Since the start of the
military crackdown in Egypt up to 58 Christian churches have been
damaged or destroyed by Islamists.
Egypt’s Catholic Church has published
a list of the affected churches, reports The Catholic Herald.
The Egyptian Church has also published a commentary by the country’s leading Jesuit criticising the West’s characterisation of 'poor persecuted Muslims.'
On Sunday, after five days of 'terrorist attacks, killings and the burning of churches, schools and state institutions,' Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak, president of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Egypt, thanked 'our honorable Muslim compatriots who have stood by our side, as far as they could, in defending our churches and our institutions.'
The Associated Press reported that nearly 1,000 people had been killed in violence between security forces and Morsi supporters. The violence began last week after security forces raided camps set up by those loyal to the former president.
In the ensuing days, stories began emerging of attacks against Christian institutions.
As far back as December, Islamists had been accusing Christians of being the predominant force behind the protests against Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, who took office in mid-2012.
Some observers said Christians were uncomfortable with the politicised Islam that was emerging under Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party.