VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHEG #1193/01 1621346
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101346Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9517
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

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