Cairo, 100 Coptic families flee after clashes between Christians and Muslims

August 2, 2012: About 100 Christian families have fled from the village of Dahshur (Giza), 40 km south of Cairo after recent violence between the Coptic and Muslim communities. Yesterday, a group of Muslims set fire to several Christian homes and shops and even tried to set fire to the local church. The police intervened with tear gas. In the clashes 16 people were injured, including 10 officers. The group was returning from the funeral of a Muslim who died during a brawl with some Christians took place on July 27. Sources from Giza Diocese report that Coptic families have now left the village for fear of new attacks. The case of Dahshour is the first serious incident of violence between Christians and Muslims since the election of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Tensions exploded on July 27 following a dispute between a Christian shop assistant in a dry cleaners and a Muslim: the Christian burned the Muslim's shirt by accident. Witnesses say that after a fierce argument between the two outside the store, the Muslim and a group of friends went outside the house of a Christian, threatening him. Aided by his brother and father, he responded by throwing fire bombs, which injured a passerby, who died in hospital on July 31.

The reaction has unleashed a violent brawl between Christians and Muslims. A group of marched on the local church intending to destroy it, but some Muslim families made a human cordon to protect the building and restore calm in the village while waiting for the police.

22 year-old university student Sayed Hamam from Dahshour, explains that the man's family, law enforcement and the Christian pastor is trying to find a compromise to restore calm in the village. Sayed said that the young employee of the dry cleaner, his father and brother were immediately arrested for illegal possession of explosives and premeditated murder. Five Muslims, believed responsible for violence against the Copts homes, are being hunted by police.

According to the youngman, the violence also erupted due to the inertia of the security forces, which did nothing to stop the fires and looting. The pastor of Dahshour says that the police intervened after almost an hour into the fighting, by which time most of the buildings were burned and Christian families fled.

Clashes between Christian and Muslim families are very common in Egypt. The climate of impunity and safety due to the post-Mubarak political transition has increased opportunities for violence. In most cases the fights explode over the smallest errors, which are, however, exploited by extremists.