Copts Grapple with Cause of Fire at Church in Egypt

Compass Direct News reports that the congregation of aCoptic church that was destroyed by fire last week is divided over whether it was a case of arson. At 3 p.m. on Sept. 8, a fire broke out at the Church of Saint Paul andSaint Peter in Shebin al-Kom, 37 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Cairo, destroying it along with its icons, relics and most of its furniture. According to local media reports, investigators said the cause of the fire was electrical. A sizable portion of the congregation, however, disputes this. One church member whose name has been withheld for her protection said that the electrical system in the church was largely unscathed by the fire. She said the damage did not radiate from the church's fuse box. Gamal Gerges, a local reporter who works for the newspaper Al-Youm al-Sabeh, said police have no proof that the fire was accidental. "The police did not have evidence, but said what they did to avoid strife between the Christians and the Muslims," Gerges said.