President Husnī Mubārak called upon Egypt's Muslims and Christians to unite against terrorism, after a car bomb killed 21 people and injured 70 outside the Church of the Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter in Alexandria. Christians immediately protested in the streets after the blasts. Mubārak thinks that the act is targeting all of Egypt, both Muslim and Christian, and is the work of foreign hands.
Pope Shenouda III sees the bombing as an attempt to destabilize Egypt and also to incite sedition in the country, viewing as a crime committed by criminals who do not wish good for Egypt. According to the Interior Ministry, the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, and the planning and execution were undertaken by foreign elements.
Although it is too early to identify those responsible for the attack, Alexandria Governor ‘Ādil Labīb accused al-Qā‘idah, as do Egyptian political, security, and legal experts. According to ‘Amr al-Shubkī, a political analyst, al-Qā‘idah considers Egypt to be an American ally--therefore, the target is all of Egypt. Husām Swaylān, a strategic expert, said that this blast had many similar features to the one in Naj‘ Hammādī in early 2010.
After the bombing, 150 Christians protested outside the Two Saints Church, shouting slogans againt the government, before clashing with the police.
After the attack, Pope Benedict XVI invited world leaders to defend Christians against abuse and intolerance. Syria strongly condemned the attack and stands by Egypt. France led European nations in denouncing it. While the United States Embassy in Cairo referred to the attack as "heinous."
