At least thirteen young Copts were killed yesterday during a clash between Christians and Muslims recorded in a suburb of Cairo. Health ministry sources quoted by the Egyptian official MENA news agency confirmed the figure, which at first was confused. The fighting, involving more than 1,300 people, began when a group of Coptic Christians blocked a highway south of the city that runs along the neighborhood.
Muslims seeking to leave the blockade opposed them and exchanged stones and Molotov cocktails. It is the second day the Egyptian capital clashes between two communities living after last Sunday outside a church burned in the district of Helwan, a suburb of the city. A group of Muslims had set fire to the temple after a clash between two families that had left one Muslim dead because he had an affair with a Christian.
In an attempt to disperse the opposing army fired into the air. At first it had reported the death of a 18 year old who was hit in the back by a bullet, but it was unclear the origin of the missile or whether it was an intentional attack. Some witnesses have testified that they saw some protesters carrying weapons.
Moreover, at least five vehicles were destroyed by fire during the dispute. The Moqqatam district, where clashes took place, a place of pilgrimage for the Copts who attend churches that are carved into the rock. In addition, it houses one of the poorest communities in the city (mostly Christians).
The head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, had promised that the Army will rebuild the destroyed church before Easter, in an attempt to soften the renewed tension between both communities. Also the new Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, had tried to placate the Coptic community in the building of the Public Television where members of this faith is manifested.
Egypt is a Sunni Muslim majority country where Coptic Christians account for only 10 percent of a population of 80 million. Complaints are frequent exclusion. And events like the construction of new temples often generated tensions between the two communities because the Copts feel that they have the same freedom to build places of worship for Muslims.
A government report published last year noted that Egypt has 2,000 churches and more than 93,000 mosques. Also tempers have been running high since last Christmas an attack on a church in Alexandria left 23 dead and over 90 wounded and that weeks later, a Muslim policeman outside a train went into service while stationed in the southern city of Samalut 260 kilometers south of Cairo, and killed a 71 year old man and injured five others four women and one man, all Christians.
A year ago, also during the celebration of Christmas Coptic Orthodox a shooting left six dead. The main defendant was sentenced to death soon after the attack this Christmas. The attack on New Year's Eve in Alexandria returned to break the spirits of the Egyptians who forgot their differences during the revolution that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak on 11 February. 
Muslims seeking to leave the blockade opposed them and exchanged stones and Molotov cocktails. It is the second day the Egyptian capital clashes between two communities living after last Sunday outside a church burned in the district of Helwan, a suburb of the city. A group of Muslims had set fire to the temple after a clash between two families that had left one Muslim dead because he had an affair with a Christian.
In an attempt to disperse the opposing army fired into the air. At first it had reported the death of a 18 year old who was hit in the back by a bullet, but it was unclear the origin of the missile or whether it was an intentional attack. Some witnesses have testified that they saw some protesters carrying weapons.
Moreover, at least five vehicles were destroyed by fire during the dispute. The Moqqatam district, where clashes took place, a place of pilgrimage for the Copts who attend churches that are carved into the rock. In addition, it houses one of the poorest communities in the city (mostly Christians).
The head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, had promised that the Army will rebuild the destroyed church before Easter, in an attempt to soften the renewed tension between both communities. Also the new Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, had tried to placate the Coptic community in the building of the Public Television where members of this faith is manifested.
Egypt is a Sunni Muslim majority country where Coptic Christians account for only 10 percent of a population of 80 million. Complaints are frequent exclusion. And events like the construction of new temples often generated tensions between the two communities because the Copts feel that they have the same freedom to build places of worship for Muslims.
A government report published last year noted that Egypt has 2,000 churches and more than 93,000 mosques. Also tempers have been running high since last Christmas an attack on a church in Alexandria left 23 dead and over 90 wounded and that weeks later, a Muslim policeman outside a train went into service while stationed in the southern city of Samalut 260 kilometers south of Cairo, and killed a 71 year old man and injured five others four women and one man, all Christians.
A year ago, also during the celebration of Christmas Coptic Orthodox a shooting left six dead. The main defendant was sentenced to death soon after the attack this Christmas. The attack on New Year's Eve in Alexandria returned to break the spirits of the Egyptians who forgot their differences during the revolution that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak on 11 February.
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