CHRISTIANS in a little corner of Egypt in Risca told the Argus of their hopes and fears for the future following the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak.

The St Mary’s and St Mercurius Abu Saifain Coptic Orthodox Church, on Risca’s St Mary Street, has provided a focal point for Egyptian Christians living in South Wales since 1992.

Despite being thousands of miles away, Copts in Wales have kept in touch with events in Egypt through the internet, by watching Arabic news channels and by calling their relatives to make sure they are OK.

Church regulars said that while they are glad to see the back of Hosni Mubarak - a dictator who ruled the North African Arab state for 30 years - some feared what the future could mean for their community.

Eve Abudlla, 30, lives in Cardiff and works for the Refugee Council. She said she has done nothing but watch TV in the last few weeks and has been on the phone to her family in the northern city of Alexandria constantly.

“No matter how far we are, we’re still concerned about our families there. We’re concerned about our congregation, what’s going to happen next,” she said.

She said none of her relatives were involved in the protest, but some had take part of the committees that formed spontaneously to protect their neighbourhoods when the police vanished from the streets.

“They were just standing there in the streets with weapons, knives, sticks, whatever to try to stop any strangers stealing and snatching things.”

Janet Shafik, whose husband Magdi Shafik is treasurer at the church, said she knew of one person, on her father's side of the family who was injured during the demonstrations - where Copts and Muslims protested side by side.

“He went to protest with others and he got shot in the liver,” she said. “Most of them that got shot got shot in the eyes.”

Mr Rafik said he was incredibly emotional when Mubarak resigned on Friday: “I was crying. I called Janet and told her what happened. I didn’t think it would ever happen in my life.”

He added: “I’ve got a lot of ambition for the Egyptian people.”

Egyptian Christians left fearful

COPTS in Egypt say they have faced discrimination and violent attacks in recent years, leaving some worried at what the revolution could bring them.

On New Year’s Eve a bomb that hit a church service in Alexandria killed 21 people and left 70 injured.

The situation has left many Copts - who make up around nine million people in Egypt - worrying for their safety in the country. Church member Rosetta Atalla said half of her family have tried to leave Egypt.

“My sister and nephew are all scared,” she said. “They just think its somewhere else [at the moment]. It’s not Egypt.”

Christians can also face discrimination in the country, with church members saying that simply saying you are Christian can get you turned down for a job.

Some church members also expressed worries that the revolution could result in religious conservatives coming to power.

But Janet Rafik said she hoped the revolution would make Egypt fairer for Christians: “I hope that Copts can have equal opportunities for jobs and education in the country.”