Sunday, June 01, 2008

Kidnapped monks released after southern Egypt clashes and other attacks

Link to the story.

Two quotes from the article:

Three monks abducted after bloody clashes between Muslims and Christians were set free Sunday as calm returned to the southern Egyptian village, said a security official.

The battle erupted Saturday when local Muslims claimed the expansion of a monastery was being carried out illegally on state property in the village of Deir Abu Fana, near the city of Minya, 210 kilometers south of the capital.


And:

The latest clashes, however, come against a disturbing backdrop of attacks against Christian jewelers over the past week that prompted one Coptic member of parliament to claim Thursday that police were not adequately protecting the community.

On Wednesday, gunmen stormed a jewelry shop in Cairo and killed the Coptic owner and three of his assistants, but did not steal anything.

The Free Copts have the story of the jewelery attacks: Copts shot dead in Cairo attack
and Four Cairo Copts shot dead in gangland-style slaying