Recent clashes heighten tensions between Copts and Muslims in Egypt

According to Religious Intelligence, although the Coptic community has lived relatively peacefully alongside the majority Muslim population for many years, recent clashes warn of the possibility of a heightened conflict in northern Egypt.

Most recently in Seft Meydoum, an incident arose after a Muslim girl was struck by a Christian man, causing a bicycle accident. In Alexandria, a clash between a Coptic youth and a Muslim leader’s son resulted in 13 arrests.

In the Christian quarter of Zwyet Abdel-Qader in early June, fighting broke out between a pedestrian and a driver. After a clash between a Muslim and a Christian construction worker in Dekheila, the church there was attacked.

Some say that the latest violence is no more than thuggery, but tensions between the Muslim and Christian community could lead to a more serious situation.

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