Coptic pope says Qaeda threats curse and blessing

Egypt’s Coptic Pope Shenouda III said Wednesday that recent threats by al-Qaeda to attack Copts served to strengthen national unity, while an Islamist movements expert found terrorist attacks on Egyptian churches unlikely.

In the sermon he delivered on Wednesday night in the St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Pope Shenouda III described threats by Iraq’s al-Qaeda to target Egyptian Christians as a curse as well as a blessing since they unified the people of Egypt, Muslims and Christians, as they all declared their support for the Coptic church.