Egypt: Coptic priest killed

Pope Tawadros

A Coptic Christian priest was shot dead in Egypt yesterday. Father Mina Aboud Sharween, was attacked in the early afternoon while walking in the coastal city of El Arish in Northern Sinai. The shooting was one of several attacks believed to be by Islamist insurgents. They took place in al-Mahajer and al-Safaa in Rafah, as well as Sheikh Zuwaid and al-Kharouba. The violence follows attacks in which five police offers were killed in El Arish on Friday.

Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has fiercely criticised Coptic Pope Tawadros, for giving his blessing to the removal of Mr Morsi. He attended the announcement by armed forces commander General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suspending the constitution.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s leader Mohammed Badie addressed a mass rally in the Egyptian capital on Friday and called for troops to defy their generals and restore Mr Morsi to power. During his speeches he said the Grand Iman of Al-Azhar University and the Pope of the Coptic Christian church had supported the takeover. Badie is believed to now be under arrest.