Egypt bomb stirs hate: Saudi cleric

Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti condemned the New Year's Day bombing of a church in Egypt that killed 21 people as an act aimed at turning non-Muslim against Muslim, state news agency SPA reported on Monday.

These attacks "carried out by the enemies of Islam aim to... turn non-Muslims against Muslims," it quoted Sheikh al-Sheikh as saying.

Such acts, he said, "do not serve Islam and have no link to it," adding that they also aim to "weaken the Muslim nation and cause chaos."

Twenty-one people were killed early on Saturday and 79 wounded when an apparent suicide bomber blew himself up as hundreds of worshippers were leaving the Al-Qiddissin (The Saints) church in Alexandria.

The bombing has further underscored the vulnerability of the Copts, who make up about 10 percent of the country's 80-million population and complain of discrimination.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.