A group of Muslim men, angered by plans to enlarge a Coptic church, battled with Christians after Friday prayers, setting fire to several buildings and injuring at least 11 people, officials and witnesses said.
Attackers roamed through the village of Bamha, about 15 miles south of Cairo, carrying hatchets and fuel canisters, said a witness, Tarek Gabbas.
Muslims and Christians reportedly threw firebombs and bricks at each other, and at least 10 Christian houses and businesses were set ablaze before police restored order. Seventeen people from both faiths were arrested, Reuters news agency reported.
Under Egyptian law, no church can be constructed without a presidential decree. However, mosques are not subject to the same regulation, a fact cited by Egypt’s Coptic minority as evidence of discrimination....
Source: L.A. Times
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