Coptes : affrontement au Caire – 19 mai 2011

Egypt Muslims, Christians clash over church

mg.co.za

CAIRO, EGYPT – May 19 2011

Muslims and Christians clashed on Thursday outside a Cairo church that was reopened after previous sectarian clashes forced its closure more than two years ago, security officials said.

The church, in Ain Shams district, was one of several the government pledged would be reopened after hundreds of Copts staged a 12-day sit-in to protest attacks on their community.

Security officials said several hundred Muslims and Coptic Christians pelted each other with stones after hardline Islamists showed up at the church to object to its reopening.

Military police moved in and restored calm, the officials said on condition of anonymity.

Hundreds of Muslims had attacked two churches in Cairo overnight on May 7, claiming Christians were detaining a Muslim convert. Read mores…

AFP

Muslim-Christian clashes erupt at Egyptian church

tnn

May 20, 2011

CAIRO: An Egyptian security official says clashes have broken out between Muslims and Christians over the reopening of a Cairo church the former regime closed years ago.

Muslim-Christian violence has erupted several times around Egypt since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak on February 11.

Today’s clashes began when police accompanied a group of Christians to reopen the Church of the Virgin in Cairo’s Ain Shams district.

More than 1,000 ultraconservative Salafi Muslims and local residents tried to block the way, and the sides pelted each other with stones. Police detained a number of those involved, and the Christians entered the church while a smaller protest continued outside. No injuries were reported.