Egypt's churches cancel activities for security reasons

Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians have been told by church leaders to cancel all events and activities outside churches in July because of a security threat, church and security sources said on Thursday.

The warning followed an attack in May by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group on Copts travelling to a monastery in central Egypt that killed 29 people.

A month earlier, 44 people were killed in bomb attacks at a cathedral and another church on Palm Sunday.

Sources said the warning was given to individual church leaders by a representative of the Coptic Orthodox Pope. Copts on trips or youth camps had been told to cut short their activities and return home early.
 [aljazeera.com]
14/7/17