By Tamim Elyan
CAIRO: Priests and churchgoers cited tightened security measures around churches across Egypt after an attack on Al-Qeddesine Church (The Church of the Two Saints) in Alexandria claimed the lives of 23 people and injured over 90.
“Since the attack in Alexandria no one was allowed [in and out of the church] more than once and cars weren’t allowed [inside the parking lot] and the security personnel outside the church increased in numbers and rankings,” said Ragi Michael who visits Sayeda Al-Wardeya Church in Al-Daher district in Cairo.
Press reports said that the Ministry of Interior outlined a new security plan for churches allover the country that extends security measures to areas surrounding the church rather than around the church only.
The new measures include deploying groups of explosive experts, police officers, secret service and state security officers assigned to detect any unusual activity around churches and set up security surveillance cameras connected to the church’s security system.
Cars won’t be allowed to enter churches’ streets with the exception of people with special needs. Churchgoers are also advised not to walk in groups after prayers.
“Security level around the church is at its highest level,” said Michael Elias, a priest at Syriac Catholic Church in Cairo. “There is a police car patrolling around the church and no one is allowed to park anywhere around,” he said.
“Last Friday, security measures were exaggerated but now we understand why; however, it can’t stay like this for long because it affects the lives of the people living around the church,” Elias added.
Elias said it will be hard to inspect everyone entering the church because there is a school affiliated with it and students go in and out twice a day.
According to General Mohamed Abdel Fattah, former security chief in Minya, terrorist attacks are unpredictable and plans to secure churches must be based on field visits and knowledge of the nature of the place and the surroundings.
“In such cases, official staff is deployed for security while secret service is used to gather information,” Abdel Fattah said.
Eyewitnesses said that security measures were already tightened two months ago after threats from Al-Qaeda in Iraq that it will target Egyptian churches if the Coptic Church doesn’t respond to their demands regarding the fate of two Christian women who the group said had converted to Islam and were being held by the church against their will.
“There used to be no security in front of the church I go to; however, after the threats two armed security personnel and a high ranking supervisor were deployed and metal barricades were placed to prevent people from parking,” said Rafeek Joseph, a member of the Evangelical Church.
“On New Year’s Eve, although not much security was present, they closed the all of the church’s doors except one,” Joseph added.
Egypt houses around 2626 churches, 1326 of which affiliated with the Orthodox Church, 1100 affiliated to the Protestant Church and 200 with the Catholic Church.
Priest Anglos of the Marian Church said there was never enough security around churches and even those who were present weren’t allowed to fire without permission.
“There must be a complete strategy to increase the number of security personnel and deploy special protection like the one around embassies,” Anglos said.
Following the Alexandria bombing, surveillance at airports has been tightened and new checkpoints were set up across the Suez Canal to prevent suspects from leaving the country.
Sara Naim, who goes to the Virgin Church in Zeitoun that witnessed a blast last year, said that after Saturday’s attack, secret service personnel and armored officers were deployed.
“A new metal detector was set up at the church entrance and on New Year’s Eve, our bags were inspected and the church’s private security kept a close eye on those who weren’t regular visitors,” Naim said.
Since last year’s blast, she said, cars were prevented from parking in the street.
“What we can do now is instruct worshipers to accept security procedures in order to make their task easier,” Elias said.
He expressed hope that the tight security measures won’t stay for long for the sake of the people living in the area.
