Egypt’s Copts in talks with army after clashes
Violence widely blamed on remnants of Mubarak's regime
Military authorities running Egypt and representatives of Christian Copts demonstrating in central Cairo held talks yesterday amid concerns over growing insecurity after deadly religious clashes.
“A dialogue has started between a group of young Copts and priests with the leaders of the army, over demonstrators’ claims in order to put an end to the sit-in,” state television announced.
Bloody fighting erupted late on Tuesday in the working class Cairo district of Moqattam when Muslims confronted 1,000 Christians who had been blocking a main road in protest at the burning of a church last week.
The health ministry said 13 people were killed in the clashes, and Father Boutros Roshdy of the Moqattam church said at least seven Coptic Christians were among the dead.
More than 1,000 Copts continued days of demonstrations on Thursday outside state television headquarters in Cairo to demand the rebuilding of a church torched south of the capital last week in clashes sparked by a romantic liaison between a young Christian and Muslim.
The fathers of the Copt and the Muslim were killed in the clashes last Friday, and the church was razed the following day.
The demonstrators, brandishing crucifixes and banners which condemned the church burning, also called for the sacking of the governor of Helwan province, where the incidents happened.
Meanwhile Egypt’s youth coalition, which sparked the revolt that forced strongman Hosni Mubarak to step down on February 11, called on its Facebook page for a peaceful demonstration in Tahrir Square today for “national unity” between Egyptians.
The group urges people to “prevent any attempt to provoke dissent or chaos.”
Attackers armed with knives and machetes waded into hundreds of pro-democracy activists in the square on Wednesday.
The violence, widely blamed on remnants of Mr Mubarak’s regime, revealed the security vacuum created by police, who disappeared from the streets during January protests that led to Mr Mubarak’s resignation.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday she would visit Egypt and Tunisia next week to back their moves towards democracy, her first trip to the US allies since their presidents were toppled