FRANCE: Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas mass under tight security after terror threats

Record ID: 791636

  • Title: FRANCE: Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas mass under tight security after terror threats
  • Date: 7th January 2011
  • Summary: RELIGIOUS SERVICE TAKING PLACE
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVADKWD36IFD2NH6E1TCAVGJTAE6
  • Story Text: Coptic Christians gathered in their churches in France to celebrate their Christmas on Thursday (January 6), despite online terror threats against the Coptic community.
    The Coptic community is on high alert after a bomb killed 21 people outside a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on January 1st.
    But in a Coptic church outside Paris, the faithful came to celebrate Christmas as usual, even if the security around the church was far from normal.
    "It's sad, but it is a mixture between sadness and joy. The joy of the birth of Jesus and sadness because of what happened in Egypt," said Jihan Gadella at the service in Chatenay-Malabry.
    Coptic communities around the world point to messages on websites maintained by Islamist extremists calling for attacks on Coptic churches in various countries and a surge in sectarian anti-Christian rhetoric in statements by al Qaeda offshoots in recent months.
    "People feel threatened, this is not acceptable in a country like France where everyone is welcomed. To make threats such as these just isn't very clever, it incites violence," said a Catholic woman from nearby who said she had come to show her solidarity.
    French authorities have tightened security around 19 Coptic churches in France after Girguis Lucas, the priest from Chatenay-Malabry complained of threats against Coptic Christians -- most of whom live in Egypt -- that were posted on social networking websites in and outside France.
    The French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux also made a quick appearance to show his support to the community.
    "Today is special because thanks to your unusual presence and the special interest of the media, the politicians are showing solidarity with the Egyptian people after this tragedy and this crime which was committed in Egypt a few day ago, by a terrorist group which is targeting the unity and cohesion of the Egyptian people," said the Egyptian ambassador to France, Nasser Kamel head of the service.
    A statement on an Islamist website posted about two weeks before the blast in Alexandria called for attacks on Egypt's churches, listing among them the one hit. Egypt's interior ministry said it suspected a foreign-backed suicide bomber was involved.
    Mohammed Moussaoui, the Head of the French Council of the Muslim Faith also attended the ceremony show solidarity with the Coptic community. He strongly condemned the attack in Egypt and the threats in France.
    "I came to repeat our profound indignation at this awful crime which was committed against our Coptic brothers in Egypt. I also came to express solidarity with our Coptic brothers in France and through them our Coptic brothers in Egypt, we want to tell them that these terrorists who claim they are part of Islam are tarnishing the very image of Islam, they speak in its name, but their acts are the exact denial of the principles of the muslim religion."
    France does not keep official statistics for religious groups but has several Coptic churches with a population in the tens of thousands.
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