AFRICA/EGYPT - Quarrel among boys degenerates in a sectarian clash: a Copt killed in the village of Akoris

Akoris (Agenzia Fides) - A trivial quarrel among boys yesterday afternoon, Sunday, July 17, degenerated in a sectarian clash in the Egyptian village of Akoris, 12 km north of Minya, in which a Coptic Christian was killed and three others were wounded - a Muslim woman and two Christian men, relatives of two priests.
According to local sources, the quarrel broke out among some Muslim boys who were passing in the street on a cart carried by a donkey and some of their Coptic peers. In a short space of time, the young Muslims’ relatives and friends gathered around the priests’ family houses and began to insult them. The Muslims had bats and knives with them and the quarrel ended in blood.
After the news of the attack and its consequences had been spread, a multitude of Christians rallied around the attacked houses, to denounce the inaction of the security forces in front of the violence and intimidation against Egyptian Christians. A few days ago (see Fides 11/07/2016) Anba Makarius had appealed to political and security forces, after the series of incidents in recent weeks recorded a rise in cases of violence suffered in particular by Egyptian Christians. Now - had pointed out the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop - such violent attacks which go from the assault on homes up to targeted kidnappings for ransom, is continuing at an average of one every ten days. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 18/07/2016)

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