Violence. Death. Mayhem. Such are the words that describe reality in the Mubarak gone, Morsi gone land of Egypt. After days of warning, Egypt’s military regime has gone on the offensive, attacking Islamist protestors while killing nearly 300 and wounding thousands. The goal was to clear the tent cities established by the Muslim Brotherhood in response to the ouster of Egypt’s President Morsi.
Coptic Church on fire
The Muslim Brotherhood wasted no time in giving its response to the violence that had been turned loose upon them. As the encampments in Nadha and Raba’a al Adiwiya Squares were being removed the Brotherhood went on the attack setting fire to Christian churches. The Church of Abraham and the Virgin Mary in Mayo were torched. The Muslim Brotherhood burnt to the ground the main Coptic church in the city of Sonag. Sixteen Coptic churches have been burned. Coptic priests and laymen have been killed. Anti-Christian graffiti has been written on churches throughout Egypt.
Muslim Brotherhood supporter
STR/AFP/Getty Images
Chaos reigns supreme and no one can predict the outcome of these most horrifying acts. Protests have arisen from throughout the world, including the United States. They have fallen on deaf ears. The Muslim Brotherhood wants President Morsi returned to office. The military, responding to mass demonstrations, want a new regime put in place. Fighting continues, the death toll rises and the Christian community fears for its life and its houses of worship. There is no peace, there is no accord. There is only the struggle of the fittest and a world waiting to see who or what will prevail.
We Jews have experienced this type of attack on our people, on our temples and synagogues. We know the sorrow, the heartache and the fear that such attacks produce in young and old alike. We worry about tomorrow and we wonder what that tomorrow will be. Only time will tell. The world waits, the Middle East waits, the land of Egypt waits — all hoping for a better tomorrow.
Rabbi Howard A. Simon
Co-chair of the Robert and Esther Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative
The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
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