Photo via assistnews.net

Christians Copts in the area of Embaba, a suburb of Giza, Al Jizah, Egypt, were attacked Saturday evening by Muslim Salafis, a group that espouse violent Jihad against civilians as a legitimate expression of Islam, and are also known as the so-called Salafi Jihadis, reports Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST Ministries.

Mary Abdelmassih, a respected Middle East journalist, writing for the Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org) said that the attacks lasted for 14 hours. The Muslims fired guns and rifles and hurled Molotov cocktails at Coptic churches, houses and businesses. 12 Copts were killed and 232 injured.

She went on to say that the Saint Mina Church was the first to be attacked. According to its pastor Fr. Abanoub the attack started at 5.30 PM on Saturday, May 7, 2011, when church parishioners noticed a large number of Salafis, estimated at 3,000 men, congregating near the church. Anticipating trouble, the army was called.

“The Salafis went to the church and asked to search it because they believed a Christian girl named called Abir, who had converted to Islam, married a Salafi and wanted to revert back to Christianity, was hiding inside the church,” said Abdelmassih. “The Muslims circulated a rumor that the husband of Abir received a call from her asking him to save her as she was being 'tortured' inside the church.

“The governor of Giza said that there are no girls hiding in St. Mina Church. He falsely claimed that things were under control and a ‘reconciliation’ meeting will be arranged for tomorrow. The army later cordoned off the entire district of Embaba.”

Her story said that Father Yohanna Mansour from Giza Bishopric confirmed that no one knows this alleged girl called Abir. He said the congregation was meeting at church and the Salafis wanted to break into the church and force a search to look for this alleged convert, he said in an interview with the Egyptian State TV. “Muslims always come invited to church, but this would have set a precedent that Muslims would use to search our churches.” He refused the “reconciliation” meeting and insisted on the application of the law.

According to Fr. Abanoub, the Salafis started shooting at 5:30 PM but the army arrived at 10 PM. “I called everyone, but no one bothered to come.” He said six policemen came and left when they saw the shooting. There were also snipers shooting the parishioners from rooftops. “I mourn all those young people who died. We now must ask for international protection.”

The second church attacked by Salafis was St. Mary and St Abanob, also in Embaba. Muslims prevented the fire brigade from reaching it. Copts were also shot. This video shows the wounded brought inside the church.

The third church attacked was St. Mary Church in Wehda Street in Embaba, the ground floor of which was completely torched. (See this video:www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ4CNFoz-xk&feature=share)

An apartment complex inhabited by Copts, near St. Mina Church, was set on fire after being looted. Another two houses were torched (See:www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_aAvnDih-U&feature=player_embedded#at=34).

Youssef Edward, a deacon at St. Mina Church, said the army and security forces stood watching while Muslims threw Molotov cocktail at homes. He said the Muslims who attacked the church came from outside, as Muslims from the area live peacefully with them. “The army was not able to control the situation, and the mob was chanting ‘Islamic’, ‘Islamic’” (Video --www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gk6H6FQ-Jw&feature=bf_prev&list=ULdwkKWOIcqOk&index=24 -- showing wounded Copts and a dead Copt named Medhat in St. Mina).

Abdelmassih stated, “As soon as Copts heard of the Salafi attacks, they rushed to protect their churches. There were contradictory reports of Copts using guns to defend themselves.

“Witnesses reported the Salafis were wearing Taliban style clothes. “I believe they are of the 3000 Jihadis who returned lately from Afghanistan,” Saber Loutfi, one of the Embaba residents told Coptic Free Voice.”

Renowned Muslim liberal writer Nabil Sharaf el Din said on the Coptic Hope Sat Channel “The army is either incapable or is an accomplice to the Salafis.” He believes that what took place today exceeds anything else that had previously happened to the Copts.

“If the army does not takes a stern position with the Salafis they will look real bad.” He said that all moderate Muslims and Copts should stick together to overcome the Salafis. In his opinion the Salafis, who were encouraged and nurtured by the old State Security, are like the genie who has come out of the lamp and now cannot be restrained or controlled.

The Bishop of Giza, Anba Theodosius, said, “These things are planned. We have no law or security, we are in a jungle. We are in a state of chaos. One rumor burns the whole area. Every day we have a catastrophe.”

Addressing the Salafis, he said ,“We will never leave our country.”

Abdelmassih said that most witnesses interviewed asked for international protection of the Copts, as the army does nothing when it comes to attacks on Copts. Others accused the army of complicity.

Camelia Shehata, who the Muslims claim had converted to Islam and was held by the church against her will, appeared today on Hayat Christian TV and said Muslim claims were “groundless” and that she is “100% Christian.” She denied that she had met any of the Salafi sheikhs who claimed they went with her to Al-Azhar to convert to Islam.

The journalist went on to say that a large number of Copts are presently staging a sit-in in front of the US Embassy in Cairo, asking for International Protection for the Copts.

Coptic groups have called for a “million-man” protest in Cairo and Alexandria on Sunday to protest the Embaba attacks. The march will start at the High Court and end in Maspero, in front of the State TV Building.

The funeral of the Coptic victims will take place on Sunday at St. George's Church in Giza.

Note: A Salafi is a follower of an Islamic movement that takes the Salaf of the patristic period of early Islam, as exemplary models. The word Salaf is an Arabic noun which translates to “predecessor”, or “forefather” and who are collectively referred to as the “Salaf as-Saaleh”, or Pious Predecessors, namely the first three Muslim generations: the Sahabah (“Companions”), the Tabi‘un (“Followers”) and the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in (“Those after the Followers”).

These three generations and their understanding of the texts and tenets of Islam are looked upon by Salafis as the Islamic orthodoxy. Salafism has been usually used by Sunni theologians since the fifth Muslim generation or earlier to differentiate the creed of the first three generations from subsequent variations in creed and methodology.

In contemporary times Salafism has become associated with literalist and puritanical approaches to Islamic theology. In the West the term Salafi has become particularly associated with the small minority of Salafis that espouse violent Jihad against civilians as a legitimate expression of Islam, the so-called Salafi Jihadis. This association has negatively affected the large majority of Salafis that reject any valid religious basis for violence against innocents. Salafis have been subject to persecution, especially in areas dominated by Sufi forms of Islam.