Egypt: Muslims attack Christians after disappearance of Muslim convert

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
An Egyptian police official says security forces have clashed with hundreds of angry Muslims who attacked houses and shops owned by Christians in a tiny farming village south of Cairo. The clashes took place late Friday after the disappearance of a young woman who had converted to Islam in the village of al-Nazalah. Egypt has seen several incidents of violence between Muslims and Christians in recent weeks. The police official says officers fired tear gas at, and scuffled with, about 1,000 Muslims who had accused Christians of kidnapping the female Muslim convert to force her to return to Christianity. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. A village priest says Muslim residents also threw Molotov cocktails at Christians.