Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “appalled and angered” by the vicious attack on a group of Coptic Christians travelling to a monastery in central Egypt that killed 28 people and wounded 24 earlier today.
Eyewitnesses said masked men opened fire after stopping the Christians, who were in a bus and other vehicles, travelling to the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in Egypt’s Minya governate.
“On behalf of Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones because of these heinous acts,” Trudeau, who is in Italy for the G7 leaders’ summit, said in a statement. “We also hope and pray that those injured have a safe, complete and rapid recovery.”
Egyptian TV channels showed a bus apparently raked by gunfire and smeared with blood.
Clothes and shoes could be seen lying in and around the bus, while the bodies of some of the victims lay in the sand nearby, covered with black sheets.
The attack, which Egypt’s Muslim leaders condemned, happened 15 km from the monastery, a security official on the scene told Reuters.
Coptic Christians, whose church was founded by apostle and evangelist St. Mark nearly 2,000 years ago, make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 92 million.
They say they have long suffered from persecution, but in recent months the frequency of deadly attacks against them has increased. About 70 have been killed since December in bombings claimed by so called Islamic State at churches in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta.
“This is the third major attack on Egypt’s Coptic Christian community in less than two months, a community already reeling from years of discrimination and violence,” Trudeau said. “Today’s victims included women and many children heading to the monastery for worship, as well as workmen serving there as gardeners and builders.”
The people of Egypt can count on Canada’s friendship and support, Trudeau said, offering Canada’s full assistance to Egyptian authorities.
“As recent events show, violent extremists often target those most vulnerable,” Trudeau said. “As members of the international community, we must continue to stand against those responsible for these acts of terrorism and counter hate by promoting the values of diversity, inclusion and peace.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called a meeting of security officials, the state news agency said, and the cabinet said the attackers would not succeed in dividing the nation.
The grand imam of al-Azhar, Egypt’s 1,000-year-old center of Islamic learning, said the attack was intended to destabilize the country.
“I call on Egyptians to unite in the face of this brutal terrorism,” Ahmed al-Tayeb said from Germany, where he was on a visit. The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Allam, condemned the perpetrators as traitors.
With files from Reuters
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.