MB Condemns Sectarian Violence in Giza, Call For Restraint

The Muslim Brotherhood strongly condemned the violence that took place in a southern Giza district between Muslims and Christians, and attributed it to religious intolerance and the incorrect understanding of Islam.  

Nine Muslims and Copts were injured in clashes in Al-Ayat district, south of Giza, after unknown leaflets were distributed after Friday Prayer calling on Muslims in the area to stop construction of a church.

For his part, Ahmed Abdou, a Muslim Brotherhood MP for the constituency of Mazghona, Giza, condemned the attacks which contradict with the spirit of brotherhood and love that existed among Egyptian Muslims and Christians for over centuries 
 
Abdou said in a statement to Ikhwanweb that Islam does not prohibit building churches and does not restrict religious freedoms for anyone; he added that these incidents are out of a popular grain which will end as soon as people are taught the correct teachings of religion. However, Abdu admitted that there is a prevalent state of ignorance about Islam and its sound teachings among group of Muslims who distorted the true image of Islam.

When asked about the Muslim Brotherhood’s role in fighting this ignorance, he said:” We actually want to teach people their rights and others’ rights, but the government prevents us from doing this role and hinder us from teaching Muslims and spreading the right and tolerant concepts of Islam  

Abdou confirmed that the Muslim Brotherhood’s attitude towards the Copts is clear “they are our partners in the homeland and they have the same rights which we have and have the same duties which we have” and that all Coptic fears from the Muslim Brotherhood’s reaching power have been mainly spread by the Egyptian regime among all opposition powers, not only the Copts only, to maintain its dictatorial grip on power.
 
 
The bloody events began today when group of Muslims angered by the church construction decided to build a mosque in front of the land reportedly planned to be the site of the church.  According to eyewitnesses, leaflets were distributed after the Friday Prayer calling on Muslims to prevent the church construction. The leaflets stoked sedition among residents of the village; fire erupted in ten houses and six shops, including a wood store belonging to Hassanein Al Sayed and another one owned by his son Sobhi Abdul Sayed and a grocery’s owned by an individual by the name of Fayza. Five houses under construction owned by Christians were destroyed. Several people were injured including Sahar Abdul Aziz, Hanna Ghali Hanna, Mariam Rajab Abd Al-Masih, Saber Habib and Sami Shaker, Dimyan Awadallah, Sami Adel Abdullah, Saber Bakhit Hanna and Rizqah Ibrahim Erian; all of them are currently hospitalized at Al-Ayat Central Hospital.

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