By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt's East Port Said zone
    AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt’s East Port Said zone
    June 3, 2023
    Suez Canal Bank signs protocol with Chinese TEDA to support investment in SCZone
    Suez Canal Bank signs protocol with Chinese TEDA to support investment in SCZone
    June 1, 2023
    Egypt, GIZ sign agreement of €8m to support e-government, innovation in management
    Egypt, GIZ sign agreement of €8m to support e-government, innovation in management
    June 1, 2023
    Egypt hosts InnoXera Summit on education in artificial intelligenceage
    Egypt hosts InnoXera Summit on education in artificial intelligenceage
    June 1, 2023
    Egyptian economy offers great competitive advantage, diversified investment opportunities: Ayman Soliman
    Egyptian economy offers great competitive advantage, diversified investment opportunities: Ayman Soliman
    June 1, 2023
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
    FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
    June 3, 2023
    1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting
    1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting 
    June 3, 2023
    India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
    India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
    June 3, 2023
    Madbouly reaffirms Egypt’s unwavering assistance for Palestine
    Madbouly reaffirms Egypt’s unwavering assistance for Palestine
    June 1, 2023
    Egypt reiterates firm position in support of Palestinian cause: Shoukry
    Egypt reiterates firm position in support of Palestinian cause: Shoukry
    June 1, 2023
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    EFG Finance to launch unified platform gathering all its financing services: Alaa Al-Afifi
    EFG Finance to launch unified platform gathering all its financing services: Alaa Al-Afifi
    May 31, 2023
    I changed my artistic path to create ‘state of wonder’: Tarek Lotfi
    I changed my artistic path to create ‘state of wonder’: Tarek Lotfi
    May 25, 2023
    I adore Ramadan drama, ‘Telt Al-Talata’ series achieved great success: Ghada Abdel Razek
    I adore Ramadan drama, ‘Telt Al-Talata’ series achieved great success: Ghada Abdel Razek
    May 8, 2023
    We aim to establish Egypt as nearshore centre for Software AG for MET region: Rami Kichli
    We aim to establish Egypt as nearshore centre for Software AG for MET region: Rami Kichli
    April 29, 2023
    Egypt-Spain relations witness remarkable development in recent years: Spanish ambassador in Cairo
    Egypt-Spain relations witness remarkable development in recent years: Spanish ambassador in Cairo
    April 18, 2023
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Reading: HRW, Amnesty International statements on church bombing show tolerance of terrorism: Foreign ministry spokesperson
Share
Notification
Latest News
AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt's East Port Said zone
AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt’s East Port Said zone
Business
FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
Politics Egypt World
1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting
1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting 
Politics Egypt
India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
Politics Breaking News World
Adding flavour of innovation to F&B industry in Africa
Adding flavour of innovation to F&B industry in Africa 
Women
Aa
Aa
DailynewsegyptDailynewsegypt
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.
Dailynewsegypt > Blog > Egypt > HRW, Amnesty International statements on church bombing show tolerance of terrorism: Foreign ministry spokesperson
EgyptPolitics

HRW, Amnesty International statements on church bombing show tolerance of terrorism: Foreign ministry spokesperson

Amira El-Fekki
Last updated: 2016/12/14 at 8:21 PM
By Amira El-Fekki 5 Min Read
Share
SHARE

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Tuesday statements released by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) commenting on the bombing of St. Peter and St. Paul Church, which claimed the lives of 25 people and injured another 49 on Sunday.

In an official statement, ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abou Zeid said: “While the incident stirred global solidarity with Egypt in its fight against terrorism, the two organisations chose to spin the incident to suit a prejudiced and politically motivated narrative of sectarian tensions in Egypt and to portray a state of delinquency on the part of the government in protecting Coptic Egyptians, while insinuating a deficient Egyptian justice system, with no resemblance to the truth.”

