Egyptian newspapers have been hinting at the prospect of a civil war after the suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Church of the Two Saints, Saint Mark and Pope Peter in Alexandria.

Clashes and protests by Christians erupted after the attack, and many say that these types of incidents could worsen, leading Egypt into a new wave of sectarian violence. While many in the media are understanding of the  Copts' situation, they are encouraged not to play the role of instigating new violence.

Apparently, the plan of the terrorists is to increase attacks against Copts and their holy places in order to cause further clashes with Muslims, thereby creating a civil war. According to Al-Misrī al-Yawm, serious dialogue is the way to better the situation and avoid this outcome.

The attack, which president Mubārak blames on "foreign hands," has been condemned by Pope Benedict XVI, Barack Obama, the European Union, and the World Council of Churches. Turkey and Israel also said they were shocked by the attack and showed their solidarity with Egypt.