As I learned from a some-what contradictory article from Asharq Alawsat, at least seven Egyptian Muslims were arrested after a riot in the city Isna which left at least 13 Christian-owned stores, a car, motorcycle and one church in ruins. The riot began after a Muslim women was accused and later cleared of all charges, of stealing a cellphone from a Christian-owned store. Police have been making their presence more obvious over the past several days since an angry crowd of Muslims attacked a Christian-owned store when they suspected a Muslim girl was inside having sex with two Christian boys. Christians make up about 10% of Egypt, and their relationship with the Muslim community had been pretty good since the 1999, when 22 people were injured and 20 Christians killed when several shops were destroyed. Also that year, a Muslim man was murdered and 5 injured when a man, claimed to be mentally ill by Egyptian Christians, stabbed them all in Alexandria.
Still, the article claims that the Muslims and Christians in Egypt have a relatively good relationship, though their fights over land. religion and young women sometimes lead to violence.
