Daily lessons from Life 03 January 2011 - Egypt on high alert ahead of Coptic Christmas

"Egypt on high alert ahead of Coptic Christmas - Mon, Jan 03, 2011 AFP

CAIRO, EGYPT - Egypt was on high alert on Monday ahead of the Coptic Christmas holiday following a New Year's Day church bombing that killed 21 people, as investigators raced to identify those behind the attack.

Police cancelled leave for top officers and were tightening surveillance of airports and ports to prevent suspects from leaving the country, as new checkpoints were set up across the nation.

Security was also to be beefed up at churches for Christmas which Copts celebrate on January 7, security officials said.

The clampdown comes amid concerns of new protests by Copts following overnight clashes at Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral - headquarters of Coptic leader Pope Shenouda III - during which 45 policemen were wounded.

The violence died down on Monday, but about 30 protesters prevented a construction crew from repairing damage at the site of the blast, witnesses said.

They said the blood of the victims should remain to bear testimony to the attack.

Coptic Christmas will fall on Friday - the weekly Muslim day of prayer and rest - and Shenouda said he intended to say mass as usual on Christmas Eve.

"Not praying would mean that terrorism has deprived us of celebrating the birth of Christ," the official Al-Ahram newspaper quoted him as saying.

Twenty-one people were killed early on New Year's Day and 79 wounded when an apparent suicide bomber detonated his payload as hundreds of worshippers were leaving midnight at Al-Qiddissin (The Saints) church in Alexandria.

An Al-Qaeda-linked website that published that threat had posted in December a list of Egyptian churches it said should be attacked, including the church targeted in the bombing."

I never knew there is such a religious group known as the Coptic Christians until this story broke. Whatever it may be, it is sad to see believers of one religion killing believers of another religion as surely true religion does not adovacte killing, especially when no attack was initiated by those being murdered!

Lessons for me are:

1. religion involved emotional. When emotional takes over from rational thinking, we will have people pertpetuating violence crimes against innocent people in the name of religion!;

2. religious leaders, whom the culprits supposedly looked up to and seek guidance and direction, MUST denounce any such heideous crime against innocent and defenseless people unequivaocally so that there is NO room for the culprits to hide. Certainly NOT behind their own religion!;

3. I belived anyone can pray to any deity or God of his or her choosing as long as that deity or God does not COMMAND the belivers to kill ALL other who had a different faith! Honestly, the deity and God will hear your prayer if you are sincere and well meaning. Prayers for the destruction of your so-called 'enemies' are really illogical and irrational. From human believers, we move the conflict to those between the Gods and Deities?

All religion must preach: do good, be faithful, and respect others' beliefs! Then, perhaps, world peace, at least in the religious arena can be achieved.