In this Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 photo, towers of churches are silhouetted against the sun in the village of El-Aziyah near the city of Assiut, southern Egypt. After a campaign of intimidation by Islamists, most Christians in this southern Egyptian province were too afraid to participate in last week’s referendum on an Islamist-drafted constitution they desperately oppose, residents say. Some of the few who dared try to reach polls were pelted by stones. The disenfranchising hikes Christians’ worries over their future under Egypt’s empowered Islamists, but some young members of the community are starting to push back.(AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Egypt: Christian arrested on molesting charge
Published: 06:11:35 PM, Mon 04 March 2013 UTC
ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) — An official says a Coptic Christian has been arrested on charges of molesting a neighbor child, adding to sectarian tensions in Egypt's south. The arrest came after Muslims set fire to the Copt's house.
The incident took place in Assiut province. Over the weekend, there were clashes between Christians and Muslims in another southern province. Christians charge they are targets of more frequent attacks since the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt last year.
In the Assiut incident, Chief Investigator Lt. Col. Mohamed Essami said Monday that the 30-year-old Copt, Karam Attallah, was accused by Muslims of molesting his 9-year old neighbor, Mohammed Abdel-Al. Angry Muslims ransacked and set fire to Attalah's house and threatened other Christian residents. Security and military forces intervened to stop the violence.
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