Seventeen suspects arrested over violent Egypt sectarian clashes

Seventeen suspects arrested over violent Egypt sectarian clashes

2011-05-10 00:20:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

CAIRO, EGYPT (BNO NEWS) -- Egyptian police forces on Monday announced that seventeen individuals were arrested over Saturday's violent sectarian clashes in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba, the Ahram newspaper reported.

Among the 17 detainees were those suspected of being the main instigators of the Imbaba violence that left at least 12 dead and many more injured. On Saturday, Muslims, many of them Islamist Salafists, clashed with Copts outside a church.

Yassin Thabet, 31, one of the arrested, said that the clashes began after his wife who converted to Islam seven years ago was not allowed to leave the Saint Mena Coptic Orthodox Church.

Witnesses said the two sides exchanged gunfire, sending people running for cover. Military and riot police fired shots in the air to separate both sides. At least 232 people were wounded, while 190 were arrested.

Investigation and interrogations are still underway. Another church in the same district was set ablaze by ‎angry crowds later. On Sunday, Copts took the streets to protest the sectarian violence.

The protesters urged the ruling military council to bring the instigators to justice and punish them. Army forces were deployed to contain the demonstrators. Protests continued on Monday as well.

In addition, Copts claimed that the army did not prevent Salafists from attacking them as soldiers reportedly remained still while the Muslims attacked the two churches. Others said that Saudi Arabia is backing the Salafis.

The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, said that the body is gravely concerned over the deaths and injuries caused by the violent clashes.

"I commend the prompt measures taken by the interim leadership to restore order, and I urge the authorities to bring those responsible for the violence to justice, before civilian courts," added Ashton, also the Vice-President of the European Commission.

Sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christian Copts have increased in the past year. A Coptic church in the town of Alexandria was bombed on New Year's Day, killing 23 people. Ten days later, a gunman killed a Christian man and wounded five others on a train in Egypt.

There are around 8 million Christian Copts in Egypt, which represent about 10 percent of the population.

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