January 31-2014
Egypt has blocked 61 Canadian Shiites from entering the country and detained them at the Cairo airport until they could be put on a flight out of the country.
The incident appeared to be the latest case of burgeoning animosity against Shias and Shiism in Egypt. In the worst case, villagers beat some Shias to death last year.
The problem isn’t just among the uneducated. Across all classes, there is a growing concern that Iran is actively promoting Shiism and encouraging Egyptian Muslims, who are 99 percent Sunni, to convert.
The daily Egypt Independent said the 61 Canadians flew into Cairo from Iraq on a pilgrimage to visit Shiite sites in the region. Canadians are able to get visas for Egypt at the airport after landing. But in this case, airport security officials blocked them, the newspaper said.
A spokesman at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs said there would be a statement issued late Sunday. But no comment had been released before the Iran Times went to press Tuesday night.
The US State Department report on religious freedom in 2012 said the Egyptian government “continued to harass Shiites.”
