EGYPT: Police fire tear gas into the main Coptic church in Cairo as clashes between Christians and Muslims erupt following the funeral of four Christians killed during the previous day's sectarian clashes

Record ID: 710395

  • Title: EGYPT: Police fire tear gas into the main Coptic church in Cairo as clashes between Christians and Muslims erupt following the funeral of four Christians killed during the previous day's sectarian clashes
  • Date: 7th April 2013
  • Summary: YOUNG MUSLIM MAN WITH FACE INJURY CRYING
  • Embargoed: 22nd April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACSABYZGUYXLJC92AKBP7JHYGZ
  • Story Text: Egyptian police fired tear gas into the main Coptic church in Cairo as clashes between Christians and Muslims erupted following the funeral on Sunday (April 7) of four Christians killed during the previous day's sectarian clashes on Saturday.
    Riot forces fired teargas canisters to take control of stone-throwing clashes around the Coptic Cathedral of Saint Mark in Cairo's al-Abbassia neighbourhood.
    Thousands of mourners had attended the funeral of four Christians Copts killed in clashes between Christians and Muslims on Saturday (April 6) in a town near Cairo, in the worse sectarian violence seen in Egypt for months.
    An eyewitness told Reuters that crowds of Christian mourners chanted anti-Islam slogans during the funerals, which then provoked Muslim residents.

    "What happened is that the was a funeral, the Christians chanted slogans which provoked the residents (Muslims) of Abbassia, they insulted each other, then the clash broke out, they pelted stones at each other and then they (Christians) lit up a fire and then shot us with cartridge guns (plastic bullets), many people were injured and then the police forces arrived," Muslim resident, Ahmed Mahmoud, said.
    Christian mourners were heard chanting: "with souls and blood we will defend the cross" and "blood of Christians is not cheap, villainous Mursi" during the funerals.
    One Muslim was also killed in the Saturday clashes when members of both communities started fighting and shooting at each other in El Khusus north of the Egyptian capital, the sources said.
    Christian-Muslim confrontations have increased in Muslim-majority Egypt since the overthrow of former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 gave freer rein to hardline Islamists repressed under his rule.
    The president's office expressed condolences to the victims and vowed to fight any sectarian violence.
    Muslim leaders were also quick to condemn the sectarian violence which comes as Egypt struggles with a severe economic crisis and high inflation after two years of political upheaval.
    President Mohamed Mursi, a Brotherhood leader elected in June, has promised to protect the rights of Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 84 million people.
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