Egypt’s Coptic Pope warns of increased attacks on Christians

CAIRO – The leader of Egypt’s Coptic Christian church is warning of increased attacks on Christians, saying national unity is being “defaced.”

In a Monday meeting with lawmakers, Pope Tawadros II said that since 2013 there have been 37 sectarian attacks on Christians – nearly an incident a month. He describes the situation as “very painful.”

Christians make up 10 percent of Egypt’s population.

Last week, a Muslim mob stabbed a Christian to death over a personal feud. Days earlier, in two separate incidents, mobs attacked and torched houses of Christians over a rumor that they intended to turn buildings into churches. In May, a Muslim mob stripped an elderly Christian woman and paraded her on the street following a rumor that her son had an affair with a Muslim woman.