CAIRO, EGYPT (Catholic Online) – The images are compelling. They clearly show Egyptian police officers participating in the attack on the Coptic cathedral in Cairo. This is thuggish behavior and unbecoming of a civilized police force.  The images show Egyptian police officers standing by as protesters fire guns, wield machetes, and throw stones at Christians. The Muslims were attacking a Coptic funeral who were mourning the death of another who was killed in a previous clash with Muslims.  Another image shows officers standing by as a protester burns a Holy Bible. What would happen if the roles were reversed?

The government’s response has been embarrassingly lukewarm at best. Four Copts were arrested. Christians in Egypt are facing increasingly hostile discrimination and the government is not only failing in its obligation to protect them, it seems to be helping militant Muslims attack them.
Unfortunately, this is typical behavior for militant Muslims and those than enable them. These Muslims are not content with diversity and instead insist on destroying any institution that is not their own. Ever since a new, supposedly democratic government was formed in Egypt, the Muslims have taken advantage of every opportunity to discriminate against and suppress Coptic Christians.  The participation of the police in the religious violence does much to implicate the government in crimes against Christians. It is also quite revealing that four Christian mourners were arrested while the Muslim attackers who initiated the violence were aided by police.

There is now a growing sense in Egypt that the government cannot contain religious influence and clashes between varying sects within the state. The government of Mohamed Morsi is fast losing credibility with the people.

It must be understood that militant Muslims want to do genuine harm to Christians and they will do as much harm as they are permitted to do. If Mohammed Morsi fails to see justice done in this case, more violence can be expected from the religion of peace.