CAIRO // Christians and Muslims rallied together in the Egyptian capital yesterday to protest against the country's military rulers and stress national unity a day after sectarian clashes claimed the lives of at least 10 people and wounded scores more.
Angry protesters gathered outside the state television building questioned why the army did not intervene more quickly in the worst inter-religious violence seen in Egypt since former president Hosni Mubarak resigned on February 11.
The clashes late Tuesday were the latest in a series of incidents that have re-awoken historic sectarian tensions and shaken the unity of a youth-led protest movement that put aside religious differences to oppose Mr Mubarak.
The crowd of more than 1,000 demonstrators chanted: "They said the army will protect us but we discovered they are hurting us.They tell us our country is safe and secure, alas that was in the past." It included Muslims but appeared to be made up predominantly of Christians, many of whom carried large wooden crucifixes.
The fighting erupted at the southern edge of Cairo when a group of several thousand Christians blocked a major highway and faced off against thousands of Muslims. Soldiers reportedly managed to break up the fighting by firing guns in the air after several hours of running street battles.
At least 10 people, both Christian and Muslim, were killed, the Ministry of Health reported, according to MENA, the state news agency.
The Christians were protesting against the destruction of a church by Muslims in Sol, a village 90km south of the capital, on Friday in which the local parish priest was nearly killed. The destruction of the church itself came after clashes reportedly sparked by a love affair between a Christian and Muslim in the same governate.
Military officers met residents in Sol on Tuesday and have promised on state television to rebuild the church on the same spot as soon as possible. Protesters yesterday, however, said they had lost faith in the military to protect the interests of the country's Christian minority, which makes up about 10 per cent of the population.
Emad Nagi, a Christian who traveled more than 200km to the Cairo protest yesterday from a village in upper Egypt, compared the head of the ruling Supreme Military Council, Mohammed Sayid Tantawi, to Habib el Adly, the former interior minister who is now under criminal investigation for a number of charges, including stoking sectarian tensions.
"Tantawi is the head of all corruption, he does wrong to the Christians just as Habib al Adly did," said Mr Nagi, who works as a diver in the resort town of Hurghada.
Mr Nagi repeated a theory heard in more than a dozen interviews with protesters that government officials had allowed the clashes to take place to disrupt the unity of Egypt's youth-led protest movement.
Protestsin Cairo's Tahrir Square leading up to Mr Mubarak's resignation featured prominent scenes of religious unity, with Christians and Muslims each protecting the other side during prayers.
Sayid Hashmi, a professor at Cairo University who is a Muslim, attended the protest yesterday to preserve that unity, he said.
"I am a Muslim, but I must support them — this [unity] is the main purpose, the real demand of the revolution."
The scenes of unity yesterday occurred less than a kilometre from Tahrir Square, where a group of several hundred unidentified youth charged a group of protesters who have remained camped in the middle of the square.
The two groups threw rocks at one another in the street in front of the Egyptian museum, recalling scenes early last month when anti-government protesters clashed with pro-government forces. At least three people were injured, but the encamped protesters retained in control of the square.
cstanton@thenational.ae
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
beabadoobee
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
Scores:
Day 4
England 290 & 346
Sri Lanka 336 & 226-7 (target 301)
Sri Lanka require another 75 runs with three wickets remaining
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
