By Michael Terheyden, Leaders of the Salafist movement are calling the late Coptic Pope, Shenouda III, the "head of the infidels." Wagdy Ghoneim actually celebrated his death in a message posted on Facebook. The Salafist cleric said, "We rejoice that he is destroyed…. May God have His revenge on him in the fire of hell – he and all who walk his path." This is true hate speech. As we enter into Holy Week we need to pray for the Coptic Christians. KNOXVILLE, TN (Catholic Online) – According to an article written by Wayne King and published on Compass Direct, as the Coptic community mourns the death of their beloved religious leader, his Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Salafis are hurling hateful insults at him. The title of the article is "Salafist Leaders Celebrate Death of Coptic Pope in Egypt." The writer says that these attacks reflect open contempt for the Copts.
Leaders of the Salafist movement are calling the late Pope the "head of the infidels," among other things. Furthermore, during an official moment of silence in remembrance of Pope Shenaouda in the lower house of Egypt’s parliament, several Salafi members refused to stand in remembrance of him. Some even walked out. The Salafis make up 20 percent of Egypt’s new parliament, so all this hostility does not bode well for the Copts or for freedom in Egypt.
