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Egypt - Iraq

Protect Christians from Al-Qaeda threat, say Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has urged the state to protect Christian places of worship after Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi wing issued a threat against the Coptic church. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), whose hostage-taking in a Baghdad church on Sunday ended with 46 deaths, claims that Copts are holding captive two women who have converted to Islam.

Reuters/Osservatore Romano
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The Egyptian Islamist party has dubbed the threats “stupid” and declared that “the protection of holy places of all monotheistic religions is the mission of Muslims”.

The ISI earlier declared Christians “legitimate targets” as a deadline for the Coptic church to free the two women, Camilia Shehata and Wafa Constantine, whom it claims are being held in monasteries.

Both women are wives of Coptic priests.

Shehata disappeared for a few days in July, triggering Coptic protests. When police found her and took her home, Islamists protested.

Footage posted on the internet purported to show her declaring that she had converted to Islam but Copts claim the woman shown is not her.

Constantine went missing in 2004, reportedly after her husband refused to give her a divorce. She was temporarily sequestered in a convent and rumours of her conversion spread.

As funerals of the victims of the church attack were held Tuesday, a wave of bombings and mortar attacks hit Shia-Muslim areas of Baghdad, killing 64 and injuring 360, according to officials.

 

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