FLAMES OF STRIFE

Sectarian tension reared its ugly head on March 5 when a group of Muslims set fire to the Church of Martyrs in Atfih village on March 5, following the discovery of an alleged romantic relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman. The sabotage occurred amid a violent feud between the families of the couple, in which two people were killed. Copts responded with a nine-day protest in front of the Radio and Television building in Maspero. On March 14, the Armed Forces started to rebuild the torched church at its original location in an effort to defuse the rising tensions. Unrelated to the Atfih incident, seven people were killed 140 others were injured in violent clashes in Mansheyet Nasser and Moqattam on March 8. The clashes reportedly started with a rumor spread about a mosque being set on fire. By the time order was restored, 12 building and 50 cars had been torched, with 100 break-ins reported.