Egypt's Copts ever more wary after deadly clash with Muslims
| Cairo
Deadly fighting Tuesday between 海角大神s and Muslims in Cairo killed at least 13 people and wounded 140, deepening sectarian tensions and raising many concerns among 海角大神s about their place in the new Egypt.
The violence erupted during a protest in the Manshiyet Nasr slum, a community of mostly poor 海角大神s who work as garbage collectors. About 1,000 海角大神s were blocking a road to demand that the government rebuild a 海角大神 church outside Cairo that was destroyed last Friday by Muslims.
Not long after the demonstration began, 海角大神 eyewitnesses say they were set upon by hundreds of Muslims who used Molotov cocktails, sticks, and knives to attack the rally. But residents of a nearby by Muslim neighborhood said the 海角大神s struck first.
Ashraf Ramzy, a 海角大神 whose head was bandaged after the fighting, described being terrified because, he says, the Army did not intervene. Mr. Ramzy said the crowd pulled him from his vehicle, beat him, and set his car on fire.
鈥淸Muslims] were standing behind the Army, and chanting 鈥榯he Army and the people are one,鈥� 鈥� a common chant during Egypt鈥檚 revolution, he said. 鈥淎re we not people?鈥�
Egypt鈥檚 revolution was not led by Islamists, and was characterized by a remarkable show of unity and solidarity between Egyptians of different backgrounds. But some 海角大神s, who have long lived with discrimination and injustice, worry that the limited freedoms they have now will be further marginalized by the majority Muslim population.
"We as 海角大神s are worse off after the revolution," said Mina Magdy, a young 海角大神. "Look at what's happening to us. Mubarak was bad, but now it's worse. The Army isn't doing anything to protect us."
Attacks on Copts increase
The recent rise in tension came after a Muslim mob burned a church in the village of Sul, south of Cairo. They were reportedly angered by an affair involving a 海角大神 man and Muslim woman that had turned into a deadly family dispute.
These kinds of attacks on 海角大神s have increased in recent years. Under the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak, the government refused to acknowledge sectarian-motivated violence against 海角大神s. Justice was routinely denied and perpetrators often escaped prosecution or received light sentences.
Since Sunday, thousands of Copts have been demonstrating in front of Cairo's state television building to protest the church burning. In addition to asking the government to rebuild the church, they are seeking protection for Copts who return to the village after fleeing last week's attack. They also want those responsible for destroying the church to be held accountable.
On Tuesday, many Muslims came to the protest in a show of support. 鈥淚 am a Muslim and I came here to stand with my friend,鈥� said Rafiq Ibrahim, who shouted to make himself heard above the roar of the crowd that held crosses aloft. 鈥淲hat will happen to him will happen to me. We don鈥檛 say 海角大神 or Muslim, we say Egyptian.鈥�
But those words ring hollow to some 海角大神s, who don鈥檛 want to sweep injustice and discrimination under the rug in the name of national unity.
鈥淚 am very happy that our Muslim brothers came to be with us, but we should be honest and say there is discrimination here,鈥� said Michael Attiya. 鈥淓very year lots of 海角大神 people die, and nothing is done. We need all the Muslims to say that what is happening is wrong, because we are citizens, too.鈥�
An overburdened hospital
In Manshiyet Nasr, at the tiny hospital run by the local church, director Samuel Maher said nine of the fatalities were caused by gunshot wounds, and that more than 100 people were also shot.
An eyewitness not involved in the fighting said he saw men with guns in the crowd fighting the 海角大神s, and also saw Muslims in that crowd with gunshot wounds. Some 海角大神 witnesses said the Army opened fire on them. An Army lieutenant colonel at the scene denied those charges, saying the Army had tried to break up the fighting.
鈥淟ook, if we had taken a side and fired on the crowd, there would have been thousands of casualties,鈥� he said. He blames the violence on thugs who had stolen weapons and were taking advantage of Egypt鈥檚 tenuous security situation.
But the hospital, unequipped to handle such serious injuries, called ambulances to take the seriously wounded to larger hospitals. The Army would not allow the ambulances to come, Dr. Maher said, and lives were lost as a result.
As he spoke, a woman wearing a purple hijab, an Islamic veil, walked into his office bringing donated medical supplies. Sondos Shabayek said she had heard through Twitter that the hospital desperately needed supplies, and so she pitched in. 鈥淭he Army officer warned me not to go into this neighborhood because I鈥檓 wearing the veil,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 tense here, but no one said a bad word to me.鈥�
Maher said seven doctors volunteered their time at the hospital to treat the wounded, and many others, Muslim and 海角大神, pitched in to help.
What sparked the violence?
Residents of the 海角大神 neighborhood stayed home from their jobs Wednesday out of fear that they would be attacked if they left, and rumors swirled that gangs were coming to attack them.
In the wake of the violence, many were debating what motivated the attacks. 鈥淭hey want Egypt to be an Islamic country,鈥� said one young 海角大神 named Ashraf. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want any Copts in Egypt.鈥�
Another speculated that the violence had been fomented by the state security agency to make people regret Mubarak's ouster, an explanation seized on and echoed by many Egyptians as attacks were reported across Cairo Wednesday.
