Imbaba on Fire "Updated"

Imbaba is on fire ,Imbaba is on fire after 100 days from January 28th ,2011 thanks to what appears as sectarian division turning in to chaos. For hours now we had contradicting reports and stories but this is what I found out and can be considered as main common points in all the stories. “I am not sure though after all these hours”

• It all started with a lady named Abeer , originally from Upper Egypt who allegedly converted to Islam who couple of years ago and married a Muslim.
  
• We found tweets and Facebook status online that Salafists and all Muslims should head to “Marimina” Church in Imbaba because Abeer was abducted by Christians and that Abeer herself called a man named “Abu Yassin” asking for rescue. We are speaking about 8 PM Cairo local time.
  
• All accusation fingers are pointing to Paltalk chat room owned by someone called Wassem. “I think they mean Wassem Abdullah”
  
• According to tweeps these twitter accounts “@masrislam” and @emudeer were the ones who started the tweets about Abeer online . It is worth to mention that Essam Mudeer is from Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately this fact makes many activists and Egyptians believe that this clash was planned by the Saudi intelligence and other Gulf intelligence to sabotage our revolution. There are rumors that the Salafists in Egypt are financially supported by huge sum of money from Saudi Arabia.
  

Misrislam's tweet about Abeer

• Then we found a protest allegedly made of hundreds of Salafists standing in front of the Church demanding Abeer. A group of their sheikhs went in to the Church to search for the lady but found nothing
  
• The army came and then things got escalated dramatically when allegedly Molotov cocktails began to be thrown and there was exchange of fire. Some claim that some people living besides the Church “Abeer’s Christian family” opened their fire from their rooftop on the army while others say that a Christian from inside the Church shot in the air one shot to scare the people and then the fight started to be violent and armed

• Then there was allegedly an attempt to set the church on fire but the locals from the neighborhood protected it who kept chanting “Muslim , Christian one hand” while some are saying that the place that set on fire was dumpster beside the Church. 

Putting down the fire

• Then suddenly another big church “The virign” in a big main street “Al Wahda-The unity” was set on fire along with shops owned by Christians in the same street.Here is a photo from the church while the fire was being put off.

• These shops were destroyed ‘Including a café allegedly owned by the one who open his fire in the Church , here is a video from Sarah Carr showing the Cafe destroyed . It is worth to mention those young men in the cafe do not seem Salafists to me’
  

• Now some are saying that the Salafists behind this fire while on the other we got eye witnesses who are insisting that the ones who set the Church on fire were thugs from outside Imbaba. The army and CSF used the tear gas grenades to end the clashes but in vain.
  

CSF soldiers are back after 100 days of absence
in Imbaba

• The curfew is officially imposed and the army supposedly is arresting everybody and will enforce the counter thuggery law immediately asking the public to evacuate the scene. The army is protecting Marimina church. The 777 unit is reportedly there.

Army vehicles in Imbaba

This is what I have gathered from all the stories I have heard from all parties whether eye witnesses , Christians , Muslims and bloggers/tweeps who went there but had to leave because it was extremely dangerous. What we know for sure that 5 Egyptians have been killed and 109 were injured according to the latest numbers issued by the ministry of health. The general hospital of Imbaba is demanding blood donation , of course I hope the army helps the hospital and facilitates the transfer of blood from the national blood bank from El Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz street ASAP.
Now there are important facts worth to be mentioned in our case here :
It is worth to mention that this Abeer’s rumor after one hour “not mor ethan 2 hours” from airing Kamilia Shehata’s interview on radical Christian Al Hayat where she revealed that she is Christian and not a Muslim and that she is apologizing for all these insults Pope Shnouda III.

