Clashes in Egypt, 13 killed

Clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims broke out of Egypt since Tuesday to Wednesday, 8-9 March 2011. Reportedly, 13 people were killed, 140 others injured.

As quoted from page Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, March 9, 2011, the clashes started with adherents of the Coptic demonstration from the slums in Manshiyat Naser, or known by the name of the city dump, in the middle of the highway to Cairo. They protested the burning church last week in a village in the province of Helwan.

According to the LA Times reports, their demonstrations and clashes with Muslim masses. Suspected, clashed due to a growing issue, which is not proven true. Outstanding issue is the Muslims will perform Friday prayers at the site of burned churches and Coptic Christians kidnapped veiled women in the city. The issue is spread person-siu was not liable to provoke both parties.

Location Manshiyat Nasser shanty town which is the majority of the population living by recycling garbage. Garbage is also used to build their homes. That's why this place known as the city dump, and 60,000 residents called zabaleen or human waste.

The death toll was reported to reach 13 people from both camps. They mostly were shot. According to reports from the Ministry of Health of Egypt, Ashraf Hatem, nine of the victims were Copts.

The region is now reportedly closed by the military, to prevent bloody battles happen again.

Copts in the area said the military opened fire on the side with Muslims and Copts. However, this is disputed by the military.

A soldier who was not named, said that the military actually caught between two camps. He refused if the military was accused of shooting at the Copts

"We have to wait for reinforcements to come before the entrance. Without us, there will be more deaths," he said.

Coptic Christians numbered 12 percent of the population of Egypt. They often complain of discrimination by the government and the majority of Egyptians are Muslim. Attacks on Coptic church last occurred in early 2011 in Alexandria, 25 people were reportedly killed.

Religious leaders on both sides so get along because they feel as a fellow Fellow of Egypt. They repeatedly called for his people was not moved tantrum provocateur.