Bomb found in Shubra

A homemade bomb was reportedly found and deactivated in Cairo’s Shubra neighborhood, near the Nasr Center Hospital, said on Monday Interior Ministry spokesperson Hany Abdel Latif.

Shubra has the densest population of Christians in the capital. The discovery of the bomb comes in the midst of a series of sectarian clashes and attacks on churches and Christian homes across the country.

The Egyptian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary issued a statement on Monday asking the state to take the necessary steps to stop sectarian violence, warning of the consequences of the prevalent rhetoric of incitement.

The Dostour Party also released a statement condemning attacks on Christians, accusing Muslim Brotherhood members of carrying out these attacks as punitive measures for participating in protests that led to the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi.

The Strong Egypt Party founded by Muslim Brotherhood defector Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh also condemned the attacks, saying that places of worship have to be respected and kept out of politics.

On Saturday, an argument between a Christian and a Muslim man in a village in Minya  escalated into attacks on businesses and houses owned by Christians and attempts to attack the church. Seventeen were injured in the incident.  

Human Rights Watch reports that since Morsi’s removal, six attacks have occurred against Christians in Upper Egypt, Sinai, Port Said and Marsa Matrouh.