Egypt (AINA) -- Egyptian
security forces have intensified their presence in the Upper
Egyptian town of Dairout, in anticipation of a recurrence of
Muslim violence against Christians. Copts expressed their
fear over leaflets entitled "These have to Die!" which are
being distributed to all Muslims in Dairout and
neighborhoods, enticing them to "burn, vandalize and clean
the country of these evil immoral infidels."
Reports from Dairout, 313 km
south of Cairo, confirm that Christian Copts are afraid to
leave their homes and have stayed indoors since violence
against them erupted on October 24, 2009. This collective
punishment of Copts was caused by an illicit sexual
relationship between a Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna, and the
Christian Romany Farouk Attallah. It was rumored that he
sent videos of them intimately together to cell phones in
Dairout before fleeing. This prompted the Hassouna family to
kill his father, Farouk Attallah, on October 19, 2009, in
revenge. Four of the Hassouna killers were detained by
prosecution, leading to Muslim riots against the Copts (AINA
10-27-2009) .
According to Wagih Yacoub of
the Middle East Christian Assosiation (MECA), Muslim-owned
businesses are now displaying stickers with 'Allah Akbar'
(Allah is Great) to differentiate between them and
Coptic-owned businesses, as a form of pre-planning for a
forthcoming wave of Muslim violence.
Handwritten leaflets (Arabic)
have been circulated among Muslims in Dairout for the last
two days; they call on Muslims to unite to take revenge for
their religion and honor, claiming that Hagger Hassouna is
innocent and that she was forced into vice, and "all Jews
and Christians should come to learn that Muslim honor is
precious." The fliers state that Muslims are the masters of
the world since beginning of times until the present day,
and entices them to "burn and vandalize and clean the
country of the evil immoral infidels."
It also calls on Muslims to
take revenge for the "rings of prostitution" which are the
churches and in particular the church in the village of
Ezbet Hanna. Those specifically named to be killed are
Reverend Pavlos of the Church of the Virgin Mary, Coptic
lawyer Gamal Youssef, two brothers who own an optometry
practice, and a Copt who owns a beauty saloon and
photography shop.
Muslims are asked to die for
their honor and they will be rewarded with eternal paradise.
"Do not say it is a matter of just a girl, no, it is a
public and a serious issue, it is the biggest issue, it is
Islam's issue." A transcript of the the leaflet (in Arabic)
is published on Copts United website.
A video that surfaced
yesterday entitled "Revenge for Honor," showing a half-naked
girl, assumed to be a Copt, is being distributed all over
Dairout on cell phones. Ezzat Aziz of Copts United reported
on the contents of the video of the assumed Coptic girl by
saying "Details of the video shows the fear experienced by
the girl as four Muslim men were undressing her." According
to Aziz the video seemed to have been shot in a secluded
house and the girl was threatened to get undressed and was
begging her captors to let her go as she was tired. She was
half-naked, but refused to take off the rest of her clothes.
The men repeatedly asked her if she "knew the Dairout Girl."
Comparing the videos, Aziz
said that the first (of Hagger Hassouna) shows "a girl who
knew what she was doing" while the second (of the assumed
Coptic girl) was of "a girl forced to undress." Aziz did not
say whether the Coptic girl was named in the video, but he
mentioned that the four men forcing her to undress proudly
gave their full names.
Coptic websites have refused
to publish the video of Hagger Hassouna, saying it would be
incompatible with Christian ethics.
On Saturday, October, 31 the
four Muslims accused of killing Farouk Attallah are expected
appear in court again. A repeat of the Muslim mob violence
which took place on October 24 is anticipated should
prosecution extend their detainment once again.