Egyptian Coptic Priest: one third of participants in June 30 were Christians

Priest Abdelmassih Bassit of the Virgin Mary Church in Mostord, Egypt, said during an interview with Al-Arabiya channel that 30 percent of those who took part in anti-Morsi protests on June 30 were Coptic Christians.

Bassit said that the church is “sitting on the fence” vis-à-vis presidential candidates, but that “it can feel the overwhelming desire of Egyptians to see Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi win the elections.”

Bassit slammed Hamdeen Sabbahi for his prior alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he had a “very bad history with Copts”.

Bassit claimed: “Al-Sisi respects Copts” and “appreciates their sacrifices for the sake of the [June 30] revolution.” Moreover, Bassit added that al-Sisi “praised the patriotic stance of the Egyptian church when it refused all Western demands to interfere after attacks on Churches and repression of Copts.”