong facts". Kamilia Shehata had been a major focus of Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
activism since 2010. They had organized several marches in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
calling for her release and attacking Pope Shenouda III. They also threatened to attack churches in order to free her. On 29 April 2011, about 2,000 Salafi Muslims protested outside the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to demand the release of Kamilia Shehata. These claims of the Coptic Church holding Kamilia Shehata hostage were picked up by Al Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq , is an umbrella organization of a number Iraqi insurgency groups established on October 15 2006.The group is composed of and supported by a variety of insurgency groups, including its predecessor, the Mujahideen Shura Council, Al-Qaeda, Jeish al-Fatiheen, Jund al-Sahaba,...
to justify their 2010 Baghdad church attack
2010 Baghdad church attack
The 2010 Baghdad church attack was an attack on the Our Lady of Salvation Syriac Catholic cathedralof Baghdad, Iraq, that took place during Sunday evening Mass on October 31, 2010. The attack left at least 58 people dead, after more than 100 had been taken hostage...
, which resulted in the massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
of 58 Christians in Iraq. The group also vowed more attacks until Kamilia was released. Two months later, on New Year's Eve 2011, a suicide bomber killed 23 Coptic Christians in the 2011 Alexandria bombing
2011 Alexandria bombing
The 2011 Alexandria bombing was an attack on Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, 1 January 2011. Twenty three people died as a result of the attack, all of them Coptic Christians. Some 97 more people were injured...
.
Responsibility
According to the investigatory commission charged with investigating the events that took place in Imbaba, the attacks were initiated by SalafiSalafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Muslims with collaboration from some Muslim thugs who live in the neighborhood. According to the commission, the aggressors organized themselves into two groups; the first firing gunshots to prevent the Christians from protecting the church, while the second group broke into the church and completely torched it. Egypt's human rights council also blamed the Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Muslims for the attack. The human rights council also blamed the Salafis for "the intensification of extremist religious interpretations that propose rearranging Egyptian society to exclude Christians."
Reaction
The Christian Copts who were injured in the attacks strongly criticized the Muslim Salafis and accused them of instigating and staging the attacks. One particular prominent Salafi figure, Mohamed Hassan, took much of the blame. The Christian victims also expressed their concerns about being the targets of systematic attacks, and about the leniency of the police and the military to protect them.Immediately following the attacks, a few Copts demonstrated in front of the American Embassy in Cairo, calling for international protection of Egypt's Christian community, and criticizing the Egyptian government for not doing enough to protect them.
On the day following the attack, thousands of Christians protested in Tahrir Square and in front of Maspiro television building
Maspiro television building
Maspero is the name of the huge building on the bank of the Nile river in Cairo, Egypt. It is the headquarters of Egyptian television, the oldest governmental television organization in the Middle East and Africa...
against the government's leniency towards the aggressors and to call for immediate investigation into the clashes and the torching of churches. The Christian protesters were met with stones and bricks thrown from rooftops, and various clashes erupted between Christians and Muslims, which resulted in the injury of 42 people. Christians also demonstrated in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
to denounce the attack on their churches in Imbaba.
Consequences
The attacks had profound impact on the relationship between Muslims and Christians in Egypt. For the first time, Coptic Christians decided to form self-defense militias to protect Christian churches, homes and businesses. Essam SharafEssam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf is an Egyptian academic who has been Prime Minister of Egypt since 3 March 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.-Early life and education:...
, the Egyptian prime minister, promised to implement within 30 days a new legislation that lifted the restrictions facing the construction of new Christian churches in Egypt, and standardized the requirements needed for building houses of worship belonging to all faiths. The Egyptian government also passed a new law criminalizing discrimination based on religion, and another banning demonstrations and gatherings outside places of worship.
Following the attacks, the Egyptian army declared it had arrested 190 people in connection with the clashes.
See also
- Persecution of CoptsPersecution of CoptsCopts are native Egyptian Christians, usually Orthodox, who currently make up around 10% of the population of Egypt — the largest religious minority of that country...
- Christianity in EgyptChristianity in EgyptChristianity is a minority religion in Egypt. Egyptian Christians are known as Copts and account for about 10% of the population. Despite the small proportion of Christians within Egypt, Egypt's Christian population is the largest in terms of absolute numbers in the greater region of the Middle...
- 2011 Alexandria bombing2011 Alexandria bombingThe 2011 Alexandria bombing was an attack on Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, 1 January 2011. Twenty three people died as a result of the attack, all of them Coptic Christians. Some 97 more people were injured...
- 2010 Baghdad church attack2010 Baghdad church attackThe 2010 Baghdad church attack was an attack on the Our Lady of Salvation Syriac Catholic cathedralof Baghdad, Iraq, that took place during Sunday evening Mass on October 31, 2010. The attack left at least 58 people dead, after more than 100 had been taken hostage...
- Nag Hammadi massacreNag Hammadi massacreThe Nag Hammadi massacre was a massacre of Coptic Christians carried out on the eve of January 7, 2010, in the Egyptian city of Nag Hammadi. The massacre occurred at the hands of Muslim gunmen in front of the Nag Hammadi cathedral, as Coptic Christians were leaving the church after celebrating the...
- Maspero demonstrationsMaspero demonstrationsMaspero Demonstrations were staged by a group predominated by Egyptian Copts in reaction to the burning of a number of churches in Upper Egypt. The peaceful protesters who intended to stage a sit-in in front of the Maspiro television building were attacked by security forces and the army, resulting...