Dr. Mohamed Beltagy, member of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)’s Executive Bureau, affirmed that ongoing violent incidents in Cairo’s Shubra Al-Khaima district, since Saturday, are not between Muslims and Christians, but between local residents on the one side and criminal thugs on the other.

In a post on his personal page on Facebook, Dr. Beltagy pointed that whatever the aggressors’ or the victims’ religion, those who kidnapped a Christian child from outside a church and are haggling with his father to pay a ransom are criminal thugs; and those who charge shopkeepers and factory owners, Muslims and Christians alike, protection money are also thugs.

"I call on the people to stand together against the thugs’ crimes and extortion. Some play on people’s feelings to cover up criminal offenses with sectarian claims, while others find it easier to politicize incidents rather than confront the thugs. Yet again, others are happy to ignite new fires in the homeland."

Beltagy urged the Interior Ministry to assume its responsibility in the face of crimes which he described as criminal, not sectarian.