bi John F. McDonnell
Egyptian stait televisioun reports at on Fryday o last weik the Shahedain (‘Twa Mairtyrs’) Coptic Christian kirk in the ceitie o Sol in Helwan province wis brunt til the grunn efter gilravages atwein Christians and Muslims. Twa fowk wis slauchert throu the strouth, an monie mair wis hurtit.
The bangstrie brainyellt efter a feud atweish twa local faimlies, yae Christian the ither Muslim, ower a romantic relaciounshap atwein a Christian man an a Muslim wummin in the toun. Coptic Christians maks up aroun 7,000 fowk out o the touns total populacioun o 50,000.
Maged Ibrahim, a Christian indwaller o Sol, tellt Egyptian stait televisioun, “Problems escalatit in the veillage whan a paircel o Muslims heidit til the brunt out kirk an conductit a mass Islamic prayer ther.”
Yisterday, Tyseday, mair nor a thousan Christians wis gaithert outbye the central radio an televisioun biggin in Cario on the fowert day o a sit-in fur tae protest agin the brennin o the kirk, an fur tae demand at the kirk be rebiggit richt awaa. In anither pairt o the ceitie, Christian scaffies stappit up the streits fur tae mak the same demands.
Prime Meinister Essam Sharaf met wi the demonstratours on Monday an discusst thair demands, at includit the sackin o Helwans governor. The Supreme Counsel o the Airmed Forces hechtit the day afore at the kirk wull be rebiggit on its oreiginal steid afore Eister an haes hechtit an aa at thaim ahint the attack wull be funn an prosecutit.
Houeer, thir hechts haes no wheisht the protesters birse. Nabil Samir, at cam til Cairo frae the toun o Zagazig fur tae jyne the sit-in twa days syne, sayed the airmie hechtit tae senn a battalion til the veillage o Sol on Tyseday morn fur tae mak shuir at the Christians at wis gart tae flee the veillage wud cud gang back til thair hames. “Leistweys this wud hae bein a sign at the airmie is bodden tae tak accioun fur tae proteck the Copts,” sayed Samir, “houeer, up tae nou naethin haes happent an we’r tellt frae the veillage at the seitiacioun on the grunn haesnae chynged onie.”
The protesters haed staitit thair demands frae the stert o the sit-in. Thir includes lattin Christians wourship on the steid o the wrackit kirk until the new yin is rebiggit. The protesters is caain an aa fur the siccar hame-comin o hunners o Copts at wis pit til the flicht frae the veillage bi the gilravages.
Bi the wey o the protesters, the government haes sae faur no foued onie o thir demands.
Christian Copts maks up aroun 10 percent o Egypt’s 80 mullion populacioun, the communitie compleins o systematic discriminacioun an haes bein the tairget o a whein sectarian attacks in recent months.
Wurds ye mibbie no ken
strouth – violence
mank – to dirty, to spoil, to mar
gilravage – riot
bangstrie – violence, damage to persons or property
brainyell – break out
scaffie – street cleaner, rubbish collector
birse – anger, outrage, literally ‘bristles’
hecht – to vow, to promise; a vow, a promise
bodden – ready, prepared