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Egypt and the Destruction of Churches: Strategic Implications
Over the past few days, Christian churches have been attacked in at
least two countries — Nigeria and Egypt — while small packages
containing improvised explosive devices were placed on the doorsteps of
Christian families in Iraq. Attacks against Christians are not uncommon
in the Islamic world, driven by local issues and groups, and it is
unclear whether these latest attacks were simply coincidental and do not
raise the threat to a new level or whether they indicate the existence
of a new, coordinated, international initiative. There is a strong case
to be made for the idea that there is nothing new in all of this.
Yet I am struck by the close timing of events in three distant and
dispersed countries. Certainly, Egyptian intelligence services are
looking for any regional connections (e.g., whether Iraqi operatives
recruited the Egyptian bomber). While there have been previous bombings
in Egypt, they have focused on tourists, not churches. What is important
is this: If the recent attacks are not coincidental, then a coordinated
campaign is being conducted against Christian churches that spans at
least these countries. And it is a network that has evaded detection by
intelligence services. Read more »
