magden_david
31-12-04, 19:01
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7209391
CAIRO (Reuters) - One man died and two others were injured in uncertain circumstances in southern Egypt, a police source said on Thursday, in the latest in a series of clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.
The source said the clash took place on Wednesday when dozens of Muslims threw stones at a private building in Damshaw Hashim village, some 240 km (150 miles) south of Cairo, which they believed a Christian resident was turning into a church without state permission.
Police arrived at the scene and fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd, the source said.
It was not immediately clear how the man had died or who he was.
Members of the Christian Coptic minority, who make up 5 to 10 percent of Egypt's 70 million people, say they face restrictions in building churches among other problems. The authorities say every Egyptian is treated equally before the law regardless of religion.
Christians scuffled with security personnel at a Cairo cathedral earlier this month. They had gathered to protest against what they said was the abduction of a priest's wife.
Police also said this month they had arrested 25 people after sectarian violence erupted in Munqateen village, about 220 km south of Cairo.
CAIRO (Reuters) - One man died and two others were injured in uncertain circumstances in southern Egypt, a police source said on Thursday, in the latest in a series of clashes between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.
The source said the clash took place on Wednesday when dozens of Muslims threw stones at a private building in Damshaw Hashim village, some 240 km (150 miles) south of Cairo, which they believed a Christian resident was turning into a church without state permission.
Police arrived at the scene and fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd, the source said.
It was not immediately clear how the man had died or who he was.
Members of the Christian Coptic minority, who make up 5 to 10 percent of Egypt's 70 million people, say they face restrictions in building churches among other problems. The authorities say every Egyptian is treated equally before the law regardless of religion.
Christians scuffled with security personnel at a Cairo cathedral earlier this month. They had gathered to protest against what they said was the abduction of a priest's wife.
Police also said this month they had arrested 25 people after sectarian violence erupted in Munqateen village, about 220 km south of Cairo.