WCC NEWS: WCC condemns attack on church in Alexandria

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World Council of Churches - News

WCC CONDEMNS ATTACK ON CHURCH IN ALEXANDRIA

For immediate release: 01 January 2010

The World Council of Churches (WCC) condemns the vicious attack on
innocent worshippers in the Saints Church in Alexandria, Egypt when a 
bomb was detonated at the conclusion of the celebration of a New Year's
midnight mass. As a result, at least 21 people have been killed and 
more than 80 injured.

The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, on behalf of the
fellowship of WCC member churches and the entire ecumenical family,
expresses profound sorrow as well as condolences and prayers for the
families of the victims, for the wounded and for all the people of 
Egypt.

He encourages Egyptians to stand firm and united through the many 
trials and tribulations that continue to threaten.

The events of 1 January 2011 are a reminder of other tragedies in the
region, including an attack on Coptic worshippers in Nag Hammadi, 
Egypt on 7 January 2010 and the lethal assault on the Church of 
Our Lady of Salvation (Sayidat al-Nejat) in Baghdad, Iraq on 
31 October 2010. 

Tveit recalled that the Baghdad attack took place at the time of a 
significant Muslim-Christian dialogue in Geneva and that the Muslim 
and Christian leaders who were present issued a joint denunciation 
of the act.

The World Council of Churches appeals to President Mubarak of Egypt, 
to religious leaders and to governments across the region to act 
swiftly and boldly to safeguard the fundamental religious rights 
of worshippers of all faiths, to ensure security in the face of 
violence and to guarantee justice for all people.

Places of worship representing many different faith traditions have 
been targets of violence by extremists. Tveit said, “Government 
action must be matched by solidarity among Muslims, Christians and 
people of all faiths as they interact at the local level and together 
denounce any violent attack. We expect leaders to join once again 
in condemning such acts.”

Tveit referred to a message from the WCC Executive Committee to the
churches in Egypt in 2010 (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=7d6043d973c2d8c17bc3 ). At 
that time, he said, "the WCC expressed once again its deep concern 
and solidarity while affirming its unequivocal support to the 
churches of Egypt in these troubled times during which Coptic 
Christians continue to provide living examples of 
true Christian witness, to the point of martyrdom."

In these difficult and challenging times, Tveit added, the WCC calls
particularly on religious and national leaders to support the people 
in Egypt as they affirm life and engage in countering negative trends 
through peaceful means, such as proactive engagement in dialogue and 
partnership between Christians and Muslims in Egypt and throughout 
the world.

WCC member churches in Egypt (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c67aa09e754b32652ad4 )


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, 
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical 
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings 
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches 
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, 
and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. 
The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, 
Switzerland.