Protests over block on church of the Pyramids. "The government discriminates against Christians"
blocked construction of the church near the Pyramids. During the demonstration on November 24 security forces opened fire on the unarmed crowd that surrounded the headquarters of the governor of Giza, killing three people. A child of four was killed, suffocated by tear gas. Several dozen people were injured as a result of the brutality of police repression, among them 38 children.
Security forces arrested 168 Copts, who are still detained, among them there are 20 minors under 18 years of age who are confined in juvenile detention center in Al Marg. A request for their release has also come from International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization based in the United States that monitors the situation of Christians in the world. On 4 December, the Egyptian head of the Union for Human Rights, Naguib Ghobrial, organized a demonstration outside the High Court of Egypt which was attended by both Christians and Muslims to demand the release of prisoners, particularly minors, and that charges be brought against the governor of Giza and the Head of Security who authorized the use of live bullets against the demonstrators on November 24. Aidan Clay, direttore regionale per il Medio Oriente per Icc, ha detto: “Mentre la maggior parte degli attacchi contro i copti sono commessi da gruppi di musulmani, l’attacco sui manifestanti disarmati è stato il primo, a memoria recente, autorizzato da una branca del governo e compiuto da forze di sicurezza egiziane. La persecuzione anti-cristiana in Egitto sta raggiungendo un nuovo livello, dal momento che i copti non sono solo discriminati, ma sono presi a bersaglio e uccisi dal governo. Chiediamo al presidente Mubarak di agire immediatamente per perseguire chi ha autorizzato l’attacco e liberare i manifestanti detenuti, in particolare i ragazzi. Se non fa così, sarà chiaro che il regime di Mubarak e i tribunali egiziani autorizzano e incoraggiano la violenza contro i cristiani”.
Aidan Clay, regional director for the Middle East for ICC, said: "While most attacks against Egypt’s Coptic Christians are committed by Muslim mob violence, the Talbiya attack on unarmed protestors was the first incident in recent memory authorized by branches of the Egyptian government and carried out by Egyptian security forces. Anti-Christian persecution in Egypt is reaching a new level, as Copts are no longer merely discriminated against, but are in fact being targeted and murdered by the government. We urge President Hosni Mubarak to take immediate action by bringing those who authorized this attack to justice and by releasing those who have been arrested unjustly, especially the children. If action is not taken, it will be clear to all that Mubarak’s regime and Egyptian courts condone, and even support, government induced violence upon Christians".
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