MORE SECTARIAN TENSIONS IN UPPER EGYPT

UNCLAS CAIRO 001193 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC FOR PASCUAL, DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA AND DRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI PHUM KIRF EG SUBJECT: MORE SECTARIAN TENSIONS IN UPPER EGYPT REF: CAIRO 1111 Sensitive but unclassified. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The killing of a young Copt on June 6 sparked a demonstration of a few hundred Christians in the town of Dafesh, which lies 140 kilometers from the site of last week's altercations between Copts and Muslims over the Abu Sana monastery (reftel). Church sources have been quick to downplay the June 6 murder as being a criminal rather than sectarian incident, both publicly and in private comments to us. In the aftermath of a violent May 31 land dispute involving the Abu Fana Monastery and Muslim villagers, tensions remain high, and two monastery workers were allegedly hospitalized in a brief June 8 altercation near the monastery. The Egyptian government has been keen to decrease tensions, with the provincial governor pledging to Coptic Pope Shenouda III that all stolen items would be returned to the monastery, and the walls built "soon." We are in touch with the church and the GOE about these events. It appears that the church leadership and the GOE are determined to play down these events, and are taking precautionary steps to defuse the situation. End summary. -------------- COPT MURDERED IN DAFESH -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On June 6, police reportedly used tear gas to disperse Coptic demonstrators protesting against the murder of a young Copt, 22-year old Milad Farah Ibrahim, allegedly by his Muslim neighbor, Khamis Eid Abdel Hamid. Church officials have told us that Hamid stabbed Ibrahim to death after becoming angered by Ibrahim's reported "peeping Tom" behavior on him and his wife. That evening, angry demonstrators reportedly gathered before the village church, chanting anti-Muslim slogans and calling for retribution. After several hours of the demonstration, police broke it up the morning of June 7, using tear gas. Between 14-20 Coptic protesters were reportedly arrested during the demonstration, on charges of resisting the authorities or possessing unlicensed weapons. Coptic church contacts expect all the detainees to be released shortly, once tensions have cooled. ¶3. (SBU) Church sources have been quick to downplay the June 6 murder as not being a sectarian incident, both publicly and in private comments to us. The pastor of the Dafesh church told reporters that the death was "a criminal incident." Coptic church contacts report that Bishop Bafnatious of the Samalout Diocesce that includes Dafesh, has stressed that Ibrahim had a "bad reputation" and that his murder is "a criminal case only." -------------- FOLLOW-UP TO LAST WEEK'S INCIDENTS -------------- ¶4. (U) In a violent May 31 land dispute surrounding the Abu Fana Monastery in Minia governorate, one Muslim villager was killed and four Copts wounded after Muslim villagers tried to halt construction on a monastery wall blocking access to agricultural land claimed by the villagers (reftel). On June 4, subsequent local church-sponsored celebrations of the Virgin Mary moulid passed without incident. However, on the evening of June 8, there was allegedly an attack on some Copts near to the monastery. Two monastery workers were reported hospitalized hospitalized. Several Copts and Muslims from the area surrounding the monastery have reportedly been detained, for damaging property and possession of unlicensed weapons. ¶5. (U) In an unusual step, Coptic Pope Shenouda III called into the popular satellite TV talk show Al Bayt Baytek ("The House is Yours") on June 4 to discuss the Abu Fana incident. This was notable because the Pope rarely comments publicly on ongoing sectarian issues. He called the Abu Fana incident an "offense" to both Muslims and Christians, as it indicated an "absence of security." He rejected the idea of a "reconciliation session" between the Muslims and Christians involved in the dispute, noting that such a session had been held in 2006 after a previous incident, but that it was unsuccessful, as no resolution had been reached. The Pope called for building the monastery walls under military supervision, and for the return of items stolen from the monastery, which he said were allegedly totaled a loss of 1 million Egyptian pounds (roughly USD 188,000). The Governor of Minia, Ahmed Dia Eddin, on the same TV show assured the Pope that the stolen items would be returned to the monastery, and the walls of the monastery built "soon." Eddin also visited the two monks in the hospital who were wounded in the attack, one who was shot in the arm, and one who was shot in the leg. Contrary to some reports on the internet, church officials have confirmed to us that neither victim has had any limbs amputated. ¶6. (U) On June 7, the Defense and National Security committee of the People's Assembly held a hearing focused on the May 28 attack on a Cairo jewelry shop in which the store's Coptic owner and three employees were killed (reftel). During the hearing, First Assistant Interior Minister for General Security Major-General Adli Fayid told parliamentarians that "sectarian strife exists only on the screens of satellite TV channels." He alleged that the media had exaggerated reports of the Cairo killing, which he labeled as "completely criminal, with nothing to do with religion." Fayid noted that in 2007, there were 57 jewelry shop robberies nationwide; 34 of the shops belonged to Muslims, and 23 were owned by Copts. He stressed that the Interior Ministry "treats all Egyptians on the same footing, and does not differentiate between Copts and Muslims." ¶7. (U) On June 9, dozens of Copts gathered in a church near the site of the May 28 Cairo jewelry store killing, planning to hold a subsequent march protesting perceived police bias against Copts, and alleged government inaction regarding the recent violent incidents. Apparently concerned by the possibility for more violent incidents occuring on the sidelines of the protest, police reportedly cordoned off the church, and prevented the Copts from holding the planned demonstration outside. ¶8. (SBU) Based on our contacts and media reports, it appears that the church leadership and the GOE are determined to play down these events, and are taking precautionary steps to defuse the situation. We will continue to be in close touch with Church and Coptic contacts regarding all reports of sectarian tensions and violence, and will urge the Egyptian government to quickly bring the perpetrators of these violent acts to justice. SCOBEY