Egypt's parliament approves 3-month state of emergency

Adjust Comment Print

Parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-month state of emergency declared by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the aftermath of the attacks.

The "Islamic State" ("IS") militant group claimed responsibility for the bombings and threatened further attacks against Egypt's Christian minority.

The recent bombings of two Coptic churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday have sparked outrage at the government and a crackdown on forces that are trying to destabilize the country. "But we need these measures to keep people safe", he said, noting that even after the suicide bombings, he celebrated Mass with 2,000 people. At least seven Coptic Christians in North Sinai, the stronghold of Egypt's ISIS affiliate, were killed in the following months, prompting the majority of Coptic residents in al-Arish, the area's biggest town, to flee to mainland Egypt.

Church events are cancelled and only prayers will be held, it says.

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Minya, located in southern Egypt, said Tuesday that commemorations of the Resurrection of Jesus will limited to the liturgical prayers "without any festive manifestations" out of respect for the faithful who were slain by suicide bombers of the Islamic State.

The suspect blew himself up after being stopped by police at the gates of St Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, where Coptic Pope Tawadros II led a Palm Sunday service.

Attacks have continued, and Christian Solidarity has warned repeatedly of a "cycle of violence and impunity".

North Korean official blames Trump for rising tensions on Korean Peninsula
That parade will likely include North Korea's banned missiles, which President Kim Jong Un has tested several times since Mr. North Korean soldiers at a ceremony in Pyongyang in July 2013 marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyEgyptians gather in front of a Coptic church that was bombed on Sunday in Tanta, Egypt, April 9, 2017.

The attacks in the Nile Delta cities of Tanta and Alexandria followed a Cairo church bombing in December and came weeks before a planned visit by Catholic Pope Francis meant to show support for Egypt's Christian minority. Action must be taken by Egypt's authorities to secure the country's Christian communities and their places of worship, especially as we enter Holy Week.

In March the same year, 13 people were killed in clashes between Muslims and Copts in Cairo's working class neighborhood of Moqattam, where around 1,000 Christians had gathered to protest over the torching of a church.

The December 11, 2016 strike - when a blast orchestrated by the Islamic State (IS) hit a Coptic cathedral in Cairo, killing 28 - should have been a warning. But el-Sissi's response to the latest attacks is indicative of why he has failed so exceptionally to stem the violence.

Rev. Danial Maher, of the Tanta church, lost his 23-year-old son, Beshoy, who was among six deacons killed in the attack.

"We grieve with all Egyptians as we express our most heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and we hope for a speedy recovery for those injured in the attack", the embassy wrote.

Comments