CAIRO - Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church, quashed rumours that some Christian women, who went outdoors without headgear covering their hair, were threatened by Salalfists. “These are merely rumours, which should not be circulated,” said Shenouda during his weekly sermon late on Wednesday. Salafis were tolerated as a religious group under ex-President Hosni Mubarak to counterweight the Muslim Brotherhood group, but has gained power as it rises to play a more political role. That has alarmed many of the secular and liberal forces in Egypt because of the group's extremist discourse and imposition of Islamic Sharia law.
