Video report: Egypt's Christian churches on fire12 dead 232 injured

Video report: Egypt's Christian churches on fire12 dead 232 injured

Clashes between conservative Islamists and Egypt's Christian minority result in dozens of injuries and at least ten deaths as two churches are set on fire.

Relations between Egypt's Muslims and Christians degenerated to a new low Sunday after riots overnight left 12 people dead and a church burned, adding to the disorder of the country's post-revolution transition to democracy.

The attack on the church was the latest sign of assertiveness by an extreme, ultraconservative movement of Muslims known as Salafis, whose increasing hostility toward Egypt's Coptic Christians over the past few months has met with little interference from the country's military rulers.

Salafis have been blamed for other recent attacks on Christians and others they don't approve of. In one attack, a Christian man had an ear cut off for renting an apartment to a Muslim woman suspected of involvement in prostitution.

Christians make up about 10 per cent of Egypt's 80 million people population, with interfaith relationships often causing tension.

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