Abou Zeid accused the two organisations of “showing tolerance to terrorism” instead of standing against human rights violations. “It is indeed disgraceful and utterly lamentable that they failed to depict the bombing incident as a terrorist attack, nor did they show any sign of sympathy for the victims or their families,” he stated.

The statement was also a response to the criticism leveled at the Egyptian government by the two organizations, which targeted security measures and the judicial system.

HRW’s statement began: “The horrific bombing that killed worshippers at Cairo’s main Coptic Orthodox cathedral compound on 11 December is the latest attack targeting Egypt’s Coptic Christian community. Egyptian authorities should bring to justice those responsible for the violence and take measures to properly protect the Coptic community from such attacks.”

Describing the incident as a “horrific bombing” and “egregious attack”, the statement didn’t express condolences nor solidarity with the Egyptian government in its fight against terrorism like the UN or the European Union. Rather, it focused on how authorities have failed to protect Copts from attacks on them and their churches, referring to older cases, including the 2011 bombing of the Saints Church in Alexandria.

“The government’s recurring practice of neglecting the rights of Egypt’s Coptic Christians needs to end,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, MENA director at HRW. “The authorities should begin by treating the cathedral bombing with the gravity it demands.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty also considered the act as part of ongoing sectarian violence. Its statement led with: “The Egyptian authorities must do everything in their power to ensure that the investigation they have announced into today’s attack is effective, independent and impartial and brings to justice those responsible. They must send a message that attacks targeting religious minorities will not be tolerated.”

Like HRW, Amnesty referred to the other deadly attack on the church in Alexandria. It described Sunday’s attack as “deeply disturbing”.

“The authorities should show zero tolerance for all sectarian violence and prosecute those responsible, instead of relying on customary ‘reconciliation meetings’ between communities,” said Philip Luther, research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty.

For his part, Abou Zeid considered that the statements’ “selective approach in dealing with the aftermath of last Sunday’s terrorist attack only aims at achieving narrow interests, and producing a doom-laden analysis that is totally disconnected from reality, with the sole purpose of criticising the Egyptian government, and in startling disregard for the ferocity of the bloody trail of terrorism and the killing of innocent civilians. In doing so, they are not just risking eroding their claims to high moral grounds. They are also not providing an enabling environment to combat vicious terrorism.”

Both the HRW and Amnesty statements mentioned that at the time they were issued no group had claimed responsibility for the attack. It is unclear whether this was one reason for abstaining from using the term “terrorism” in their depiction of the events.

On Tuesday evening, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The Egyptian Interior Ministry had previously established that the perpetrators were affiliated to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

 

You Might Also Like

FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President

1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting 

India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 

Madbouly reaffirms Egypt’s unwavering assistance for Palestine

Egypt reiterates firm position in support of Palestinian cause: Shoukry

TAGGED: amnesty international, church bombing, foreign ministry, HRW, St Paul’s and St Peter’s Church, St. Mark’s Cathedral
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
By Amira El-Fekki
Journalist in DNE's politics section, focusing on human rights, laws and legislations, press freedom, among other local political issues.
Previous Article Banks provided financing worth EGP17bn to SMEs and micro enterprises in 9 months: CBE
Next Article Egypt ranks third in the world for number of journalists imprisoned in 2016: CPJ
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ad image
Ad image

Stay Connected

Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Instagram Follow
Youtube Subscribe

Latest News

AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt's East Port Said zone
AAAM explores automotive investment opportunities in Egypt’s East Port Said zone
Business
FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
FM Shoukry attends inauguration ceremony of Turkish President
Politics Egypt World
1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting
1 Egyptian security personnel, 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in border shooting 
Politics Egypt
India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
India train crash kills at least 207, injures hundreds 
Politics Breaking News World
//
Egypt’s only independent daily newspaper in English. Discuss the country’s latest with the paper’s reporters, editors, and other readers.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Interviews
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

© 2023 DNE News. All Rights Reserved.

Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?