Attack on Copts

[carrie]

Palm Sunday and a bomb attack on a church leaves at least 25 dead. The church of St. George in Tanta, the delta area of Egypt was packed with worshippers. Many more injured why oh why do these horrible things happen? I hope the injured recover and my sympathy to all the families and friends of those affected.

[Stevepj]

Another six killed and 66 injured by a suicide bomber in a church Alexandria.

[Mad Dilys]

My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

To massacre people is appalling but to do it when people are peacefully celebrating their faith is disgraceful, disgusting, unforgivable.

I hope that they catch the perpetrators and punish them to the fullest measure of the law, though unfortunately I doubt that will happen.

Personally I hope they rot in hell.

[Dusak]

Last night I expected it to be like any other night. The gang of five to eight year old's running back and forth in front of my home, screaming, laughing and shouting in collective excitement, confident in their safety in the small, well lite and traffic free cul-de-sac, the older boys playing their loud and competitive football game, the older men sitting on their dusty mats under the street lamp playing their just as competitive games of dominoes and the collection of ladies sitting on the benches shouting and laughing away the dark hours. But last night is was in complete silence, as if a simple flick of a switch had stopped time itself.

Across from me is a large block of apartments that house Coptic Christian families, one of only a couple of small Christian enclaves living here in Karnak. There are no religious divides here, no thoughts of antagonism towards neighbours, we all live as one. This silence was a token of quiet respect as all felt the grief for those killed and injured due to these terrible acts of violence. Egyptians supporting fellow Egyptians in their time of need.

Early this morning while outside feeding the stray cats, my eye caught a poignant reminder of what had passed, a fallen cross made from a palm fond. A small icon of celebration of Palm Sunday, dropped, maybe, by a child returning home from church that night. I picked it up and placed in inside the wrought iron grill of their front entrance. The Coptic cross should never be allowed to fall in Egypt. And, in time, the Coptic's will begin to forgive, but never forget, those that destroyed so many innocent lives.