Copts bury their dead
Egypt declares state of emergency after attacks at churches leave at least 45 people dead
CAIRO — Egyptian Christians were burying their dead Monday after Islamic State suicide bombers killed at least 45 people in attacks on Palm Sunday services in two cities, as a state of emergency went into effect amid fears of further violence.
At least 17 people were killed at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, the historic seat of Christendom in Egypt, where Pope Tawadros was leading Palm Sunday prayers. Another 28 were killed inside St. George’s Church in the Nile Delta city of Tanta.
Islamic State identified the two attackers, whose noms de guerre suggest they were Egyptians. The extremist group had recently threatened to step up attacks against Egypt’s Coptic minority, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.
Mourners wailed and some collapsed as caskets marked with the word “martyr” were brought into the St. Mina monastery on the outskirts of the coastal city of Alexandria.
Rev. Danial Maher, of the Tanta church, lost his 23-year-old son, Beshoy, who was among six deacons killed in the attack. He recalled watching his son wearing white vestments and singing at the service. “He was like an angel,” he said. He buried his son late Sunday. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared a state of emergency, amid fears that Islamic State militants, who have been battling security forces in the Sinai Peninsula for years, are shifting their focus to Christians. In December, a massive church bombing killed 30 people in Cairo, and a series of killings in the Sinai have caused hundreds to flee to safer areas.
The escalating violence has undermined the Egyptian government’s claim to being a bulwark against extremism in a chaotic region as it pursues closer ties with the U.S.
Parliament has seven days to approve or reject the state of emergency, but its approval is seen as a foregone conclusion since the legislature is packed with el-Sissi’s supporters. The Cabinet declared that it had gone into effect at 1 p.m. local time.
In theory, it would allow for arrests without warrants, swifter prosecution of suspects, and special courts.
The Palm Sunday attacks, the single deadliest day for Egypt’s Christians in decades, rattled the community and prompted messages of support from abroad, including from Pope Francis, who is set to visit Egypt in the coming weeks.
“This whole thing is to cause sectarian strife,” said Mona Makram, a former parliamentarian from a prominent Coptic family. “They want to show also that it is not only Sinai that will be targeted but the rest of the governorates.”
Israel meanwhile closed its Taba border crossing to Egypt after its anti-terrorism office warned of an “imminent” militant attack there, underlining fears of more violence. The closure comes hours before the start of the Passover holiday.
Southern Sinai, which has seen little of the violence plaguing the northern part of the peninsula, is a popular tourist destination.
Soon after the announcement, sirens wailed in parts of southern Israel alerting residents to a rocket attack. The military said a rocket fired from Sinai struck a greenhouse but caused no injuries. Islamic state claimed responsibility.