8,921
edits
Changes
→Chronology of Persecution: reference;
* 2011 - May 18 - The Coptic Church obtained permission in January to turn a garment factory bought by the church in 2006, into a church in the neighbourhood of Ain Shams, of Cairo. However, angry Muslim mobs attacked the church and scores of Copts and Muslims were arrested for the disturbance. On Sunday May 29, an Egyptian Military Court sentenced two Coptic Christians to five years in jail each for violence and for trying to turn a factory into an unlicensed church.<ref>''Egypt sentences Copts over church scuffle.'' France 24. May 29, 2011.</ref>
* 2011 - October 9 - [[w:Maspero demonstrations|Maspero demonstrations]] - Thousands of Coptic Christians took to the streets in Cairo to protest the burning of a church in Marinab and were headed towards Maspiro, where they were met with armoured personnel carrier, APCs, and hundreds of riot police and special forces. Army vehicles charged at the protesters and reports of at least 6 protesters being crushed under APCs, including one with a crushed skull, has emerged. In addition, witnesses have confirmed that military personnel were seen firing live ammunition into the protesters, while the Health Ministry confirmed that at least 20 protesters have undergone surgery for bullet wounds.<ref name=DAVIDD>David D. Kirkpatrick. ''[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/world/middleeast/deadly-protests-over-church-attack-in-cairo.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=world Church Protests in Cairo Turn Deadly].'' NY Times. October 9, 2011.</ref> In total, an estimated 24 persons were killed most of whom are Copts, <ref>''[http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2011/10/violence-egypt A Bloody Sunday in Cairo].'' '''The Economist'''. Oct 10th 2011, 16:00.</ref> while numbers as high as 36 and 50 were reported, including unconfirmed reports of the death of three army soldiers. The number of wounded protesters was estimated to be 322, of whom about 250 were transported to hospitals.<ref>Tamim Elyan and Shaimaa Fayed. ''[http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/us-egypt-copts-clashes-idUSTRE7981Q220111010 Egypt Christians vent fury after clashes kill 25].'' Reuters. Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:55pm EDT.</ref> Inciting more unrest, messages were broadcasted on Egyptian national television urging "honest Egyptians" to take to the streets to "protect the military" from Christian protesters. As a result, hundreds of people, presumably Muslim extremists, were seen wielding clubs and machetes alongside riot police chanting "the people want to bring down the Christians", and later "Islamic, Islamic".<ref name="DAVIDD"/> The events came against the backdrop of tensions simmering due to the violent military breakup of a sit-in staged at Maspiro by Coptic demonstrators a few days earlier, to protest the burning of the church of Marinab in the Governorate of [[w:Aswan|Aswan]] by the [[w:Salafi|Salafis]] of the region.
* 2012 - August - Dahshour's entire Christian community, which some estimate to be as many as 100 families and includes Coptic Christians, fled to nearby towns due to sectarian violence. The violence began in a dispute over a badly ironed shirt, which in turn escalated into a fight in which a Christian burned a Muslim to death, which in turn sparked a rampage by angry Muslims, while the police failed to act. At least 16 homes and properties of Christians were pillaged, some were torche, and a church was damaged during the violence.<ref>Sarah El Deeb. ''[http://news.yahoo.com/riot-leaves-egyptian-village-without-christians-193639777.html Riot Leaves an Egyptian Village Without Christians].'' YAHOO! News (AP). Aug 4, 2012.</ref>
