Egyptian Muslims To Participate As “Human Shields” In the Christmas Celebration of the Coptic Orthodox Church
Egyptian Muslims around the country are expected to attend the Christmas Eve mass of the Coptic Orthodox Church in a gesture of solidarity and protection for the community of Christians that were the target of the Islamic radical factions in Alexandria at the beginning of the year.
Muslim intellectuals have called upon Egyptian Muslims to come and attend the Coptic mass for Christmas thus serving as human shields for their protection against Muslim extremism.
This citizen action against extremism is construed by its initiators as a step ahead of state authorities, who were obliged to protect their citizens against such acts.
In an attempt to build “a nation for all,” many Egyptian Muslims will go to the church in Alexandria that was targeted by terrorists on New Year’s Day.
Many Muslims will join the Christian celebration to show the world Islam is the religion of peace, not of death and terror.
According to the statement of Cherine Mohamed, 50, quoted by a news website, though the enterprise may be dangerous, Egyptian Muslims must stand with their Christian fellow citizens. “We live together or we die together,” the 50-year Muslim housewife said.
Some Coptic people still fear that this gesture which is about to create a national movement that will profit all the people living in Egypt may be thwarted by the police, which may not allow Muslims to attend.
The initiative of protecting Copts with their own lives follows the appeals of the Coptic Church’s leaders to stand firm against persecution and participate in the important celebration of the Birth of Christ.
Coptic communities all over the world have been on high alert during this last few days after a website published a list of Coptic churches to be targeted by the terrorists.
Police in Europe has increased the terrorist alert level and has made sure the churches of the Copts in the major European cities were protected for the Christmas night.
