2011 Imbaba church attacks | |
---|---|
Location | Imbaba, Giza, Egypt |
Coordinates | 30°04′34″N 31°12′32″E / 30.07615°N 31.208882°E |
Date | 7 May 2011 16:00 local time (UTC+2) |
Target | Coptic Christians |
Attack type | Shooting and arson |
Deaths | 15 |
Injured | 232 |
Perpetrators | Salafi Muslims |
The 2011 Imbaba church attacks were a series of attacks that took place in Egypt on 7 May 2011 against Coptic Christian churches in the poor working-class neighborhood of Imbaba in Giza, near Cairo. The attacks were blamed on Salafi Muslims,[1] and the attacks began when the Muslims attacked the Coptic Orthodox church of Saint Mina, where they alleged a Christian woman was being held against her will because she wanted to convert to Islam.[2][3][4] The attacks resulted in the burning of 3 Coptic Orthodox churches, and the destruction of many Christian-owned houses and businesses. In addition, 15 people were killed in the attacks, and about 232 injured.[5][6][7][8][9][10] Among those killed were four Christians and six Muslims, while two other bodies were still unidentified.[11] Imbaba has been known to be a stronghold of Muslim fundamentalists since the 1970s, but also comprises a significant number of Coptic Christians.[9][12]