After the latest attacks on Egypt’s Coptic Christians, the AP has decided that the old boilerplate no longer holds.
Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million. They complain frequently of discrimination, though they generally live in peace with the Muslim majority despite occasional flare-ups of violence, especially over limits on church building.
I guess a suicide bombing killing 21 and wounding 80 after a New Year’s mass made them decided that the “occasional flare-ups of violence” needs to be retired.
Egypt has seen a string of attacks on Christians in recent years, most notably, in January 2009, when seven Christians were killed in a drive-by shooting on a church in southern Egypt during celebrations for the Orthodox Coptic Christmas.
Christians, mainly Orthodox Copts, are believed to make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s mainly Muslim population of nearly 80 million people, and they have grown increasingly vocal in complaints about discrimination.
But of course, this being the AP, they have to “balance” the constant stream of Muslim attacks on Christians with tales of Christian violence.
In November, hundreds of Christians rioted in the capital, Cairo, smashing cars and windows after police violently stopped the construction of a church. The rare outbreak of Christian unrest in the capital left one person dead.
So, what, Christians rioted and murdered Muslims over the canceling of a church? Uh, no.
One person died and 68 others were injured when security forces halted construction on a church citing violations of building permits.
Angry Christians hurled stones while riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets near the church and later in clashes outside the governor’s office.
Oh, the cops killed the Christian, not the other way around. Yeah, that makes them just as violent as the Muslims murdering them by the dozens. In church.
It’s all about the balance, you see. The AP starts the new year off the same way it ended the old: Not objective, telling its own narrative, not really informing. Happy new year, AP!
Actually AP is worse than that. When AP covered the Pope’s condemnation they labeled it ‘perceived violence against Christians’.
Typically, in the NY Times, prominence is given to a “Palestinian” woman killed recently by Israeli security forces. The woman is named as is her sister and family and a little family history is given; the only people named or interviewed are “Palestinian.” Contrast this with the article on the 21 Copts killed by a bomber. None of them are named; no families are interviewed. They are ciphers, sort of like part of a backdrop or fake plants on a set. The Israelis are always shadowy and malevolent, Muslims are usually named, especially if they are “Palestinian.”
My local rag the Minneapolis star/trib, is covering this story and has opened up the comments section. Some of the local crazies are now stating that the bombing terror attack is the work of Mossad trying to embarrass the Muslims.
My counter response is to bring up the ridiculous “trained Mossad shark” attack conspiracy in Egypt that ocurred a few weeks ago.
“Egyptian officials say they have not ruled out the possibility that a fatal shark attack in Sinai on Sunday could have been a plot by the Mossad. “What is being said about the Mossad throwing the deadly shark [in the sea] to hit tourism in Egypt is not out of the question, but it needs time to confirm,†South Sinai. Muhammad Abdel Fadil Shousha was quoted as saying by the Egyptian state news site egynews.net.”
Damn, the Sayetet (Israeli naval commando, like our SEALs) have been working with those sharks for years and this one Egyptian official is going to blow everything.
The AP may, possibly, occasionally, mention violence and persecution involving Christians, but you may rest assured that in the US the attentions of the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and other progressive Christian groups will be fixed not on their co-religionists in Egypt, or for that matter in Bethlehem, but on the sins of the Israelis.