1 killed in clashes during Egyptian Coptic funeral

Egyptian Christians attend a mass funeral for several Christians who have recently been killed in a sectarian brawl inside the Abbassiya Cathedral, Cairo, Egypt, April 7, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

CAIRO - Clashes erupted during a Christian funeral in the Egyptian capital on Sunday, leaving one person killed and 84 injured, a health ministry official told Xinhua.

The people were holding a funeral of four Christians who had recently been killed in a sectarian brawl, but clashes then erupted outside the main church in Cairo.

"One was killed and 84 other injured, dozens of whom are in serious conditions," Khaled al-Khatib, the ministry's director of emergency care department, told Xinhua.

The dead person is a 30-year-old Coptic, Khatib said, adding that 68 people had left the hospitals as their status is stable now.

Investigations revealed that the man died from a shot in the chest, state-run Ahram online reported.

"Sound of gunshots from unknown sources were heard and a lot of people exchanged stone throwing outside the cathedral," said an eyewitness outside Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, located in Abaaseya district of the capital.

Security forces rushed to the scene and used tear gas to disperse the crowds, the eyewitness told Xinhua.

The Coptic funeral procession was held for four Christian victims who were killed overnight Friday. Some Christian children allegedly drew crosses on a wall of an Islamic institute in Khosoos town of Qalyubiya, near the capital, which led to the tragic confrontation.

TV footage showed the Coptic during the funeral chanting retaliation slogan "Down, down with rule by the guide", referring to the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau chief Mohamed Badie.

Security forces intensified its deployment outside the cathedral, parking two armored vehicles in front of the main gate and using gas tears to disperse the Coptic who threw stones at the cathedral fuming with black smoke due to a blaze around its walls.

Meanwhile, clashes renewed between Muslims and Coptic in Khosoos town after the Coptic return back home following the funeral, security source were quoted as saying by Ahram.

The Coptic gathered to secure Mar Girigis Church in the neighborhood, but the policemen managed to disperse them to avoid provoking the Muslims in the district.

The clashes in Khosoos left 12 injuries, including one conscript and one officer, Khatib told Xinhua.

Bishop Tawadros II, the pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the St. Mark, asserted Sunday that he is in continuous contacts with officials, the interior minister in particular, over the incidents.

He expressed his sorrow over the events, urging all to stick to tranquility to preserve the country's safety and unity.

He also expressed his condolences for the families of the martyears, adding that "we all pray for the injured to get recovered soon".

President Mohamed Morsi asserted in a phone call with Bishop Tawadros II that he is closely following the cathedral events, saying "any aggression over Coptic is aggression on the president himself."

Preserving the life of Egyptians, Muslims and Copts is the country's responsibility, the president said.

Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb urged Egyptians, Muslims and Christians to adhere to unity and to be distanced from any reasons for religious congestion in order to preserve the security of Egypt and its people.

An opposition leader and ex-presidential candidate Amr Moussa argued that the "regrettable" events are implying the society and the country's failure to tackle the citizenship issues or to secure citizens' lives.