The 2011 Imbaba church attacks were a series of attacks that took place in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
on 7 May 2011 against
Coptic
Coptic may refer to:
Afro-Asia
* Copts, an ethnoreligious group mainly in the area of modern Egypt but also in Sudan and Libya
* Coptic language, a Northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century
* Coptic alphabet ...
Christian churches in the poor working-class neighborhood of
Imbaba
Imbaba ( ar, إمبابة ', ) is a working-class neighbourhood in northern Giza, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate. The district is located in the historic upp ...
in
Giza
Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah'' arz, الجيزة ' ) is the second-largest city in Egypt after Cairo and fourth-largest city in Africa after Kinshasa, Lagos and Cairo. It is the capital of Giza Governorate with a total population of 9.2 ...
, near
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
. The attacks were blamed on
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
Muslims,
[Egypt Sectarian Clash Leads To Multiple Deaths](_blank)
Huffingtonpost.com (7 May 2011). Retrieved 12 May 2011. and the attacks began when the Muslims attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, where they alleged a Christian woman was being held against her will because she wanted to convert to Islam.
The attacks resulted in the burning of 3 Coptic Orthodox churches, and the destruction of many Christian-owned houses and businesses. In addition, 15 people were killed in the attacks, and about 232 injured.
[Ernesto London]
12 dead in Egypt as Christians and Muslims clash", 8 May 2011, Washington Post.
Elaph.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011.[At least 6 dead in Egyptian sectarian violence – CNN.com](_blank)
Edition.cnn.com (8 May 2011). Retrieved 12 May 2011. Among those killed were four Christians and six Muslims, while two other bodies were still unidentified.
[AFP: Egypt warns 'iron hand' to halt religious unrest](_blank)
Google.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011. Imbaba
Imbaba ( ar, إمبابة ', ) is a working-class neighbourhood in northern Giza, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate. The district is located in the historic upp ...
has been known to be a stronghold of
Muslim fundamentalists
Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a puritanical, revivalist, and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. Islamic fundamentalists are of the view that Muslim-majority countries should return t ...
since the 1970s, but also comprises a significant number of Coptic Christians.
[Cairo's Copts organize groups for self-defense , Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt]
Al-Masry Al-Youm (8 May 2011). Retrieved 12 May 2011.
Events
The attack began when a mob estimated at 500 "hard-line"
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
Muslims attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina in Imababa, claiming that a Christian convert to Islam was held hostage there.
[BBC News – Cairo: Muslims and Christians clash in Imbaba](_blank)
Bbc.co.uk (8 May 2011). Retrieved 12 May 2011. Christians denied that anybody was being held hostage, and police search of the church did not reveal anything. Yet, Muslims insisted on attacking the church. When the Christians protected their church and refused that the Muslims raid it, the Muslims opened gunfire at them, and threw firebombs and molotov cocktails. There were no guns with the Christians, and no gunshots were shot from within the church. During the attacks, the two sides also exchanged the throwing of stones. Apartments and shops belonging to the Christians were also torched and destroyed.
After torching the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, Salafis went ahead and burned another church, the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary, also in Imbaba
Imbaba ( ar, إمبابة ', ) is a working-class neighbourhood in northern Giza, Egypt, located west of the Nile and northwest of and near Gezira Island and downtown Cairo, within the Giza Governorate. The district is located in the historic upp ...
.
Military soldiers later arrived to repel the Muslim protesters. Copts also scuffled with the soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect them. Nearby, firefighters also fought to control a blaze started at the Coptic Orthodox church of the Virgin Mary.
The Copts then took to the streets to protest the attacks, chanting "Oh God! Oh Jesus!", and "We sacrifice our souls and blood for the Holy Cross". They also clashed with army soldiers, blaming them for not doing enough to protect the Christians and their churches. On the other hand, Salafi Muslims demonstrated shouting "We sacrifice our souls and blood for Islam" While other Muslims, especially residents of the area shouted "Muslims and Christians are one hand", with both Muslim and Christian residents of Imbaba attempting to protect the churches and stop the fires and violence. Many blamed the police and army forces for remaining as bystanders without intervening while the two groups were clashing together. In addition, many injured victims could not be transported to hospitals because the ambulance cars were prevented from entering the area of clashes.
