Written by The Free Copts
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Barely a few weeks after the attacks on the Abu Fana monastery in El-Menya, Coptic homes and businesses in the village of Al Nazla, in the Fayoum province south of Cairo were attacked by their Muslim neighbors. The attackers shouted "Allah Akbar" and "Kill the infidels" as they hurled stones at their Christian neighbors' homes. The attackers took to the streets on June 19, 2008 after the disappearance of Dalia Makram, a Christian convert to Islam. Dalia, or Demiana as she was known before her conversion to Islam, converted to Islam in order to marry Hamada Sayed Zaki about two years ago.
After her conversion to Isam, the authorities detained members of her family justifying the move as" to protect her if they thought of harming her" Dalia's family subsequently left the village and moved elsewhere.
On the 19th June, Dalia went to Cairo with her husband and child to visit a sick relative. She later disappeared and rumors spread that her Christian family abducted her. This spurred the Muslims of Al-Nazla to gather and attack Copts homes in an act of retribution, even though the Copts in the village had nothing to do with the matter.
Casualties include:
Stones were hurled at St Mary's church shattering the windows
Stones were also hurled at the house of Father Shenouda Moussa
A hairdresser's salon was vandalised and the hairdressers beaten. It was however spared from burning because the owner of the building is a local Muslim
A chemist owned by a Christian local, Dr Adeed suffered some damages
Damages to two phone/internet facilities owned by Christians
A truck owned by Gamil Hanna was completely destroyed
A chicken farm owned by Gamil Hanna Farag was looted and burned
A two story building owned by Boulos Fouad was burned
Mr Ezzat Labib, member of the city council was beaten and his brother Kamal Labib also seriously injured
The mob attacked the house of Hanna Melik and beat him and his family
A wholesale deli owned by Milad Awad was looted
Mrs. Mimi Awad's home was broken into and burgled
The Muslim attackers went on their rampage while security forces surrounded the village! Some eyewitnesses say police used tear gas to disperse the crowd to no avail. Christians of Al-Nazla, especially children are now living in fear after the terror they experienced at the hands of their Muslim neighbors--

The Free Copts

www.freecopts.net