Catholic leader fears Islamic takeover in Egypt

A spokesman for Egypt’s small Catholic community has appealed to international leaders to support the country’s existing military regime, in order to prevent a takeover by Islamic fundamentalists.

Father Rafic Greich, the press officer for the Egyptian Catholic hierarchy, told the AsiaNews service that the situation for all Christians is “very critical” in the wake of widespread sectarian violence in Cairo. Police have closed down the capital, hoping to curb the violence, in which militant Muslims have attacked Coptic Orthodox churches. While no Catholic churches have yet been attacked, all Christians face an unsettled future, as Islamic fundamentalists show their rising power.

The “Arab spring” uprising that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak was primarily a secular movement, Father Greich says, but the leaders of that movement have not made any subsequent impact on the national political scene, while Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood have moved to augment their power.