Al-Wafd reports that the Coptic Orthodox Church is calling on its members to boycott the demonstrations to be held on Tuesday in protest of the government.
Archpriest ‘Abd al-Masīh Basīt of the Church of the Virgin Mary at Musturud, Qalyubia has called on the Coptic masses in Egypt and abroad not to participate in the protests on January 25, but instead to enter into seclusion and pray that God preserves Egypt and its people.
“Copts should not go and protest at the demonstration that has been announced for January 25,” said Basīt. The paper says that he justifies this call because the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafī groups are said to be behind the planned protests.
Various Egyptian opposition movements and leaders have planned protests against the legitimacy of the current government on Tuesday, which is a national holiday in honor of the Egyptian National Police.
Basīt added that the goal of the planned demonstrations is to stir up disorder and that the result will be chaos, upheaval, and looting of Coptic property.
