Sectarian Violence in Cairo, 12 Dead, 200 Injured
Violence in Imbaba, Cairo (hurriyetdailynews.com)
Sectarian violence broke out again in Egypt over the weekend between Christian Copts and Muslims, leaving 12 people dead and 200 injured and a lot of anger and fear that violence could escalate in the country led by the military rule after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak.
On Monday, Egyptian troops were out in the center of the capital, but the situation was calm, though tense.
However, about 200 Christians were camped outside the state television, some of them demanding the resignation of the military ruler Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, while others demand only justice against those who attacked them on Saturday.
The scandal began on Saturday evening when word got out that a woman which had converted to Islam had been abducted and kept in the Virgin’s Church in Imbaba neighborhood, in Cairo.
Violence in Imbaba, Cairo (hurriyetdailynews.com)
Fundamentalist Muslims gathered in front of the church and demanded the release of the woman.
Both sides used guns, stones and firebombs, and the police and military fired shots in the air in an attempt to separate them.
Stone throwing continued, and the violence was resumed the day after, as hundreds of young Christians running through the centre of the capital and demanding the resignation of the military ruler were met by Muslim men and the stoning started again, in spite of efforts to calm things down.
The violence on Saturday shows an increased rejection of the Coptic Christians by the Salafist Muslim, which is a serious threat to the social peace of a country which is reeling from a very brutal revolution.
Egyptian Prime Minister cancelled a tour in the Gulf states and convened with the members of the cabinet to decide new security measures.
The Grand Mufti of Egypt called for a conference of national security after an Al-Azhar (supreme religious authority) emergency meeting.
The military regime promised that those responsible would be brought before justice.
