Muslims and Copts clash in central Egypt

Fifteen people were injured and 35 were taken into custody after clashes today in central Egypt between Muslims and Coptic Christians, Reuters reported, citing police sources.

The incident apparently escalated from a dispute over a piece of land between the villages of Maabda and Gabal el-Teir after a rumor that a monastery was planning to annex the land.

According to the article: “The two sides, divided on sectarian lines, threw stones and scuffled until riot police intervened to stop them.”

Relations between Egypt’s Muslim majority and Coptic Christian minority are usually good. However, disputes over such issues as land, religious buildings and women, have led to violence.

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