Egyptian Muslims attack Christian-owned shops

Posted by admin2 - December 17, 2007 on 10:07 am | In Christian COPTS, Coptic News, General | No Comments

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Associated Press 

CAIRO (AP) - Angry Muslims attacked and destroyed shops owned by Coptic Christians on Sunday in a town in southern Egypt that been witnessing sectarian tensions, a police official said.

The attackers set hurled stones and set fire to several shops, smashed windows of a church and damaged two cars in the early morning hours before the shops in Isna were opened for business, said the police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Police detained 15 people suspected of taking part in the attacks in Isna, located about 350 miles south of Cairo, he said.

The riots followed reports that two Coptic Christians pulled down the veil of a Muslim woman in a car park on Saturday evening. Dozens of Muslims started to gather in protest very early Sunday, but police managed to disperse them.
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