Alexandria Church Bombing has Political Implications (Terror-Copts‪)‬

The New Year's Day suicide bombing of a Coptic church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria that killed 23 people has dealt a severe blow to the country's security as a place of religious tolerance and unleashed a new wave of fury among Egypt's Christian minority, which has for years been complaining of persistent discrimination and authorities' failure to address their grievances. The attack struck Coptic Christian worshippers as they were leaving midnight Mass January 1 about 30 minutes into the new year and also wounded about 100. Following the attack, Christian rage exploded on the streets in riots and clashes with police. Protesters also attacked Muslim passersby and a nearby mosque in an indication of the alienation they feel from the country's majority Muslims. The protests had an unprecedented edge of frustration: A common theme among protesters was that Christians would no longer be silent over their complaints. Christians staged demonstrations in at least three cities to protest what they saw as the government's failure to protect their community, but police moved quickly to break up the gatherings. In Alexandria, about 200 Christians staged a noisy protest near the bombed church. "We are not going to remain silent," chanted the demonstrators. "Oh Mubarak, the hearts of the Copts are on fire," they said in a message for President Hosni Mubarak. There were other demonstrations in the capital, Cairo, and one in Assiut in southern Egypt.