During a press statement today, Director of the Egyptian Center for Human Rights, Nabil Gabriel, blamed the Egyptian government for the New Year's Eve massacre in Alexandria. He demanded the immediate resignation of Alexandria's Governor General Adel Labib, for failing to stop radical preachers who have had a role in inciting the feelings of worshipers against Copts at Friday prayers in Mosques over the last three months.
 
This tragic incident proves that the Copts are not protected by the civil state and do not enjoy rights of citizenship, like their Muslim counterparts.
 
Gabriel says that suicide bombings are identical with the radical ideas of "Al Qaeda", attributing remarks made by Coptic members of the People's Assembly and Shura Council on the incident to foreign hands as an attempt to end the problem quickly. He counted that the officials and Coptic members of parliament do not represent the Copts and their statements are designed to retain their seats in parliament.
 
Gabriel appealed to President Hosni Mubarak to dismiss the Interior Minister, referring to the fact that the "massacre of Christians during the reign of Habib Adly have not occurred for 40 years".