News and opinion pieces focused on Ministry of Interior Affairs’ statement about the doer of Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter Church attack in Alexandria. Interior Minister Habīb al-‘Ādlī had made a statement on January 23, 2011 convicting Palestinian Army of Islam for the attack.
The other part of coverage was talking about the foreign interference in Egypt’s Interior affairs.
Opinion article by Ahmad al-Jār ‘Āllah in al-Akhbār talked about the attack not being Egyptian and that it was done by unknown terrorist group called Palestinian army of Islam related to al-Qā’idah based in Gaza; he added that we can’t ignore the fact that there is a lot of Israeli intelligence there that might be involved.
‘Abd al-Rahīm ‘Alī writes his opinion piece in al-Ahrām that he predicted that they might be responsible for the attack twenty four hours after the attack in his published article on January 3rd, 2011.
‘Alī added that according to al-Qā’īdah’s operation map, they depend on the closest unit to their target.
Terrorist unit belong to Palestinian Army of Islam include 20 Terrorists behind Alexandria’s attack
Page 10, al-Akhbār
Security Apparatus investigation revealed that twenty terrorists from Arab countries and Egypt, belong to Palestinian Army of Islam, were behind the attack.
Security forces arrested a large number of them including an Ahmad Lutfī, the attack Engineer. While the non-Egyptian corpse, whose face was reconstructed, they found in the crime scene is speculated to be the one who executed the attack.
Criminal lab and forensics report assured that the doer is a suicide bomber, 30 years old, and excluded him being an African or Asian, but assured that he is closer to an Arab or Egyptian features.
Reports also mentioned that the bomb was composed locally from T.N.T substance and exploded by one person who carry it on his shoulder and not remotely.
The Green Skoda car passengers was excluded from suspicion and they were from the victims, according to the report.
(Reviewer Note: News Story was also covered in al-Ahrām where Habīb al-‘Ādlī, Minister of Interior, stressed that the attacker wasn’t Egyptian. He denied that there is any connection between Alexandria and Samallūt incidents.)
(Reviewer Note: News Story was also covered in al-Yawm al-Sābi’)
Palestinian Army of Islam...Salafī organization befriend al-Qā’idah, pursue exploding internet cafes, assaulting immodest women
‘Ībrahīm Ahmad, Page 3, al-Yawm al-Sābi’
Palestinian Army of Islam in Gaza is considered the most standing out organization known there, which tried to imitate some of the Islamic streams outside Palestine especially al-Qā’idah.
‘Ībrahīm Ahmad wrote that since Hamās took over Gaza, Palestinian Army of Islam didn’t execute any operation, their main behaviors restricted to exploding internet cafes, and assaulting immodest women under the cause of fighting moral corruption.
In addition, They denied any connection to the explosion of Two Saint church regardless of legal evidence.
Whoever contributed in 2 Saints’ explosion is a criminal, should take maximum penalty says Abū Māzin
‘Usāmah al-Sa’īd, page 3, al-Akhbār
Palestinian President Mahmūd ‘Abās [Abū Māzin] strongly condemned the criminal act that targeted Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter church.
It was revealed recently that elements in Palestinian army of Islam connected to al-Qā’idah are involved in planning the terrorist attack.
Abū Māzin said that whoever did this need to be punished whether he is from Gaza or elsewhere.
(Reviewer’s Note: An interview in al-Akhbār with Muhammad Dahlān, Head of the Preventive Security Service in Gaza, said that Palestinian Army of Islam can operate any terrorist attack when he was asked about their involvement).
Public Prosecutor orders Two Saints’ gag locally and internationally
‘Ībrāhīm Qāsim, page 1, al-Dustūr
Egypt’s Public prosecutor ‘Abd al-Majīd Mahmūd ordered publishing gag of the attack’s investigation in any media outlet locally or internationally.
Investigation showed that the attack was done by a banned group composed of 20 people. Mahmūd said in a press conference that banning publishing will be in the best interest of the investigation, and preserving evidence.
He also sent a declaration to the Minister of Communication to take the necessary procedures to prevent publishing in all media outlets.
(Reviewers note: News story was also covered in al-Jumhūrīyah, al-Misrī al-Yawm, and Egyptian Gazette.)
Hungary PM after meeting with Grand Imām: Deep dialogue between Islam and West is necessary
Dīyā’ Abū al-Safā, Page 7, al-Akhbār
Grand Imām Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyib met with Victor Orbán, Prime Minister of Republic of Hungary.
Al-Tayyib stated three priorities: first, achieving interior national unity, and cooperation between different denominations of Islam; second, assuring world peace between everyone; and last, clarifying that Islam include not only humans but all creatures, and hurting any of those is unlawful, furthermore worship places whether its churches or others has its sacredness.
Orbán agree with al-Tayyib and assured the necessity of deepening dialogue between Islam and the West.
(Reviewer’s Note: News story was also covered in al-Dustūr where Pope Shenouda rejected the intervention of republic of Hungary in Copts file in Egypt and assured that Egypt protect christians and solve their problems.)
Two Saints church’s priest support Mubārak, rejects foreign interference
Hūwaydā Fathī, Page 8, al-Akhbār
Father Mīna ‘Ādil, Priest of Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter’s church in Alexandria, assured that President Husnī Mubārak’s speech on Police Day has its effect on Copts especially.
Father Mīna said that a feeling of satisfaction unto victim’s family spread when Minster of Interior Habīb al-‘Ādlī declared the doer of the attack and that Copts believed that the terrorist attack has its foreign claws.
Surūr to US Delegation: Copts Muslim relation is strong
Page 7, al-Jumhūrīyah
Fathī Surūr, Head of People’s Assembly, met with a US Foreign affairs Committee delegation.
Surūr talked mainly about Copts Muslim relations, assuring its strength and that both sides don’t approve on any foreign interference.
He also stressed that Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter church attack in Alexandria was a terrorist one.
(Reviewer Note: News Story also covered in al-Akhbār)
Parliament rejects Congress report on Religious freedom in Egypt
Muhammad al-Fiqī, Ahmad Abū Rayah, and Muhammad Hamdī; Page 4; al-Akhbār
Parliament discussed Arab Affairs committee’s declaration that rejected US congress intrusion in Egypt’s interior affairs with a fake allegation of protecting minority in Egypt and Iraq.
Mufīd Shīhāb assured that Coptic Church announced clearly that they reject any foreign interference.
Vatican’s fitnah...Patriotism of Egyptian Church
Mahmūd ‘Ukāshah, Page 20 and 21, ‘Ākhir Sā’ah
Mahmūd ‘Ukāshah write that history has proven that Copts are loyal to Egypt and reject any foreign protection, he also criticizes the vatican’s intrusion in Two Saint’s attack.
‘Ukāshah believe that expatriate copts talk for their own interest pretending to represent the church and it’s demands.
Invisible hand plant fitnah, we won’t be dragged to extreme language, and fish in troubled waters, says Islamic Scholars
Walīd ‘Abd al-Rahman, Page 22, al-Sharq al-Awsat
Islamic scholars criticized the strongly worded speech from some of the religious and political institution to some of the Arab countries on the back of Two Saints church attack in Alexandria, and Our lady of Salvation church attack in Iraq.
Islamic scholars assured that there is invisible hands seeking to plant fitnah tā’ifīyah, and destabilize country’s security and stability in Islamic countries.
They also reject ‘fishing in troubled waters’ and play on the persecution of religious minority promoted by the West to justify their intrusion on Muslims.
