CAIRO: A Jewish synagogue was attempted to be set ablaze by unnamed assailants in downtown Cairo. According to ministry of interior officials, the fire broke out around 6:30 in the morning Cairo time after someone allegedly threw what police are reporting to be a makeshift molotov cocktail onto the premises of the Adly street synagogue. Local news reports have already accused the attack to be terrorist in nature, as officials reported a black bag was discovered on the sidewalk across from the Jewish temple. However, one official told Bikya Masr it is too early to put claims of terrorism to the public. “We are looking into the situation and are attempting to understand what occurred,” the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said, adding that “we believe someone started the fire, but whether this is terrorism related or not is unclear.” According to the official, the black bag contained clothes. Despite the initial outpouring of news reports in English, which hit social-networking sites, the inside of the synagogue was left unscathed and police doubt further attacks, if indeed that was the case. “Whoever did this was obviously acting alone and there is still no real evidence that it was an act of violence. It could have been a mistake, we don't know at this point, but nothing happened inside the synagogue, so that is good,” said the official. The Egyptian government positions police officers in front of the synagogue on a 24-hour period, which has some activists and observers concerned over the alleged attack, questioning whether the government is not responsible for the alleged attackers being able to get so close to the temple. American terrorism expert Jason Thomas, currently in Cairo working on a Ph.D and looking into Islamic terrorism in Egypt during the 1990s, says that if an individual is responsible for the attack, then it should be considered a hate crime, instead of terrorism. “Terrorism is an organized act by a group or party aimed at creating fear within a society, but all evidence here points to a hate crime that should not be linked to terrorist activity,” he began. “Egypt is in the midst of major sectarian issues, but to say an arsonist is a terrorist seems to be a stretch in order to get headlines.” BM
