Muslims Surround Church in Upper Egypt, Threaten to Kill Priest

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

EGYPT (ANS) -- Hundreds of Muslims surrounded the church of St. George in the village of Beni Ahmed West, 7 KM south of Minya, vowing to kill its priest Father George Thabet, who was serving the morning mass and locked in the church with a number of parishioners.

According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), security forces arrived five hours later and escorted Thabet in a police car to the Coptic Diocese in Minya.

"Father George looked as if he was the criminal, leaving his church in a police car," AINA reported one of the eye-witnesses said. The Coptic youth who were attending mass remained inside church to defend it from Muslim attacks.

AINA said eyewitnesses reported the Muslim mob, in their white dresses and long beards, chanted "We will kill the priest, we will kill him and no one will prevent us." One of their leaders said that they will ".cut him to pieces."

It was reported that no police or security of any kind was present during the events.

AINA said the attacks on St. George Church trace back to March 23 2011, when Muslims had surrounded the 100-year old church, which held a construction permit, and ordered the church officials to stop construction immediately. In addition, AINA said, church officials were ordered to undo what they had completed, otherwise they would demolish the church after Friday prayers.

AINA said they had placed several demands on the church authorities, including the banning of Thabet from Beni Ahmad village and gave him a time limit of 35 days, later extended to 50 days, to leave the village with his family. Muslims accused him of making extensions to the church and causing sectarian strife.

The Archbishop of Minya had sent a priest two months ago to assist Thabet, in order to diffuse the situation, but Muslims resumed their pressure on the church.

AINA said Muslims started congregating near the church in small numbers since the evening of June 21, after learning that Thabet was returning to the village. It is believed they were angry and wanted to kill him because he defied the ban they placed on him.

AINA said the archdiocese of Minya issued a statement formally reiterating its strong dissatisfaction with the incident and denouncing the "return of the Salafists to besiege St. George's church again, some carrying weapons, threatening to kill the priest unless he leaves the village."

AINA said the statement rejected the interference in church affairs, saying the issue of care of the church is the responsibility of the church authorities alone, and not of any person or group. It called on government officials and security authorities to do their part in upholding the rule of law and maintaining security in the country.

The archdiocese refused any preconditions to negotiate with political and security officials, AINA said, demanding the security forces disperse the demonstrations before any negotiations can take place.

AINA said after Thabet left the church the Muslim mob remained until security arrived to disperse them.