Coptic Christian Priest assassinated in Alexandria, Egypt by Islamic Extremist

On April 7, an Egyptian Coptic Orthodox priest from Alexandria was stabbed multiple times in the neck and died on the way to the hospital. Arsanios Wadeed, 56, an archpriest of the Church of the Virgin Mary and Mar Bolous in Alexandria's Karmouz district

Shortly after the event, Egyptian officials apprehended the 60-year-old attacker. The man's name and motivations are now unknown, awaiting an inquiry by authorities. Coptic Christians make up around 10% of Egypt's population, which is mostly Muslim.

The Muslim portion of the country is presently enjoying Ramadan, while the Christian minority is preparing for Easter during the Lenten season.

“While many details about the incident remain unclear, it does highlight the vulnerability that many Egyptian Christians face, particularly during the religious holidays of Ramadan and Easter. It is normal for Christians to face increased persecution during these seasons, and such an incident could inspire further acts of extremism. Unfortunately, within the Egyptian context, it is common for the attacker to be accused of having a mental illness rather than addressing underlying extremist motivations. This trend is not only a disservice to authentic religious freedom, but also increases the marginalization of those with genuine disabilities.” according to Jeff King, head of International Christian Concern (ICC).

Ishak Ibrahim, a journalist and researcher with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, commented on the cultural atmosphere for Egypt's Christians in a Facebook post in response to the death of the Coptic priest. "Despite the decline of sectarian tensions and attacks in recent years… the roots of discrimination and extremism still exist and are hidden, waiting for an opportunity to reveal itself," he said. Ibrahim went on to say that in situations of religious violence against Christians in the past, "if the killer has no history with extremist groups, [the authorities claim] that they are mentally ill or unstable. But in recent incidents of priest killings, the death penalty was imposed."

The incident was identified as a possible spark for additional radical violence against Christians. Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayyeb, the head of al-Azhar (the top Sunni Islam institution in the world), denounced the attack and warned that occurrences like Priest Wadid's murder might spark "religious war." However, on multiple past times, the organisation has promoted the targeting of Christians, notably during Ramadan.

According to one Christian, "Most of al-Azhar’s curricula, which are taught to the students at the Azhar Institutes, incite violence and extremism, create terrorism, incite enmity for and violence against infidels (non-Muslims), and encourage enmity for Christians and even incites their murder… (the curricula) contains books and ideas that are considered a good environment and a breeding ground for terrorists and extremists, in every sense of the word, whether morally or psychologically or intellectually or virtually."