Feature: Egyptians grieved over slain fellows by IS in Libya
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E-mail Xinhua, February 17, 2015
"Our hearts are bleeding for those Egyptian Coptic brothers slain in Libya. It moved the emotions of all Egyptians," said Mohamed Abdel-Ghani, a 33-year-old waiter at a crowded coffee shop in Giza near the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Abdel-Ghani is one of massive Egyptians who have been overwhelmed by mixed sentiments of shock and grief after seeing a video released on Sunday by the Islamic State (IS) militant group showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts in neighboring turmoil-stricken Libya.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi went to the main Coptic Church in Cairo to offer condolences to Pope Tawadros II and all Egyptian Christians for the big loss.
A lot of Egyptians believe that there should be an Arab alliance to combat terrorist groups in the Arab world, particularly the IS and its affiliates that have been growing fast in the region.
"What the IS did is so weird and unbelievable! The IS harms Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, and it can extend to harm Arab states near Libya such as Algeria and Tunisia. They all should unite and form an alliance to combat the IS," said Mahmoud Afifi, a 29-year-old accountant at a plastic factory in Cairo.
Ayman Salah, who was driving his taxi at one of the crowded streets in downtown Cairo, agreed that "the whole Arab nation should unite to confront the growing black terrorism."
"The Arab League should be more than a rest house where Arab officials only have some tea and coffee. They should either take a strong action or shut it down, as we cannot stand the killing of Arabs here and there every now and then," the 52-year-old taxi driver told Xinhua.
Even high school boys felt so grieved over the Egyptians recently slain in Libya, as shown in the words of a group of students outside Future Language School in Dokki town in Giza.
Hossam, a 16-year-old high school student, said that he was very angry, disappointed and scared when he watched the video on YouTube. "I couldn't even finish it," he said.
"I feel that the Egyptian blood has become cheap. Some soccer fans have recently been killed in Egypt, besides our victims of terrorist activities. This is really so disappointing and alarming," the lad told Xinhua.
Most of the Egyptian victims of the tragedy in Libya were from Upper Egypt's Samalust district of Menia province, around 220 km south of Cairo, particularly from the villages of al-'Our, al-Soubi, Samson and al-Qatousha.
On Monday at the village of al-'Our that lost 13 victims in the calamity, everyday life activities stopped and the funeral scene was the dominant one everywhere. Villagers, whether Copts or Muslimsfrom al-'Our and nearby villages, have been coming back and forth to the funeral and only grief and sadness can be seen on their faces.
Samir Megally, father of 23-year-old Girgis, cried his heart out for the lost of his eldest son who went to Libya to work hard, stand by his poor family and help his two siblings with the expenses of their high education.
"I feel I am dead. I don't feel alive anymore. My son was a victim of poverty and making a living," the 45-year-old man tearfully told Xinhua, noting that he heard from his son only once since he left to Libya last year.
"Girgis told me in his last call months ago that things were suspicious and he was in danger until he moved to live with a friend," the father continued, "He still did not want to come back to Egypt without making enough money."
The sound of silence was only heard all round the impoverished village, most of whose houses are made of adobe bricks, except for the chanting of worshippers at faint grey-colored St. Mark's Church where the funeral mass was held.
At the funeral, which buzzed with Coptic and Muslim visitors as well as policemen, Mohamed Abdel-Moneim, a teacher in his 30s, came with a group of Muslim colleagues and friends to offer condolences to their fellow Coptic neighbors for the great loss.
"As a Muslim, I say that what happened has nothing to do with Islam or any other religion," Abdel-Moneim told Xinhua, noting that the recent Egyptian military airstrikes that targeted IS elements and killed over 40 of their militants on Monday "somewhat cooled down those grieved."
Prime Minister Mahlab, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali arrived at the funeral in Menia later on Monday to offer their condolences to the victims' families.
For his part, Shehata Stephanus, Bishop of Samalut Church, mourned the victims and said that a funeral mass would be held for them at church if the Egyptian authorities managed to bring their bodies back home.
He also urged President Sisi and Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab to return the Egyptian Coptic expatriates in Libya back home to protect their lives.
The grief did not only prevail in Menia villages but it extended to reach neighboring Upper Egyptian provinces including Qena, Sohag, Luxor, Aswan and others.
Qena Governor Abdel-Hamid al-Haggan said on Monday that the tragedy reflected the brutality of such a terrorist organization, describing the bloody move as "mean and abominable."
"It still will increase Egyptian national unity against terrorism until it is completely uprooted," the governor told Xinhua, stressing that Egypt's early military reply was a message to the whole world that "our armed forces are able to deter whoever thinks about harming the security and stability of our dear nation."
Isis Ramzi, a 33-year-old Coptic woman living at Tahta district in Sohag province, said that it is time for all Egyptians to unite against foreign threats.
"It is time to unite and love one another, Copts and Muslims, as Egyptians and put aside all our political disagreements to face the real foreign threats," she told Xinhua. Endit
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