#United_On_PalmSunday: Tragedy Strikes Tanta
We all know what Easter Sunday is, but what about Palm Sunday? Before Christians celebrate Easter, they remember the fact that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried.
Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey, just a few days before he was betrayed by his friend Judas Iscariot and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. It’s called Palm Sunday because the people of Jerusalem threw palm leaves to the floor as a way of greeting Jesus when he arrived.
Today, Christians in the city of Tanta flocked towards the Coptic Church of Saint Geroge to celebrate Palm Sunday when tragic struck in the form of a bomb that killed at least 21 people, and left 40 injured; and still counting.
According to a research by Michael Izady, 10.2% of Egypt’s population of 85 million are registered Christians. Christians and Muslims have largely coexisted peacefully in Egypt for centuries.
This is the second church bombing to strike Egypt in six months. Last year, 25 people were killed and 31 were wounded in an explosion that targeted Abbasiya’s Cathedral of Saint Mark.
Ahmed Abu Zeid, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, has tweeted: “Terrorism hits Egypt again, this time on Palm Sunday. Another obnoxious but failed attempt against all Egyptians.” He also added the hashtag #United_On_PalmSunday.
Last month, Pope Francis has announced that he was scheduled to visit Egypt at the end of April. We hope this tragic incident doesn’t affect this iconic visit.
