BRUSSELS, Jan 4 (KUNA) -- Three Muslim organisations in the Netherlands have offered to help protect three Coptic churches in the Netherlands from possible attacks, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported Tuesday. The names of the three churches -- in Eindhoven, Utrecht and Amsterdam -- are listed on a website which is considered to have links to Al Qaida.
"Especially we must do this because al-Qaeda claims to operate in the name of Islam. Christian Copts, indeed all the Dutch and we have exactly the same enemies: the terrorists. It is high time to clarify this loud," said the three Dutch Muslim organisations in the statement.
Police have already taken action to increase security around the Coptic churches in Holland.
The Coptic church celebrates Christmas on January 7, and the website had called for bomb attacks against Coptic churches on targets around Europe on that date. The priest of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Amsterdam, in response, thanked the Muslim organisations and said they will give their proposal "serious consideration." nk.rk KUNA 042027 Jan 11NNNN