Egyptian Muslims attack Christian-owned shops*

CAIRO (AP) — Angry Muslims attacked and destroyed shops owned by Coptic
Christians on Sunday in a town in southern Egypt that been witnessing
sectarian tensions, a police official said.

The attackers set hurled stones and set fire to several shops, smashed
windows of a church and damaged two cars in the early morning hours
before the shops in Isna were opened for business, said the police
official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not
authorized to talk to the media.

Police detained 15 people suspected of taking part in the attacks in
Isna, located about 350 miles south of Cairo, he said.

The riots followed reports that two Coptic Christians pulled down the
veil of a Muslim woman in a car park on Saturday evening. Dozens of
Muslims started to gather in protest very early Sunday, but police
managed to disperse them.

Police blocked all main streets leading to the town, but witnesses said
some people managed to attack the shops in two of the town's streets.
Peace returned to the town after several hours of rioting, they said.

Earlier this week, dozens of Muslims went on a rampage following rumors
of an attempt of abduction and sexually assault a teenage Muslim girl by
some Coptic Christians. The rioters hurled stones and smashed windows of
a pharmacy were they suspected the Copts forced the girl to have sex
with them.

On Thursday, police arrested two Coptic Christians suspected of taking
part in the abduction of the girl. They were ordered detained for 15
days on charges related to sectarian tensions, police said.

Muslim-Coptic tensions are commonplace in southern Egypt, mostly over
land or church construction disputes.

On New Year's Day in 2000, a dispute between the Muslims and Copts in
the mixed village of Kosheh escalated into a clash with groups of armed
villagers shooting at each other, leaving 21 Christians and one Muslim dead.

Coptic Christians make up an estimated 10% of Egypt's 76.5 million
people and generally live in peace with the Muslim majority. The
government is highly sensitive to public discussions of its treatment of
the Coptic minority, insisting Christians enjoy the same rights as the
Muslim majority