Pope Shenouda III has accused "elements and political bodies with certain orientations" of infiltrating Coptic protests to pursue their own interests.
In an interview with Egyptian Television on Monday, the pope said that not all members of the recent Coptic protests were Copts. ”Several people have gone with the flow and joined in the name of sympathy… They have nothing to do with the problem, though," he said.
Thousands of Egyptians have staged massive protests over the last three days following the bombing of an Alexandria church on New Year's Eve that left 22 people dead and scores more injured.
Several political and national groups participated in the protests that followed the attack. On Monday, hundreds of Al-Azhar students–some of whom belong to the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group–also staged protests.
Several government loyalists have hinted that the Brotherhood–Egypt’s largest opposition group–has contributed to inciting religious tensions in Alexandria, especially prior to the recent parliamentary elections. The city is one of the group’s strongholds.
In the interview, the pope said that some of the slogans chanted were not proper and could not possibly be uttered by a well-mannered Christian or Muslim.
“Some of them have attempted to use violence, even though this is not our way,” the pope said. “Anger clouds the mind. One therefore becomes more likely to make mistakes. […] One can lose his/her case as a result of defending it in an angry manner,. the pope added, calling on Copts to heed the voice of reason.
“We all get angry in the face of evil deeds, but we must take into account the possible response. This is when wisdom comes into play,” he said, explaining that Copts should not bottle up their anger, but rather exercise self-control to avoid losing their case.
