Release International

Communal clashes in a poor district of Cairo over the weekend left 12 people dead, prompting demonstrations for an end to inter-religious violence.

Seven Coptic Christians and five Muslims are reported to have been killed in Imbaba district during riots in which more than 230 people were injured and one church was gutted by fire.

The violence broke out on Saturday evening – after hard-line Muslims claimed that a Coptic church was holding against her will a woman who, they claimed, had converted to Islam.

Muslim imams (religious leaders) were invited to search the church in question – the St Mina Coptic Church – and were satisfied that no one was being held there. This, however, did not stop thousands of Muslims flocking to the area during the afternoon, prompting Coptic residents to barricade the street around the church.

At about 7pm, attackers started throwing firebombs at Coptic-owned property, including St Mina Church. Copts reportedly retaliated by throwing glass and stones, according to religious rights charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

The nearby St Mary's Church was also set alight and the body of its caretaker, Salah Aziz, was later found in the building, which was gutted in the blaze.

Eye witnesses said that it was 10pm before the security forces arrived – and a further hour before they intervened to stop the violence. In fact, although the army had cordoned off the main streets of Imbaba district by Sunday morning, fighting continued in side streets.

Local media report that the army has since pledged to rebuild St Mary's Church. The BBC reports that the military authorities have increased security around churches in Cairo since the weekend.

The Egyptian Government has declared it will take a tough line on sectarian violence. It has already said that 190 people arrested in connection with the riots will face a military trial.

Middle East Concern, a religious rights organisation, reports that there have been ongoing protests in central Cairo against inter-religious clashes.

The Muslims involved in the weekend riots are widely reported to be hard-line Salafi Muslims who model themselves on early generations of Islam's followers.

(Sources: BBC, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Compass Direct, Middle East Concern)

• Pray that peace and order will be restored to Imbaba district. Pray that Copts and moderate Muslims alike, across Egypt generally and in this part of Cairo particularly, will unite against further inter-religious violence.
• Pray that the violence this weekend will spur on Egyptians of all faiths to make religious freedom one of the key foundation stones of the new Egypt.

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