The Coptic Archbishopric of Upper Egypt’s governorate of Minya released a statement on Sunday in which it said that four churches were closed during October and expressed condemnation towards the government for total inattention.

According to the statement, churches, located in different villages inside the governorate, were closed by security officials or due to clashes that erupted following assaults from extremists.

“In only two weeks, four churches were closed, the churches’ people were subjected to assaults from extremists, and all this took place as if praying in churches is considered a ‘crime,’” the statement read.

On a regular basis, the government takes action in the wake of any assaults from extremists against Copts in Minya. This action is an attempt at ‘reconciliation’. However, this action is aggressive to Copts based there, the statement noted.

Moreover, the government is not only using this ‘reconciliation’ as a mean to end any assaults from extremists against Copts and Coptic facilities but also resorts to the closure of these facilities to put end to the ongoing assaults against Copts, the statement added.

This article has been adapted from its original source.