Wide reactions arose upon the statement delivered during a press conference organized by Bishop Kyrillos of Naj’ Hammādī on abduction cases and hastily paid ransoms to the kidnappers by anxious families, while accusing the security forces of failing to perform investigation and arrest of the perpetrators. Leading member and spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood in Naj’ Hammādī, Upper Egypt commented that he had expected the Bishop to talk on behalf of all the people of the Qena Governorate and not only for the Christians there, as cases of abductions and the payment of high sums as ransoms do not target Christians only, but Muslims as well. He added that the statement of the Bishop could suggest a sectarian discrimination, which is not the case, according to the MB spokesman.  Further, he said that there are evidences that prove that these abductions have no sectarian agendas as some claimed, due to the fact that Christians were among the abductors.

According to director of the Hisham Mubarak Center for Human Rights in Qena Ahmad Nadīm, not only the security body, who failed to take the necessary legal actions, is held accountable, but also some priests and church leaders who refused the help offered by the people, fearing for their lives, which, subsequently, led to the aggravation of criminality in the governorate. 

Chairman of Justice and Development Organization in Qena Zīdān al-Qanāꞌiī considered these abductions as part of a political agenda against Egyptian Christians, aiming at secluding Copts in one state within a state, similar to the Vatican as he said. He noted that he is holding the regime of the Muslim Brotherhood accountable for the divide that tore apart the one fabric of Egypt.

Coordinator of the board of trustees of the Revolution in Qena ꞌAbd al-ꞌAzīz Mahmūd commented that all parties involved should be responsible for reestablishing security in Qena and put an end to the increasing criminal activities threatening all Egyptians, regardless of their religion, in the northern part of the governorate.  

On the security level, Salāh Zāyīd, head of Qena’s Security Department, denounced the statement of Bishop Kyrillos, arguing: “We are at the service of all and do not differentiate between anyone; it is your fear of filing complaints and reports on the abduction cases that increases the abductions of your siblings.” He noted that many criminal elements have been eliminated in Naj’ Sa’īd and other nearby villages (Rajab Adam and Peter Munīr, al-Watan, Jan. 9, p. 14). Read original text in Arabic.