Background
The year 2011 was marked by an increased violence against Egypt's Coptic Christian minority by Muslim radicals. The year began with the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, which left 23 dead. Claims that Coptic Christian women who had converted to Islam have been kidnapped by Coptic authorities and held in churches or monasteries has exacerbated the tension. Such claims were adopted by an al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
-linked group in Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
responsible for the 2010 Baghdad church attack
In the 2010 Baghdad church massacre, six suicide bomber jihadists of a group called Islamic State of Iraq attacked a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad during Sunday evening Mass, on 31 October, 2010, and began killing the worshipers. The Islami ...
on 31 October 2010. The group, the Islamic State of Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ar, دولة العراق الإسلامية '), commonly referred to as al-Qaeda in Iraq ( ar, القاعدة في العراق '), is a militant Salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic sta ...
, vowed further attacks against Christians until two Coptic women, who they allege converted to Islam and were being held against their will, were freed. On 29 April, some 2,000 Muslims protested outside the Coptic Church's headquarters in Cairo, demanding the release of the two alleged imprisoned converts.
None of these claims was founded. In fact, the Imbaba church attacks took place on the same day a video was broadcast featuring Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata Zakher ( ar, كاميليا شحاته زاخر; born 22 July 1985) is a schoolteacher in Deir Mawas, Egypt, and wife of Tadros Samaan, the Coptic Priest of Saint Mark's Church in Mowas Cathedral in Minya. Her disappearance in Jul ...
, one of these two Christian woman whom the Muslims claimed had converted to Islam and was being held hostage by the Coptic Church. In that video, Kamilia Shehata
Kamilia Shehata Zakher ( ar, كاميليا شحاته زاخر; born 22 July 1985) is a schoolteacher in Deir Mawas, Egypt, and wife of Tadros Samaan, the Coptic Priest of Saint Mark's Church in Mowas Cathedral in Minya. Her disappearance in Jul ...
affirmed that she was Christian and had never converted to Islam. She also mentioned that everything the Salafis said about her were "lies" and "completely wrong facts". Kamilia Shehata had been a major focus of Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
activism since 2010. They had organized several marches in Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
calling for her release and attacking Pope Shenouda III
Pope Shenouda III (; cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ϣⲉⲛⲟⲩϯ ⲅ̅ '; ar, بابا الإسكندرية شنودة الثالث '; 3 August 1923 – 17 March 2012) was the List of Coptic Orthodox Popes of Alexandria, 117th ...
. They also threatened to attack churches in order to free her.[ On 29 April 2011, about 2,000 Salafi Muslims protested outside the headquarters of the ]Coptic Orthodox Church
The Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ϯⲉⲕ̀ⲕⲗⲏⲥⲓⲁ ⲛ̀ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ⲛ̀ⲟⲣⲑⲟⲇⲟⲝⲟⲥ, translit=Ti.eklyseya en.remenkimi en.orthodoxos, lit=the Egyptian Orthodox Church; ar, الكنيسة القبطي ...
in Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral is a Coptic church located in the Abbassia District in Cairo, Egypt. The cathedral is the Seat of the Coptic Orthodox Pope. It was built during the time when Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria was Pope of the Coptic ...
to demand the release of Kamilia Shehata. These claims of the Coptic Church holding Kamilia Shehata hostage were picked up by Al Qaida
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countri ...
linked Islamic State of Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ar, دولة العراق الإسلامية '), commonly referred to as al-Qaeda in Iraq ( ar, القاعدة في العراق '), is a militant Salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic sta ...
to justify their 2010 Baghdad church attack
In the 2010 Baghdad church massacre, six suicide bomber jihadists of a group called Islamic State of Iraq attacked a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad during Sunday evening Mass, on 31 October, 2010, and began killing the worshipers. The Islami ...
, which resulted in the massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
of 58 Christians in Iraq. The group also vowed more attacks until Kamilia was released. Two months later, on New Year's Eve 2011, a suicide bomber killed 23 Coptic Christians in the 2011 Alexandria bombing
The 2011 Alexandria bombing was an attack on Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, 1 January 2011. 23 people died and another 97 were injured as a result of the attack, which occurred as Christian worshipers were leaving a New Ye ...
.
Responsibility
According to the investigatory commission charged with investigating the events that took place in Imbaba, the attacks were initiated by Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
Muslims with collaboration from some Muslim thugs who live in the neighborhood. According to the commission, the aggressors organized themselves into two groups; the first firing gunshots to prevent the Christians from protecting the church, while the second group broke into the church and completely torched it. Egypt's human rights council also blamed the Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a reform branch movement within Sunni Islam that originated during the nineteenth century. The name refers to advocacy of a return to the traditions of the "pious predecessors" (), the first three generat ...
