EGYPT: A church, ravaged by fire during deadly inter-faith clashes between Christians and Muslims, is reopened after renovation work by a team of mostly Muslim restorers

Record ID: 777989

  • Title: EGYPT: A church, ravaged by fire during deadly inter-faith clashes between Christians and Muslims, is reopened after renovation work by a team of mostly Muslim restorers
  • Date: 8th June 2011
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (FILE - MAY 8, 2011) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) VARIOUS OF SAINT MARY'S CHURCH ON FIRE AFTER SECTARIAN CLASHES
  • Embargoed: 23rd June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA8QTFLDT39CNUH1NIN3FAEA0WQ
  • Story Text: Just three weeks previously, the church of Saint Mary in Imbaba district in Cairo was covered in soot, ravaged by fire after an arson attack during sectarian strife.
    But Tuesday (June 7) marked the reopening of the building after extensive renovation.
    The fire gutted the ground floor of the four-story church, destroying ten out of 27 historic icons, beyond repair.
    On Tuesday, state police and army soldiers sounded the church with a heavy presence while a crowd stood outside chanting calls of unity.
    Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and Egyptian Minister of Interior Mansour Eisawy attended a reopening ceremony and were greeted to a crowd of whistling and cheering Egyptians.
    The church was set ablaze on May 7 and burned through the night.
    An attack on another church nearby, where the sectarian clashes started, was sparked by rumours that Christians had abducted a woman who converted to Islam. Twelve people were killed in the violence and more than 230 injured.
    Ibrahim Mahleb, President and CEO of The Arab Contractors, one of the biggest construction firms in Egypt, which was responsible for renovations, emphasized Egyptian unity.
    "We don't need to give a message, it is a reality. Look, anyone who knows what it means to be an Egyptian man, knows very well that there is no difference (between Christians and Muslims). All of us, we are looking to Egypt, that it is glory and no one can touch Egypt and if you can touch the relations between Muslims and Christians, this is a red line; and I am giving a message - don't cross this red line," he said The renovations were estimated to cost around six million Egyptian pounds (one million USD) and were financed by the governorate of Giza, where Imbaba is located, after the Higher Military Council ordered its reconstruction.
    But the clashes last month were not the first of their kind since a popular uprising ousted Hosni Mubarak February 11. Thirteen were killed on March 9 and many more injured over similar disputes.
    Since the recent clashes, Egypt's interim government has proposed new measures to curb religious violence; such as banning gatherings around places of worship. But a Christian, walking into the church, told Reuters that the problem was never about the church, but about the perpetrators' attitude.
    "The issue isn't about a church. Another church could be hit, but the problem isn't in the church itself. The problem is that the way of thinking (of the perpetrators) has to change. We have to tell all these people that whoever strikes, isn't striking national unity, on Christians or Muslims, but are striking a nation. These people who adopt these strict trends need to become more mature, they need to look to the future in a better way."
    The three-week deadline to complete the renovation was achieved by a team of mostly Muslim restorers, who worked shifts across the day, according to Mahleb. They restored paintings, re-plastered the church's walls and cleaned the building.
    Amal, a resident of Imbaba for 52 years, said the recent inter-faith clashes were unprecedented.
    "This has never happened to the Egyptian people before, never. I am 52 years old and I've never seen chaos such as this in Egypt. I never saw it, we were born into (an environment) of good, splendour, brotherhood, and people loving one other. Our neighbours were Christians," she said.
    The country's ruling military council has vowed to punish those behind the sectarian violence and protect Christians, who make up around 10 percent of the population.
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