Muslims in a southern Egyptian town clashed with Coptic Christians after complaining that their new church bell was too loud, ending an eight-month period of sectarian calm. Police managed to put out a number of small fires that had been started in nearby cars and homes. A total of 11 people, including two policemen, were slightly hurt in the clashes near Minya. "Provocative elements from both sides, Muslim and Christian, got carried away in their reaction which led to friction between them and... resulted in the lighting of some fires in three cars and... five homes," a statement said. Muslims had pelted a Coptic church with rocks and Copts inside the church fired buckshot at them in response. Authorities arrested 43 people. The governor of Minya told state-run television that calm had returned to the town.
Church bell was too loud, huh? Well, that's as good a reason for a religious riot as any. It's terrible how, everywhere there are Muslims, those awful Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Animists, Confucianists and Jains just pick on them for no reason.A history of communal riots in India since partition is rife with similar flareups for completely nonsensical reasons.
Posted by Suman Palit [www.palit.com/blogger.html] 2/11/2002 6:20:45 PM |