None of these claims was founded . In fact , the Imbaba church attacks took place on the same day a video was broadcast featuring Kamilia Shehata , one of these two Christian woman whom the Muslims claimed had converted to Islam and was being held hostage by the Coptic Church . In that video , Kamilia Shehata affirmed that she was Christian and had never converted to Islam . She also mentioned that everything the Salafis said about her were " lies " and " completely wrong facts " . Kamilia Shehata had been a major focus of Salafi activism since 2010 . They had organized several marches in Alexandria calling for her release and attacking Pope Shenouda III . They also threatened to attack churches in order to free her . On 29 April 2011 , about 2,000 Salafi Muslims protested outside the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Saint Mark 's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral to demand the release of Kamilia Shehata . These claims of the Coptic Church holding Kamilia Shehata hostage were picked up by Al Qaida linked Islamic State of Iraq to justify their 2010 Baghdad church attack , which resulted in the massacre of 58 Christians in Iraq . The group also vowed more attacks until Kamilia was released . Two months later , on New Year 's Eve 2011 , a suicide bomber killed 23 Coptic Christians in the 2011 Alexandria bombing
2011 Alexandria bombing
2011 Alexandria bombing
2011 Imbaba church attacks