The village of Saft al-Laban, in al-Minya Governorate, witnessed last Wednesday sectarian fights, after an argument between a Christian and a Muslim led to the death of one of them and the torching of eight Christian houses. The security forces intervened to avoid further violence and al-Minya Diocese issued warnings, fearing a renewal of clashes after the Friday prayer.

The army and the police surrounded the village of Diljā in al-Minya with six tanks, with the purpose of protecting the governorate’s facilities and providing security to the hundreds of Copts who had been repeatedly threatened. The entrance to the village was blocked by Muslim Brotherhood supporters who used firearms and forced the soldiers to step back.

Mustafá Ashraf, an eye witness from the village, reported that the Muslim Brotherhood supporters used speakers on vehicles and mosques threatening the Christians and forcing the police and the army to confront them. Doctor Rushdī, from Dīr Mawās General Hospital, said that so far they have not received any dead or injured people. Diljā registered several attacks against Copts after Morsi’s arrest, and the archeological church of Virgin Mary and Bishop Abraham, which was 1600 years old, was burnt last week (Saʿīd Nāfiʿ and Theresa Kamal, al-Masry al-Yawm, Aug. 24, p. 5). Read original text in Arabic.

(Federica Raimondi, Intern)