7 Copts, 1 Muslim killed in brawl in Egypt
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E-mail Xinhua, April 6, 2013
Seven Copts and one Muslim were killed Saturday in clashes between two families in northeastern Egypt, state-run Ahram Online reported.
Twenty others from the two families, including 17 Copts and three Muslims, were injured in the incident in the Qanater el- Khiriah district, Qalyubiya governorate, some 40 km from the capital Cairo.
The quarrel started Friday night when some Muslim students saw some Copts were drawing a crucifix on the front wall of a Muslim religious institute, an eye witness told Xinhua.
However, a security source said the drawings have no relation to Christian cross, asserting it was a normal painting by Muslims on the school wall during a game.
Fifteen people were arrested on the fighting scene, the source said, adding that the security forces managed to stop some Muslims from setting fire to the house of a Copt accused of killing the Muslim.
A nearby Evangelical Church and a nursery annexed to it were set ablaze during the quarrel, Soryal Yonan, an archpriest of Mar Girigis Church, which was closed to avoid any assaults.
Yonan also warned of sectarian sedition, as some Muslim preachers used the neighboring mosque's speakers to demand Muslim gun holders get out of their houses and dozens from both sides were gathering outside the church.
Cautious tranquility is seen in the area after the security forces arrived, Yonan said, urging the armed forces to take actions to control the situation completely.
Saad al-Katatni, head of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, condemned the clashes as "unacceptable and dangerous."
He urged the security forces to take all the necessary procedures to preserve the safety of citizens and the religious figures, arguing some people are tending to drive a wedge between Muslims and Coptic.
The Qalyubiya prosecution started investigations and the forensic team carried out an autopsy on the bodies, official news agency MENA reported.
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