Stresses Sinai incidents are not sectarian

Egyptian parliamentarian Rahmi Bakeer expressed his resentment over the media dealing with the attacks that targeted the Egyptian Christians in Sinai during the recent days. He added that the number of families who left their houses has not transcended 30, while over 600 families remained in their cities.
He criticized the media channels and newspapers for aggravating the issue, and describing it as mass exodus and unprecedented disaster, refusing to describe the incident as forced displacement. He praised the efforts exerted to host the displaced families in Ismailia.
He refused the attempts to provide a sectarian cover to the incidents against the Egyptian Christian in Sinai, saying that the terrorist groups target all Egyptians. He added, “They target all their opponents, including Muslim, Christians, men, women and security forces. Such approach targets not only the Christian citizen but also the Egyptian people regardless of their religion.”
He added that the recent attacks aim to send clear message that ISIS is existed in the country, saying that such actions leave negative repercussions on the country, as they strongly affect the development process. He added, “We, as officials and citizens, should work together not to allow the extremist group achieve its objectives.”
The Egyptian parliamentarian refused, during his interview with “Arabs Today”, to blame the security forces for the recent incidents, while he stressed the need for reformulating the security measures taken in the troubled areas like Sinai. He stressed that the current terrorist threat needs special preparations and equipment to eliminate it.
He praised the role of the Egyptian church, saying that the ecclesiastical leadership realized the threats facing the country. He added that the Coptic Church performs a major role to undermine the plans of extremists to divide the country and to raise the sectarian tension among the Egyptian people.