# World needs more of this: "Egypt's Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as "human shields"" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791 "2011-01-07T21:03:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/1 "2011-01-07T21:03:41Z")
I wouldn’t call this “mundane” but not sure where else it would go. Just thought it was very cool and wish there were a lot more such things in the world. Major props to the Muslim community that came together for this in Egypt. Good people. (Bet you won’t see this reported on FOX Noise) > [@](#): > > \*\*Egypt’s Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as “human shields” \*\* > > Muslims turned up in droves for the Coptic Christmas mass Thursday night, offering their bodies, and lives, as “shields” to Egypt’s threatened Christian community > > Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside. > > From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife. > > SOURCE: [http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3365.aspx](http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3365.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/2 "2011-01-07T21:13:38Z")
Very nice story. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/3 "2011-01-07T21:42:42Z")
Just a few hours ago I heard about this on Swedish radio, and was quite moved by this. In church there were muslim women with niqab as well as muslim women in t-shirts, of all types of orientation, charing only the fact that they were muslims and supported the christians. We get too little of these kinds of news, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/4 "2011-01-08T09:03:49Z")
Of course Fox can spin this so they can play it on their ‘news’ network. “Muslims make good on threat to invade Christian Christmas Mass, thousands attend” :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/5 "2011-01-08T11:08:46Z")
It’s a good start to 2011. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/6 "2011-01-08T14:03:07Z")
Nice story. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/7 "2011-01-08T15:06:03Z")
I got teary-eyed. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/8 "2011-01-08T15:07:46Z")
I love hearing stories like this. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/9 "2011-01-08T18:54:50Z")
great story! the coptic church is really a treasure. i enjoyed the services i attended when visiting egypt. and a very merry christmas to all celebrating on julian calendar. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/10 "2011-01-08T19:12:43Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > Of course Fox can spin this so they can play it on their ‘news’ network. “Muslims make good on threat to invade Christian Christmas Mass, thousands attend” > :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: Couldn’t find anything on Fox about it, but [CBS](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/07/world/main7221795.shtml) is filling in for them nicely. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/11 "2011-01-08T20:09:43Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > (Bet you won’t see this reported on FOX Noise) Or any extremist Islamic media. (Whatever they are, can’t think of what they are, but there must be some, right? The national news agency of Iran maybe?) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/12 "2011-01-09T04:35:42Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > (Bet you won’t see this reported on FOX Noise) Oddly enough, I couldn’t find an article about it on the New York Slimes site, just a link to a conservative blogger (and invalid, to boot. Thanks, NYT!). But a report that it was planned was posted on [freerepublic.com](http://freerepublic.com). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/13 "2011-01-09T04:47:24Z")
My reaction: A courageous, perhaps unprecedented act. And it’s about time. Telling non-Muslims “These attacks are not part of Islam” or the like is just talk and doesn’t accomplish squat. And the BBC reported this on the bombing. [Alexandria church bomb: Egypt police on high alert - BBC News](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12107084) > [@](#): > > President Hosni Mubarak said it bore the hallmark of “foreign hands” seeking to destabilise Egypt. > > At the Vatican, Pope Benedict called it a “vile gesture”, while US President Barack Obama has described it as a “heinous act”. > > However, the Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, criticised Pope Benedict’s call for world leaders to defend Christians as “unacceptable interference in Egypt’s affairs”. We shall see how this develops. Let’s say I’m cautiously optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/14 "2011-01-09T05:01:55Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > > (Bet you won’t see this reported on FOX Noise) > > Or any extremist Islamic media. (Whatever they are, can’t think of what they are, but there must be some, right? The national news agency of Iran maybe?) Damn, forgot to include the “punchline”, along the lines of “I never thought I’d see the two of them taking the same action on a story.” ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/15 "2011-01-09T05:36:04Z")
Just so we can get all the necessary media-bigot comments out of the way, from [evil right-wing nazi Faux News](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/06/egypts-christians-hold-mournful-christmas-eve-masses/): > [@](#): > > There were signs of both sides in Egypt’s divide struggling to heal the rifts. > The front pew at a church in the Cairo district of Omraniya was filled with prominent Muslims from the neighborhood – their presence arranged beforehand with security to allow entry. > > Women in Islamic headscarves sat near Christian women in the headcoverings they don in church. Many women sobbed heavily during the service. Omraniya was the scene of fierce Christian riots in November that left two dead, sparked when police stopped construction work at the church. > > “This is the way our Egypt climbs new heights and become prosperous,” Father Hanna said in her sermon of the Muslims’ presence. “We thank our brethren who came to share with us the joy of our feast, and the pain we feel over.” > > In a gesture of solidarity, groups of Muslim activists turned out at some churches to act as human shields or join in the services. But heavy security limited entry to Christians and kept activists far back from the churches. > > Around two dozen were a street away from the Saints Church, including six women in headscarves, holding signs reading “no to terrorism, yes to citizenship” and “long live the cross and the crescent.” > > “Egyptians are one people,” said one of them, Hayam Dorbek, “It has nothing to do with politics, we are all Egypt.” Please go back to your regularly-schedules Fox-bashing, followed by an all-new episode of _The Simpsons_. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/16 "2011-01-10T17:34:32Z")
That’s an inspiring and heartwarming story, even to a mean bastard like me. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/17 "2011-01-11T08:39:21Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Just so we can get all the necessary media-bigot comments out of the way, from [evil right-wing nazi Faux News](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/06/egypts-christians-hold-mournful-christmas-eve-masses/): > > Please go back to your regularly-schedules Fox-bashing, followed by an all-new episode of _The Simpsons_. You do realize that Fox and CBS are both essentially the same story? They are both edits with identical wording in some parts, both by AP. In other words, that story is not in Fox’s own words. Even though I doubt their version would be much different in truth. It’s a really nice story to hear, no matter where it’s from. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-needs-more-of-this-egypts-muslims-attend-coptic-christmas-mass-serving-as-human-shields/566791/18 "2011-01-11T15:22:51Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > I got teary-eyed. Thanks. Not me, I just have allergies.