WASHINGTON: Two Egyptian-born Christian clergy, in separate telephone interviews, each blamed both poverty and “ignorance” for the attacks on Christian churches in Egypt.
By August 20, 38 Christian churches were known to have been destroyed, with attacks on another 23 houses of worship, according to statistics compiled by a Coptic Christian group in Egypt called the Maspero Youth Union.
The attacks led by Islamist extremists stem from the Egyptian’s army deposing of President Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was elected Egypt’s president last year.
Egypt has been torn by violence since Morsi was ousted, with more than 1000 dead after clashes between protesters and police or members of the army. “
CNS