Kamilia Shehata apologizes

It is worth to mention that there was that radical Christian channel called “The road” airing the events live , reportedly the Channel called the Christians in Egypt to have a sit in in front of the American in Embassy in Cairo demanding international protection to Christians in Egypt !! For the first time since the Egyptian revolution I have heard Morris Sadek today asking the U.S. to interfere. This is so stupid and will make things even worse. Both Christian Al Hayat and the road are reportedly broadcasted from outside , they are not considered Egyptian but rather American.
It is worth to mention that journalist Sarah Carr saw a former SS officer in the scene.Here is his picture from previous protest in 2010
It is worth to mention that the army and police are under huge fire for being so soft in dealing with the matter especially the police. People believe that the army could have ended this matter in couple of minutes. Of course we are not talking here about political activists protest that could be dispersed in no time by the army but we are speaking about tackling clashes in a populated area based on religious tensions and rumors , things could have gone disastrously if excessive violence was used in Imbaba like what happened on April 9th at Tahrir. I am not defending the army because it has got in share in responsibility for what happened but one must be fair. Dispersing these clashes should have been the sole mission of the bloody lazy police force.
It is worth to mention that this is the first real test for the SCAF ultimatum last week that it will not stand still against any attempt targeting the unity of Egypt and we not speaking here about Al Nor mosque but we are speaking about sectarian division.
It is worth to mention that this is Imbaba ,the choice of this place was not random again. If you check in all sectarian tensions locations in Egypt you will find them in high populated working class areas whether in urban or rural areas where rumors and lies can turn solid facts in no time. No one denies that light weapons in Imbaba are common like any populated area in Cairo and fights can turn very ugly to the level that police used excessive violence there.The new thing in our case here is the use of guns from the people there , of course during the revolution guns have become so easy to purchase.
It is worth to mention that this comes before hours from the regional visit of PM Sharaf to UAE and Bahrain.
It is worth to mention that what happened in Imbaba took place after El Adly’s historical jail sentence and the start of Gamal Mubarak’s interrogation. It is worth to mention all medical sources say that Hosni Mubarak himself does not complain from anything physically or psychologically to prevent him from being transfer to Tora to have his 15 days in jail pending investigation.
It is worth to mention that the political rights law will be announced this week. 
Story is developing.
The latest updates @1:23 PM : 

• The death toll increased to 12 while the injured have reached to 212 according to official numbers !!
• The army has arrested 190 last night during the curfew and these 190 will be prosecuted in front of the military courts according to its message no.48 issued on the Facebook. 
• The army is imposed a full curfew on that area in Imbaba till 12 PM tomorrow.
• The internet and mobile phones are reportedly cut in certain areas in Imbaba !!
• No one called Abeer was found !! 
• Group of angry protesters is protesting near the American embassy. They want the U.S. to force the army to protect the churches. This is so wrong despite I understand the anger of Christians , this will give a golden opportunity for the radicals.  
• PM Essam Sharaf has adjourned his tour in the Gulf and is going to have a press conference soon after an urgent meeting for the cabinet. 
• Minister of interior Eissawy visited the Marimina church this morning. 
• It is worth to mention that presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabhi was the first to address the matter from 10 hours ago on twitter condemning the attack and calling for restrict penalties to those inciting hate and are responsible for the attack.
• Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei who is currently in Portugal has addressed the matter on twitter from one hour ago calling for urgent measures to combat religious extremism before Egypt slips to the unknown.  
• Presidential candidates Amr Moussa and Hisham El-Bastwesy have not addressed the matter yet. "El-Bastwesy does not update his twitter account" 
• Presidential candidate Magdy Hatata has issued a statement on Facebook about the matter where he considered this clash as an attempt "last battle" of certain parties in Egypt to hit the revolution. He is asking the government to apply the emergency law and to send those behind the attack to the military tribunal. 
• The El Adl party has issued a reasonable balanced serious statement about the attack. 

The latest updates at 3:38 PM : 

• The minister of justice spoke in a press conference on behalf of the PM and said that the terrorism law will be applied starting from today and the cabinet is in a meeting session. The PM will address the nation supposedly soon. 
• A group of Christian protesters is currently having a protest in front of the High supreme court in Cairo and then will head to the Egyptian radio and TV building to have a sit in. 
• Things in Imbaba seemed to be electrifying. There are flyers distributed in churches there saying that Christians will protect the churches with their souls. 

I will eat whoever comes closer to my church

• The injured number has increased in to 232. The injured and dead include Muslim and Christian alike. 

Latest updates @ 7 :26 PM: 

•  A big group of Christians along with some Muslims are having a sit in front of the Egyptian TV building Masepro. From couple of hours ago there were clashes between some thugs 'according to eye witnesses' and the protesters. There was stone throwing and the army had to bring more vehicles to the army. According to eye witnesses the angry protest included chants and slogans like "Muslim and Christian one hand" and for anti field marshal Tantawy chants as well. 
• A group of Salafi sheikhs issued a statement denouncing the attack and also at the same time rejecting these accusations to the Safali groups and demanding a full search for weapons in mosques and churches alike. The Salafi statement denounced the call of some Christian to foreign protection. Among those who signed the statement "Mohamed Hassan and Safwat Hegazy". It is worth to mention that the Salafists do not have a united body like for example the Muslim brotherhood or the Islamic groups. It is more of Sheikhs and their disciples 
• Amr Moussa has at last addressed the matter from short time ago on Twitter. 

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