Skip to main content

Christianophobia

Pope Benedict XVI denounced the "vile and murderous" New Year's Day killing of 21 Egyptian Christians, and was rebuked by Egypt's top Muslim cleric for an "unacceptable interference in Egypt's affairs."

Bombs also killed two people in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 30 in the latest attacks on the Christian minority there.

In two other recent outbreaks of what Benedict has denounced as "Christianophobia," six people were killed at two Christian churches in northeastern Nigeria on Christmas Eve.

At least six were injured by a bomb at a Catholic church on the island of Jolo in the Philippines on Dec. 25.

It's actually not a comprehensive list - attacks on innocent Christians by radical Muslims seems to be on the increase. For all the respect Muslims demand over their holy periods, Muslim terrorists seem to favour Christmas and Easter as great times to go killing. Check out Jihad watch for the latest information

Benedict on Sunday encouraged Christians to "persevere in the faith and in the witness of non-violence" in the face of "these strategies of violence, which aim against Christians but have consequences on the entire population."

Later the same day, according to the Middle East News Agency, the grand imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar University criticized Benedict's remarks as inappropriate and biased.

"I disagree with the pope's view," said Ahmed al-Tayeb, "and I ask why did the pope not call for the protection of Muslims when they were subjected to killings in Iraq?"

That would be killed by other Muslims, mainly. I wonder if he can see the irony there? And what exactly is there to disagree with? Persevering in faith, or to witness non-violence? And he thinks it inappropriate for the Pope to defend Christians from being targeted by extremist Muslims?

It's interesting how Tayeb is keen to sort things out now that the Coptic Christians are resorting to retaliation against Muslims for being killed. Why, they even pelted his car! That's pretty violent. Not as violent as being massacred in a Church though.

Read more: Speaking up for Christians being killed for being Christians is "biased"

Update:

CAIRO - In the weeks before the New Year's Day suicide bombing of an Egyptian church, al-Qaida-linked websites carried a how-to manual on "destroying the cross," complete with videos on how to build a bomb and the locations of churches to target - including the one that was attacked.

Incitement to violence well telegraphed (Hattip: Fairfacts Media)

Comments