Coptics vs. Muslims

last updated 8 January 2015

Alexandria, Egypt

Egyptian police arrested more than 100 people this week after four days of clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims. The unrest began on Good Friday, when a machete-wielding Muslim killed an 80-year-old man and wounded a half-dozen other worshippers in three separate churches. Egyptian officials immediately said the attacker was mentally ill and acting alone. But Coptics feared a concerted Muslim assault, and hundreds took to the streets, where they clashed with bands of Muslims. Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egyptians.