Coptic Christians who gathered to celebrate the first Mass in their new church were pelted with rocks and firebombs according to news agency Compass Direct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attack on the small village church near El-Minya, 140 miles south of Cairo, happened on Sunday February 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accounts of the numbers of those injured in the clashes vary. Reuters reported 11 injuries, including two policemen, while Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV station’s Arabic news reported ten Coptic Christians were injured and 35 nearby homes destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later reports suggested only 15 homes were burned with a number of others looted. Security police cordoned off the nearby village of Bani El-Walmous and independent observers have been unable to assess the damage or get an accurate number of those injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security forces told Reuters that after a Muslim mob pelted the church with rocks, Coptic Christians responded by firing shotguns at their attackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Muslims were apparently upset by the ringing of the church’s bells, despite the local authorities having been told beforehand about the form the inauguration ceremonies would take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources in Egypt report that it took police four hours to arrive and restore order. According to an official government statement, 43 people were taken in for questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This attack is the latest in a string of assaults on new churches built by Copts who make up more than ten percent of Egypt’s population. On December 16 a church at Al-Ubor on the outskirts of Cairo was destroyed by local police forces, according to the U.S. Copts Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christians believe the attacks on churches are provoked by the Hamayouni Decree which bans churches from being built without a permit from President Mubarak himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Permission can take years or even decades to acquire and the resultant delay gives government officials and Muslims a pretext to destroy churches on the grounds that they have been illegally constructed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These actions, which have resulted in the destruction of at least nine churches in the last five years, are frequently left unpunished by the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said: “Christians in Egypt have long been discriminated against and not given the full protection of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We call on President Mubarak to ensure that these incidents are fully investigated and to bring legislation regarding the construction of churches in line with that governing the construction of mosques.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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