Kosheh massacres
| Kosheh massacre | |
|---|---|
  Kosheh massacres (Egypt) | |
| Location | Kosheh, Egypt |
| Coordinates | 26°14′03″N 32°05′07″E / 26.23417°N 32.08528°E |
| Date | 31 December 1999 – 2 January 2000 (riots) 2 January 2000 (massacre) |
| Target | Coptic Christians |
Attack type | Massacre |
| Deaths | 21 |
| Injured | 40 |
| Perpetrators | Muslims |
Twenty-one
A book entitled Massacre at the Millennium was published in 2001 by Freedom House documenting the events.
About Kosheh
| Part of a series of articles on the |
| Modern persecution of Coptic Christians |
|---|
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| Overview |
| Terrorist attacks |
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| Figures |
Kosheh is located on the eastern bank of the
First Kosheh Massacre
Tensions between Christians and Muslims had started a few years earlier, in August 1998, in what is known as the First Kosheh Massacre. In this incident, two
In October 1998, an article by
Second Kosheh Massacre
The Second Kosheh Massacre took place about one year later, on Friday, 31 December 1999. The incidence stemmed from a quarrel between a Christian merchant and a Muslim customer. The misunderstanding strained Muslim-Christian relations in the community. Relatives of the Muslim customer targeted Christian-owned shops and homes, which were looted, destroyed, and burned. Initially, the police was able to contain the situation. However, two days later on Sunday 2 January 2000, riots spread violence into neighbouring villages and lead to the murders of 20 Christians. One Muslim was also accidentally shot dead by a fellow Muslim.[3][4] More than 40 people were injured in the two-day incident. 260 shops, houses and kiosks were also deliberately burnt or damaged.[3][4] Most of the killings took place in the outskirts of Kosheh, especially in the agriculture fields. This event was one of Egypt's bloodiest massacres.[original research?][citation needed]
The local authorities during the incident did little to control the situation. There were some cases where these officers participated in the killings. Following the massacre, the entire Coptic community felt that these events epitomised the criminal negligence of the Egyptian administration, represented in its police force, when it comes to protecting Coptic lives and property.[4] Since local police units are often drawn from the local community, local feuds including Muslim resentment of Christian families can very well influence police behaviour.[citation needed]
On 1 December 2000, a criminal court in Sohag Governorate released without bail all 89 defendants charged in the New Year's massacre in Kosheh.
Six days following the acquittal of the defendants, the homes of four Christian families in Kosheh were set to fire and completely destroyed. One of the homeowners who reported the arson to the Egyptian police was tortured and forced to sign a statement prepared by a public prosecutor charging him with perpetrating the whole incident. He was subsequently forced to post bail for his own release.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Political & Security Intelligence Analysis of the Islamic World and its Neighbours, Volume XII, Number III, 11 February 2000". The Estimate. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ "10. Tribal Fanaticism reigns supreme in southern Egypt | Arab West Report". arabwestreport.info. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Egyptian Court Releases All 89 El-Kosheh Defendants | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction". Christianity Today. December 2000. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Baker, Barbara G. (14 May 2001). "Egypt's Prosecutor Appeals El-Kosheh Murder Acquittals". Atour.com. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Middle East Transparent, 14 June 2004". Metransparent.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.