Labor utterly condemns the latest attack on members of Egypt’s Coptic Christian Community.

At least 26 Coptic Christians were killed and 25 others wounded when they were attacked as they were going to pray at the monastery of Saint Samuel the Confessor in southern Egypt.

The attacks are the latest in a series of assaults on Egypt's Christian minority which has seen 70 people killed in Christmas and Palm Sunday bomb attacks by Islamic militants on churches in Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta.

Copts make up approximately 10 per cent of Egypt's population, but have been suffering increasing persecution and violence in recent years, in particular by Islamic extremists, forcing an estimated 100,000 Coptic people to leave Egypt.

As we did following the attacks in Manchester and Jakarta, Labor stands once more with all people of goodwill, of all faiths who utterly reject those who would seek to divide us through terror and violence.

An attack on any place of religion is an attack on freedom of religion everywhere and Labor expresses our support and deepest sympathy for the 100,000 Australians of the Coptic faith.

SATURDAY, 27 MAY 2017