Majdī says that if you look closely, it is clear that someone was behind last Wednesday’s ‘Umrāniyyah riots, arguing that it is more than a coincidence that 400 armed Copts from different governorates turned up to protest. Father Mīnā Zarīf told the press that it is highly likely that someone used young Copts in this incident so that the ruling National Democratic Party would seem unstable. Majdī says that the person responsible for spreading the incorrect rumors about the authorities’ intentions to take down the building is the same person who made sure the rumor was heard by the pope.

Key Words: Father Mīnā Zarīf – Pope Shenouda III – ‘Umrāniyyah