Egyptians stress unity following cathedral bombing

Following a deadly explosion this morning at Cairo’s Coptic Cathedral, Egyptian social media has been flooded with words of condemnation and unity from the country’s Muslim majority.

Christians make up around five percent of the Egyptian population, or around four million people. They have often been targets for terror in the country, most famously in the 2010 New Year’s Eve bombing in Alexandria which killed 23.

Many have emphasized the country’s long history of religious coexistence following the blast, which has killed at least 20 and injured 35, including many women and children.

Muslims and Christians have been living in peace and harmony in #Egypt for 1,400 years and it's not going to change now.

— Sa'ka (@BTelawy) December 11, 2016

Numerous tweets have condemned the killing of innocent people in the name of religious fanaticism, and stressed that the spectre of terrorism is one Egyptians must face together:

من قتل المسلمين فى #الجيزه هم أنفسهم من قتلوا المسيحيين فى #العباسيه .. والهدف اشعال نار الفتنه .. الأرهاب لادين له .. #الكنيسه_البطرسيه ..

— ضدالطائفيه والمذهبيه (@Adel_Rashwaan) December 11, 2016

Those who killed Muslims at #Giza are the very same who killed Christians in #al-Abasiya... The goal is to ignite the fire of sedition... Terrorism has no religion...

Comparisons were also drawn between today’s bombing and an attack in the west of Cairo on Friday, during the Friday prayers:

#انفجار_كنيسه_بمصر#الكنيسه_البطرسيه#ارهابكم_بيقوينا#التفجير_الارهابي

أعوذ بالله من الارهاب لم يسلم منه مسجد ولا كنيسة

— أبو محمود (@bilanov79) December 11, 2016

I seek refuge in God from the terror that did delivered neither mosque nor church

Many have used religious scripture to condemn the violence:

نهي رسولنا عن قتل النساء والأطفال والمسنين .نهي عن قطع الأشجار نهي عن دور العباده . ان القلب ينزف عزاء واجب لأشقاء الوطن#الكنيسة_البطرسية

— إبن القنال (@alcannasmostafa) December 11, 2016

Our Prophet forbade the killing of women, children and elderly. He forbade the cutting down of trees. He forbade [the targeting of] places of worship. The heart bleeds. It is our responsibility as brothers within our homeland to mourn.

" مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا"
صـدق الله العظيـم #الكنيسة_البطرسيه

— ₤ïndäĀh₤ãwïå (@LindaHani22) December 11, 2016

“Whoever kills a soul, unless in retribution for a soul or for corruption of the land, it is as if he had slain all of mankind” Believe in great God. 

Going beyond words of tolerance, there have been reports on social media of Muslims coming to the aid of the victims of the tragedy:

RA

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