The Maspero Youth Union (MYU) have blamed all the people who have witnessed the terror launched by extremists of Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist  groups who have attacked churches and Coptic property in nine governorates. Andrews ‘Awāydah the coordinator of the MYU, stated that the Copts have been attacked for long hours and no popular or security forces have intervened to stop the attacks, which caused unprecedented losses to Copts. The MYU have counted attacks on 20 churches, 17 of which have been torched, in addition to the houses and shops that belong to Copts.

The Muslim Brotherhood supporters have continued to burn churches in Minya yesterday in the complete absence of police forces. The militias have stormed the Evangelical church in Samalūt and prayed Zuhr (Noon) prayers in it after burning a number of books and wooden benches that were in it.  They then smashed the windows and broke doors of the houses of several Copts in the village.

The Egyptian churches have requested the armed forces to intervene to protect the Copts and the worship houses. Father Rafīq Greish, the spokesman of the Catholic Church stated that what is happening now to the Copts is expected. He asked why Copts should be the causality of political conflicts. He also appealed to the authorities to secure the churches. The Coptic Orthodox Church has requested that Muslims protect the Copts and the churches (Mansūr Kamāl, ‘Imād Khalīl and Fādī Francis, al-Masry al-Yawm, Aug. 16).  Read original text in Arabic.