A deliberately timed massacre, though the ongoing persecution of Christians in Egypt by Muslims is only vaguely alluded to at the end of the article. “Gunmen kill 6 at Egypt church after Christmas Mass,” by Sarah El-Deeb for the Associated Press, January 6:
CAIRO – Egyptian security and hospital officials say gunmen have killed at least six people in a drive-by shooting outside a church in southern Egypt as worshippers left a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas.
The attack took place early Thursday in the town of Nag Hamadi in Qena province, about 40 miles from the famous ancient ruins of Luxor.
A local security official says two gunmen drove by a group as they were walking out of the Virgin Mary church and sprayed gunfire randomly into the crowd. The official says at least six people had died and an administrator at the hospital where the casualties were taken said seven were dead.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. […]
Qena is one of Egypt’s poorest and most conservative areas.
Conservative, how? That, and its bearing on security for Christians in Egypt is left unsaid.