Qaeda Group Claims Seizure of Iraqi Christians, Threatens Egypt Church – SITE

ICC Note:

The Islamic State of Iraq, a group linked to Al Qaeda, said the kidnapping of Christians from a Baghdad church on Sunday would be used as leverage to persuade the Coptic Church in Egypt to release alleged Muslim female captives held in a monastery.  The claim made against the Coptic Church has no foundation, as no evidence has been given after weeks of anti-Christian demonstrations against Copts in Egypt.

10/31/2010 Iraq (Wall Street Journal) – Al Qaeda group The Islamic State of Iraq claimed its fighters had captured Christians, and gave the Coptic church in Egypt a 48-hour deadline to release alleged female captives, monitors said Monday.

The group said an “angry group of mujahedeen from among the supporters of Allah raided one of the filthy dens of idolatry that was always used by the Christians of Iraq as a headquarters to fight the religion of Islam and to support those who fight that religion,” the monitoring group SITE said.

The statement was released after at least seven Christians were killed Sunday in a rescue operation involving U.S. and Iraqi forces to end a hostage drama at a church in Baghdad.

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