Grand Mufti Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Leading Muslim groups and figures in Egypt have denounced the targeting of Christians by so-called Islamic State (ISIS). As Christians continue to flee the Sinai region after seven murders of community members, leaders of religious and political authorities have issued statements in support of their Christian countrymen and critical of the militants.
Among them is the ultra-conservative Salafist al Nur political grouping which stated unequivocally that the actions of ISIS in Sinai “go against the teachings of Islam”. Meanwhile, Dar al Ifta al Misryah (House of Fatwa), the highest body for resolving Koranic disputes in Egypt, which is chaired by the nation’s Grand Mufti Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam also attacked the ISIS campaign, denouncing the murders of Christians and warning that the terrorists’ goal was division in Egypt.
Statement
The Muslim Brotherhood also issued a statement denouncing the targeted killings.
“The Muslim Brotherhood is closely following the dangerous developments and the deterioration security and social conditions in the Sinai, and strongly condemns the killings and displacement of Christian civilians of the Sinai,” the group said, while going on to launch a political attack against the regime of President Abdel Fattah al Sisi.
It is reported locally that the head of the Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, has been in contact with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to discuss an emergency response to the flight of Sinai Christians.
Meanwhile, Christians reaching the city of Ismailia on the Suez canal have offered accounts of the fearful atmosphere now pervading in al Arish, the Sinai’s largest city. In testimonies gathered by AsiaNews, Christians have spoken of finding death threats daubed on their homes, along with the words ‘Go’ and ‘Crusaders’. One Christian said: “We have started to be afraid of our own shadows. We are afraid of being followed and shot in the back. It’s dreadful that Christians are targeted.”