23 killed in bloody Cairo protests
By Middle East correspondent Ben Knight in Cairo, wires
October 10, 2011 20:11:32
Egyption Coptic Christians carry the coffin of a victim of deadly clashes, during a
funeral at Abbassaiya Cathedral in Cairo on October 10, 2011, a day after 24 people,
mostly Christians, died in clashes with Egyptian security forces.
At least 23 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in Cairo as security forces fought angry Christian protesters demonstrating against the burning of a church in the south of the country.
Christians threw rocks and petrol bombs and set cars on fire in some of the most violent scenes since an uprising ousted ex-president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Hundreds from both sides fought with sticks on a Cairo bridge. Protesters carrying crosses and pictures of Jesus later spread to the central Tahrir Square, the focal point of the February uprising.
There were scenes of mayhem at a hospital where many of the dead and injured were taken, and soldiers later enforced a curfew in large areas of central Cairo.
The ruling military council has promised to protect all Egyptians while the country deals with a transition between a revolution and elections, but Egypt's minority Christians say the council is doing nothing to stop attacks on their churches and people by radical Islamists.
Full Story, plus video: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-10/protesters-killed-in-cairo-clashes/3457784
ABC Radio: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-10/cairo-clashes-claim-more-victims/3459396
For those in Australia that subscribe to a religious faith that enjoys the privileges and benefits of being in the majority, you might like to think, just for a moment, about what it's like for those with religious beliefs that are not in the majority. Whilst the recent unrest in Egypt is undeniable, as it's people struggle to enact positive change, this story somewhat highlights the aforementioned situation, and helps to demonstrate why church-state separation is so important for equality and freedom of belief.
