An Egyptian protester holds a cross and a copy of Islam's holy book, the Quran, during a protest in Tahrir Square to condemn sectarian clashes in Egypt, 2013. Amr Nabil /Press Association. All rights reserved.Last week, an Egyptian court ordered the release of all defendants accused of assaulting a Coptic woman in the southern city of Minya.
Rumors had spread of a relationship between a Coptic man and Muslim woman in Al-Karm village. On 20 May, hundreds of armed Muslims reacted and attacked the homes of seven Coptic families, dragging the elderly mother of the man, stripped naked, through the streets of the village. Only six attackers were arrested but later released.
Remarkably, Bishop Makarios of Minya took a strong stance and refused the customary reconciliation sessions proposed by local officials. “Participating in such sessions without the enforcement of the law is meaningless. The matter should first be tackled through the application of the law”, he said.
