The American newspaper Los Angeles Times has questioned Egyptian President Mursi's ability to calm sectarian tensions in light of the sectarian clashes outside Saint Mark Cathedral, in which between four and eight people were killed, and widespread political unrest in the country. Although Christian and Muslims have co-existed in Egypt for centuries, the article notes that the rise of Islamist political parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood and other, more extreme, groups, have horrified Christians, and increased their fears that attempts will be made to limit their civil and religious rights. These fears were a major factor in the decision by representatives of the Church in boycotting the Islamist dominated Constitution writing committee (Shaymā' ‘Amr, al-Misrīyūn, Apr. 8, p. 2). Read original text in Arabic.
