Egypt News:

Protester killed as Egypt Christians clash with police

By Samer al-Atrush (AFP) – 

A security official told AFP that a young male demonstrator was killed during the protests

CAIRO — One demonstrator was killed and dozens injured on Wednesday as Christian protesters clashed with Egyptian police over the denial of permission for a new church, a security official said.

The clashes come amid mounting religious tension in the Arab world's most populous nation after Muslims set fire to homes owned by the family of a Christian man rumoured to have flirted with a Muslim girl in the south.

A security official told AFP that a young male demonstrator was killed during the protests over the church and that a senior police officer was among the injured.

Hundreds clashed sporadically with police throughout the morning in separate locations in the Talibiya district of Cairo's Giza governorate, with demonstrators throwing stones and Molotov cocktails, and the police responding with tear gas.

Around 20 police were injured in the clashes, including Giza's deputy security chief, as well as around 15 demonstrators.

The official MENA news agency said more than 3,000 people had taken part in the protests, 93 of whom were arrested. Some of the protesters were led away with blood on their faces, after police hurled rocks at them from a bridge.

The dead protester was identified as Makarios Gad Shukr, 19.

Father Mina, from a church near the proposed new chapel, said Shukr was shot in the neck during one of the demonstrations in front of the governorate headquarters in the morning.

Hundreds of Copts had gathered at the neighbouring church to complain about how they had been treated.

"People here feel very discriminated against. We can't build the church -- why are they stopping us?" asked Samih Rashid. "Every street has a mosque, every church has a mosque next to it," he complained.

Dozens of Muslim residents of Talibiya chanting anti-Coptic slogans threw rocks at the demonstrators from under a bridge on the ringroad as police fired tear gas at the Copts.

The Coptic protesters chanted back: "Long live the crescent alongside the crucifix," in reference to the Islamic and Christian symbols.

Riot police were later deployed to hold back the Muslims.

One of the Coptic demonstrators complained: "This is the way the government starts sectarian strife."

They were protesting against the government's decision not to allow the Copts to turn a community centre that they were building next to the Virgin Mary and Archangel Michael church into a chapel.

The authorities said the Copts had violated their building licence. Witnesses said police arrested construction workers.

Father Mina blamed restrictions in the law for the clashes. "This has led to something dangerous. It turned into a fight between Muslims and Copts."

Copts account for between six and 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million population and complain of systematic discrimination and marginalisation.

Non-Muslims are required to obtain a presidential decree to construct new religious buildings and must satisfy numerous conditions before permission is granted, in contrast to the ease with which mosques can be built.

Wednesday's clashes took place just days before Egyptians are to go to the polls for a parliamentary election, which is expected to keep the ruling National Democratic Party in power.

Sectarian tensions have been rising amid threats against Copts in Egypt by Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The jihadist network threatened to target the region's Christians if the Coptic church did not release two women rumoured to have converted to Islam. The Coptic church denied they had converted.

In January, six Copts were killed by gunmen in southern Egypt as they emerged from mass on the eve of Coptic Christmas in the deadliest attack on the community since 2000.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.

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