Grand Mufti of Egypt on Church Attacks:

Attacks against churches and killing Christians is religiously forbidden

Rasa – Shaykh Shawki Alam said, “The bombing and destruction of Christian churches and killing of civilians is forbidden under Islam. Those who have committed this heinous crime are considered as the enemies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.”

News ID: 428776

Date: 10 April 2017 - 00:25

RNA – Shaykh Shawki Alam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, issued a statement in which he strongly condemned the bomb attacks on two Coptic churches in Egypt, in which at least 36 people were killed and more than 100 injured on Palm Sunday in the latest assault on a religious minority increasingly targeted by Takfiri terrorists.

The statement said this painful incident was inflicted on both Muslims and Christians and added, “We’re all in the ditch together in the fight against terrorism. These crimes will only increase our resolve and determination to eradicate this black terrorism.”

Shaykh Alam pointed out that of all faiths and religions are opposed to attacks on churches and places of worship and said, “The bombing and destruction of Christian churches and killing of civilians is forbidden under Islam. Those who have committed this heinous crime are considered as the enemies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad.”

The Grand Mufti of Egypt said terrorists are targeting the unity of the Egyptian people and everyone must take the opportunities away from these criminals and their supporters to engage in such actions, both at home and abroad.

The Sunni cleric invited all Egyptians to be a bulwark against the black terrorism that seeks to promote sedition between Muslims and Christians and stated, “The terrorists want to postpone the rebuilding of Egypt and create strife among brothers.”

The Egyptian scholar offered his condolences to Coptic Christian scholars in the predominantly Muslim North African country in regard to these attacks.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which came a week before Coptic Easter and in the same month that Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Egypt, but Daesh is suspected to the culprit.

The first bombing, against the Mar Gergis Church in Tanta, a Nile Delta city less than 100 kilometres outside Cairo, killed at least 25 and injured at least 78, Egypt’s Ministry of Health said.

The second, carried out just a few hours later by a suicide bomber against Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, hit the historic seat of the Coptic Pope, killing 11, including three police officers, and injuring 35, the ministry added.

Pope Tawadros, who had attended mass at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, was still in the building at the time of the explosion but was not harmed, Egypt’s Ministry of Interior said.

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