Insurgency Against Christians Underway in Egypt

More unrest and violence in Egypt this weekend suggests an Islamist-led insurgency against Christians and the government may now be underway.

An Islamist gunman riding on a motorcycle fired 15 shots at members of a wedding party as they left a Cairo church Sunday.

“Everyone knows that every Sunday there is a wedding in the church,” a witness said. “There was a lot of traffic outside the church when a motorbike and a car approached the crowd outside the church. The car stopped and the gunman on the motorcycle started shooting and ran away.”

The attack killed four people, including 8-year-old Nermien, who was excited about wearing her new dress and boots to the wedding.

“What is happening is targeting all of Egypt and not only the Christians. This is enough, people are getting sick and tired of this,” Father Dawoud, a priest from Virgin Mary Coptic Church, said.

Meanwhile, on Saturday northwest of Cairo in Islamiya, members of a jihadist group that calls itself “Supporters of the Mahdi” claimed responsibility for a car bombing outside a military intelligence.

The group warned Egyptians to avoid military and police buildings, saying they are “legitimate targets for the Mujahadeen.”

The Islamiya bombing and other similar attacks in the Sinai indicate Egypt may be facing the start of an insurgency.

The supporters of the Mahdi accuse Egyptian intelligence services and the military of waging war on Egyptians, which they claim only benefits the enemies of the nation—Jews and Christians.

Militant Islamists blame Christians and the military for the uprising last July that ended Mohammed Morsi’s presidency and led to a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood.

And it doesn’t look like attacks against Christians, the military, and police will end anytime soon. At Cairo’s Al Azar University Sunday, pro-Morsi student rioters opposed police.

It was another weekend of political unrest, suggesting Egyptians are likely to face more violence and instability in the days ahead.