Muslims for the attack.[ The human rights council also blamed the Salafis for "the intensification of extremist religious interpretations that propose rearranging Egyptian society to exclude Christians."][
]
Reaction
The Christian Copts who were injured in the attacks strongly criticized the Muslim Salafis and accused them of instigating and staging the attacks. One particular prominent Salafi figure, Mohamed Hassan, took much of the blame. The Christian victims also expressed their concerns about being the targets of systematic attacks, and about the hesitancy of the police and the military to protect them.[
Immediately following the attacks, a few Copts demonstrated in front of the American Embassy in Cairo, calling for international protection of Egypt's Christian community, and criticizing the Egyptian government for not doing enough to protect them.][
On the day following the attack, thousands of Christians protested in ]Tahrir Square
Tahrir Square ( ar, ميدان التحرير ', , English language, English: Liberation Square), also known as "Martyr Square", is a major public town square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square has been the location and focus for political dem ...
and in front of Maspiro television building
Maspero ( ar, ماسبيرو ) is the name of the huge building on the bank of the Nile river in Cairo, Egypt. It is the headquarters of the Egyptian television, Egyptian Radio and Television Union (formerly the Arab Radio and Television ...
against the government's leniency towards the aggressors and to call for immediate investigation into the clashes and the torching of churches. The Christian protesters were met with stones and bricks thrown from rooftops, and various clashes erupted between Christians and Muslims, which resulted in the injury of 42 people. Christians also demonstrated in Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
to denounce the attack on their churches in Imbaba.
Consequences
The attacks had profound impact on the relationship between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.اليوم السابع , 42 مصاباً فى أحداث الشغب بـ"ماسبيرو" و"التحرير"
Youm7.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011. For the first time, Coptic Christians decided to form self-defense militias to protect Christian churches, homes and businesses. Essam Sharaf
Essam Abdel-Aziz Sharaf ( ar, عصام عبد العزيز شرف, ; born 1952) is an Egyptian academic who was the Prime Minister of Egypt from 3 March 2011 to 7 December 2011. He served as Minister of Transportation from 2004 to 2005.
Early li ...
, the Egyptian prime minister, promised to implement within 30 days a new legislation that lifted the restrictions facing the construction of new Christian churches in Egypt, and standardized the requirements needed for building houses of worship belonging to all faiths.[الحكومة تقر قانونا موحدا لدور العبادة وآخر يجرم التمييز الطائفي, Masrawy](_blank)
. The Egyptian government also passed a new law criminalizing discrimination based on religion,[ and another banning demonstrations and gatherings outside places of worship.][
Following the attacks, the Egyptian army declared it had arrested 190 people in connection with the clashes.][
]
See also
* Persecution of Copts
The persecution of Copts and the discrimination against Coptic Orthodox Christians are historic and widespread issues in Egypt. They are also prominent examples of the poor status of Christians in the Middle East despite the fact that the relig ...
* Christianity in Egypt
* 2011 Alexandria bombing
The 2011 Alexandria bombing was an attack on Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, 1 January 2011. 23 people died and another 97 were injured as a result of the attack, which occurred as Christian worshipers were leaving a New Ye ...
* 2010 Baghdad church attack
In the 2010 Baghdad church massacre, six suicide bomber jihadists of a group called Islamic State of Iraq attacked a Syriac Catholic church in Baghdad during Sunday evening Mass, on 31 October, 2010, and began killing the worshipers. The Islami ...
* Nag Hammadi massacre
* Maspero demonstrations
* 2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya
On 12 February 2015, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) released a report in their online magazine '' Dabiq'' showing photos of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian
Copts ( cop, ⲛⲓⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ ; ar, الْقِ ...
- video claims that Copts kidnap Muslim women.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imbaba church attacks
2010s in Cairo
2011 murders in Egypt
21st-century mass murder in Egypt
Arson in Africa
Christianity in Cairo
Coptic history
Copts in Cairo
Crime in Cairo
Islamist attacks on churches
Mass murder in 2011
May 2011 events in Africa
Persecution of Copts
Pogroms
Religiously motivated violence in Egypt
Spree shootings in Egypt