By Reuters CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor said it had referred 48 Muslims and Christians to criminal court on Saturday for their roles in sectarian violence that led to the burning of a church in the Cairo district of Imbaba on May 7. The clashes, in which 12 people were killed and 52 wounded, were sparked …
By H.A. Hellyer CAIRO: The recent burning of a church in Cairo’s Imbaba district reminded me of New Year’s Eve this year, when I was in Cairo. At the time, I heard about the bombing outside the church in Alexandria, and I saw the outrage that took place on the streets of Cairo — and the …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Police forces guarding the Virgin Church in Imbaba fled when it was attacked by thugs nine days ago, according to a report by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIHR). EIPR issued a report on Monday including the findings of a field investigation carried out by its researchers on the sectarian attacks …
By Sarah El Sirgany CAIRO: It’s easy to find a person to blame for everything that goes wrong. In the Imbaba clashes, this person is Abeer Fakhry, the woman whose rumored holdup in a church for converting to Islam, sparked sectarian clashes that escalated beyond control. When 12 people are killed, a church is burnt and …
By Mai Shams El-Din CAIRO: The fact finding committee of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) said in a press conference Wednesday that thugs were responsible for setting fire to the Virgin Mary Church in Imbaba, after clashes erupted two kilometers away in front of Marmina Church. “The events were first sectarian when a group …
By AFP CAIRO: Pro-democracy activists have called for nationwide “unity” protests amid fears of widespread sectarian unrest following the latest clashes between Muslims and Christians. Activists are calling on the country’s Christians and Muslims to come out on Friday to denounce sectarian divisions, after deadly clashes in Cairo on Saturday that left 12 people dead. …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Ten were arrested on Tuesday for posting a video believed to have incited the burning of churches in Imbaba, less than 24 hours after the woman, whose alleged detention in a church triggered deadly clashes, appeared in an online video. The suspects, according to the Ministry of Interior, would be questioned for …
CAIRO: Egypt stepped up security around churches in Cairo on Monday after two days of clashes between minority Christians and Muslims that killed 12 people and highlighted rising inter-faith tensions. The violence that left a church wrecked by fire and more than 238 people wounded at the weekend was triggered by rumors that Christians …
WASHINGTON/OTTAWA: US and Canadian officials condemned on Monday sectarian violence in Egypt that caused 12 deaths and 232 injuries, urging authorities to exercise self-restraint and to conduct a full investigation. "We call for calm and underscore our support for the Egyptians who, in the spirit of unity that followed the January 25 Revolution, reject religious …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the state TV building on Monday, calling for the prosecution of those responsible for the clashes in Imbaba which left 12 dead. Minor clashes erupted and lasted only for a few minutes at noon as rocks and bottles were thrown at protesters. No casualties were …
By Tamim Elyan CAIRO: Twenty-three suspects and eyewitnesses were arrested Monday in Imbaba as part of investigations into Saturday’s violence. The arrests included the man who whose claim that his wife was held in the church triggered the deadly clashes, as well as the café owner who allegedly fired the first gunshot. The army had announced …
By AFP CAIRO: Egypt’s media on Monday slammed what it said were “anti-revolutionaries” trying to trigger sectarian violence, which Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei labeled “religious extremism of the Middle Ages.” “We are facing the anti-revolutionary groups who are convinced that any success of the revolution was an even greater threat to their interests and …
By Tamim El-Elyan CAIRO: Twelve died and 232 were injured in Saturday’s Imbaba clashes, which were fueled by a rumor that a Christian woman who converted to Islam was being held inside Marimina Church. Among those killed were four Christians and six Muslims, while two other bodies were still unidentified, according to AFP. The Supreme Council …
By Dalia Rabie and Tamim Elyan CAIRO/ALEXANDRIA: Thousands of protesters demonstrated in front of the state-TV building blocking the road and hundreds protested in front of the Alexandria Library on Sunday to condemn the previous night’s sectarian clashes in Imbaba, which left at least 12 dead. Clashes erupted in Cairo when a march heading towards the …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Around 30 Coptic protesters congregated at the US embassy Sunday, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for clashes in Imbaba the previous night, which left at least 12 dead. Political analysts, however, said this is an issue that should be solved without foreign intervention. “If the army and the police won’t listen …
By AFP CAIRO: Egypt’s military rulers warned on Sunday of strong measures against anyone inciting sectarian strife, in a bid to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power after president Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in February, said it was “exerting all efforts to end sectarian disagreements on …
By Essam Fadl CAIRO: The Giza Archbishopric halted the activities of an unlicensed services center in the Bashtil district of Imbaba until it is licensed after a group of Salafis and other Muslim inhabitants protested in front of it, holding a number of Copts and children inside. The center includes a Coptic charity organization, kindergarten and …
