59 arrested after Egypt clashes
Published: Sunday, 13 May, 2007, 09:04 AM Doha Time |
CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have arrested 59 Muslims who took part in clashes with Coptic Christians over church construction in a village south of Cairo, security sources said yesterday.
They said prosecutors ordered the arrests after taking the testimony of 10 Christians who were hurt in the clashes on Friday in which hundreds of villagers from both faiths fought with sticks and hurled bricks and firebombs at one another.
The sources said at least 10 Christian houses and five shops were gutted by fire during the clashes in the village of Behma, about 60km from the capital. Egyptian authorities were still assessing the damage.
Relations between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians in Egypt are generally peaceful despite sporadic violence, but restrictions on building churches have been one of the main grievances of Egypt’s mainly Coptic Christian community.
Christians comprise up to 10% of Egypt’s roughly 75mn people, with the remainder being primarily Sunni Muslim.
Security sources said rumours that village Christians did not have a permit for church construction had sparked anger among Muslims that turned to violence after Friday prayers when about 300 Muslims clashed with a group of about 200 Christians.
Security sources said Christians had told authorities that the Friday sermon at a village mosque had discussed ongoing church construction, sparking anger among worshippers who emerged from the mosque in a large group and then moved to the church, where clashes erupted.
Police intervened to stop the clashes and sealed off the village, initially detaining 17 people of both faiths, the sources said. They could not immediately say if any Christians remained in police custody.
A spokesman for Egypt’s interior ministry confirmed that around 500 Muslims had gathered after Friday prayers, and that the entrances to three homes had been set on fire. He said three people were hurt in the commotion but declined to characterise it as a clash. – Reuters
They said prosecutors ordered the arrests after taking the testimony of 10 Christians who were hurt in the clashes on Friday in which hundreds of villagers from both faiths fought with sticks and hurled bricks and firebombs at one another.
The sources said at least 10 Christian houses and five shops were gutted by fire during the clashes in the village of Behma, about 60km from the capital. Egyptian authorities were still assessing the damage.
Relations between Muslims and minority Coptic Christians in Egypt are generally peaceful despite sporadic violence, but restrictions on building churches have been one of the main grievances of Egypt’s mainly Coptic Christian community.
Christians comprise up to 10% of Egypt’s roughly 75mn people, with the remainder being primarily Sunni Muslim.
Security sources said rumours that village Christians did not have a permit for church construction had sparked anger among Muslims that turned to violence after Friday prayers when about 300 Muslims clashed with a group of about 200 Christians.
Security sources said Christians had told authorities that the Friday sermon at a village mosque had discussed ongoing church construction, sparking anger among worshippers who emerged from the mosque in a large group and then moved to the church, where clashes erupted.
Police intervened to stop the clashes and sealed off the village, initially detaining 17 people of both faiths, the sources said. They could not immediately say if any Christians remained in police custody.
A spokesman for Egypt’s interior ministry confirmed that around 500 Muslims had gathered after Friday prayers, and that the entrances to three homes had been set on fire. He said three people were hurt in the commotion but declined to characterise it as a clash. – Reuters
2 comments:
Wow... but they usually coexist peacefully?? I remember that's what our tour guide told us in Egypt....
yes thats true, 99% of times there are no such clashes... I really was surprised when I read this...
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