US embassy cable - 05CAIRO7987

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 007987 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC STAFF FOR POUNDS 
NEA/ELA FOR LECLAIRE 
DRL/IRF FOR COFSKY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KISL, KIRF, EG, Copts 
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM TENSIONS FLARE IN ALEXANDRIA 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
This is a joint message from Embassy Cairo and American 
Presence Post Alexandria. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Coptic-Muslim tensions erupted in 
Alexandria October 14 as local Muslims protested the 
performance -- and DVD distribution -- of a controversial 
play by Copts, which the protestors deemed offensive to 
Islam.  Large, angry crowds surrounded the St. George Coptic 
Orthodox church in the Moharram Bey district following the 
Friday noon prayer on October 14 and again that evening, and 
the GOE dispatched security forces to protect the church and 
its congregants.  The protests appear to have been driven by 
sensationalist newspaper articles and inflammatory websites, 
as well as opportunistic politicians, including at least one 
sitting member of parliament running for reelection in the 
upcoming parliamentary polls.  Alexandria,s Governor, senior 
State Security officials, and senior Coptic emissaries sent 
by Pope Shenouda III from Cairo convened at the church on 
Sunday, October 16 in an attempt to defuse the crisis, and 
local Muslim leaders have appealed for restraint.  The GOE 
appears eager to avoid conflicts between the two communities, 
particularly in this active political season.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  Egypt's latest episode of sectarian tension 
erupted Friday, October 14 after Muslim protesters surrounded 
St. George,s following the Muslim noon prayer.  The 
protestors returned in the evening, trapping congregants into 
the early morning hours of Saturday.  Protesters were angered 
by the reported performance of a play inside the church 
titled "Once I was Blind, but Now I See," which depicts the 
struggles of a poor Coptic boy who converts to Islam upon 
promises of money for studies and housing.  The boy later 
becomes disillusioned and, when attempting to return to 
Christianity, is threatened and intimidated by those who 
originally encouraged his conversion.  The protagonist 
nevertheless returns to Christianity, and recounts the many 
difficulties and indignities he endured as a Muslim.  The 
protesters claimed the play presented an insulting, distorted 
image of Islam and the prophet Mohammad. 
 
3.   (SBU)  The play, which was reportedly first performed 
two years earlier, had also been recorded and distributed on 
DVD, allowing its viewing not only by other Copts, but by 
Muslim groups.  The October 14-15 protests (reportedly 
comprising 1000-3000 protesters) appear to have been driven, 
in part, by Islamic websites, one of which reportedly 
downloaded the play which further galvanized opposition. 
Protesters have demanded an end to the performance of the 
play, and apologies from Church officials involved in its 
production and distribution.  Although mostly non-violent, 
some protesters are alleged to have thrown bottles and rocks 
at St. George,s and at least one other church, in addition 
to trapping congregants inside after the Friday prayer. 
Alexandria Governor Mohammad Abdel Salam Al-Mahgoub and 
senior Alexandria State Security officials attended mass 
Sunday, October 16 at the St. George Coptic Church in the 
Muharram Bey district of Alexandria, meeting afterwards with 
representatives of the Coptic Patriarchate in an attempt to 
defuse ongoing Muslim-Coptic tension in the city. 
 
4.   (SBU)  Police remained outside St. George,s Church on 
Monday, October 17.  Some observers have questioned the 
timing of the protests (during Ramadan when offense against 
Islam may be quicker to ignite), given the play,s existence 
without apparent incident for the past two years.  Press 
reports have provided differing accounts of the role of a 
prominent local politician and member of the People's 
Assembly, Mohamed Al Badrashiny, who has been depicted 
alternatively as either inciting the protests or working to 
calm tensions.  Badrashiny, an independent who has in the 
past courted both Arab nationalist and Islamist voters, 
represents part of the Muharram Bey district, is running for 
reelection, and is alleged by Copts to have exploited the 
situation in order to appeal to voters with Islamist 
sympathies.  An annual Coptic Patriarchate-hosted iftar for 
the Alexandria community is scheduled for October 22, an 
occasion being looked at as an opportunity for Coptic 
officials to reach out to Muslim leaders to defuse the 
crisis.  Muslim religious leaders in Muharram Bey have called 
for restraint and reportedly spoken out strongly against 
attacks on churches or intimidation of congregants. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Comment:  The presence of Alexandria Governor 
Al-Mahgoub, State Security Officials, and high-level envoys 
of Pope Shenouda at mass on October 16 is viewed by most 
observers as a significant intervention into the matter and 
indicative of concern among all parties that a greater 
conflagration be avoided.   Al-Mahgoub, highly respected by 
many Egyptian religious leaders for his efforts to promote 
interfaith harmony, addressed the October 16 congregation and 
offered a strong appeal for the maintenance of the calm 
Muslim-Coptic relations that have long characterized the 
city.  While most believe this event will subside, the speed 
with which it ignited and was exploited reveals the deep 
divisions that lurk beneath the surface between the two 
communities.  End comment. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE