Egypt: Muslim Mob Attacks Church, Assaults Christians; Police Arrest Christian Victims

Egyptian police vehicle, cattan2011, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 | Jihad Watch

Egyptian police detained four Christian men who had been assaulted by a mob during an attack on a Coptic place of worship in Egypt. The men were released two days later after withdrawing the complaint they had filed against those responsible for the assault.

The incident occurred on Wednesday in the village of Tal Al-Quiblya in Minya Governorate, according to the UK-based religious freedom organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), citing the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).

Reports indicate that a crowd of Muslim residents, largely made up of women, children, and teenagers, threw stones at the building while shouting sectarian slogans.

Several Christians were injured during the attack. Eyewitnesses said the place of worship and the priest’s vehicle also sustained damage.

Police arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control, but took the four Christian men into custody. They were released on Friday after agreeing to withdraw their complaint against the attackers.

Authorities also reportedly arrested an unspecified number of Muslim residents in connection with the incident.

Separately, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Egypt be placed on the U.S. State Department’s Special Watch List, citing concerns over serious violations of religious freedom.

Human rights groups have also raised concerns over the use of Egypt’s blasphemy laws, which have been applied against individuals for expressing or defending their religious beliefs, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)