Not giving in to terrorists

The terrorist attacks on two Coptic churches in Egypt that killed scores of people and injured over a hundred, claimed by Daesh, are a grim reminder that this radical group terrorises Muslims and Christians alike in its bloodthirsty, fear-mongering campaign to extend its control.

The heinous crimes occurred during Palm Sunday worship in the symbolic cathedral seat of the Coptic Pope, Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and in St George Church, in Tanta, some 100 kilometres north of Cairo, for maximum impact.

It was an attack on a large minority in the country that is feeling gradually more insecure since the spread of Daesh, and a challenge to the country’s leadership and security apparatus.

The attacks on Coptic places of worship — Copts constitute 10 per cent of the entire Egyptian population, which has grown to 90 million, according to the latest census — besides wishing to spread fear and wreak havoc on the country, also aim to create deep divisions between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.

That is a course of action that must be checked before it is blown out of proportion.

Christians in the Middle East look to Egypt as a fine example of religious tolerance and harmony between two monotheistic religions, but if this relationship that withstood the test of time is damaged, the fallout can reach other countries in the region where Christians have been living side by side with the majority Muslim population for generations.

This Muslim-Christian coexistence is a most cherished feature in the Arab world. It must be preserved and promoted at all costs.

Laws in all Arab countries must criminalise all acts of hostility or hatred between the two faiths. Against any faith or ethnicity, for that matter.

Schools must inculcate religious tolerance and harmony and Muslim religious leaders should condemn in strong terms attempts at demeaning or attacking Christian brothers.

“The attack... will only harden the determination [of the Egyptian people] to move forward on their trajectory to realise security, stability and comprehensive development,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said after the attack.

Only in an all-embracing society where “the other” is accepted and religious hatred is criminalised can security and development happen.

The attacks should remind all that the common enemy is Daesh and its ilk, and that efforts must be channelled towards defeating them, not asserting the supremacy of a religion or belief.