Islamic Tolerance Alert from Egypt: “Egypt: Copts Lose Homes, Freedom Over Murder Charge: Months after mosque calls for attack on Christians, victims of riot still awaiting justice,” from Compass Direct:
August 14 (Compass Direct News) — Families of five jailed Christians have lost their homes northeast of Cairo after authorities persuaded them to turn over deeds to their property in exchange for what was supposed to be the release of relatives accused of murder.
Abdel Masih Awad Sayeed, 86, and four relatives in Sharkeya province have been in police custody since December 11. Officials detained the five after the death of a Muslim the previous day prompted rioting in the village of Kafr Salama Ibrahim.
Medical examiners concluded that injuries to Mohammed Ahmad Abu Talib in a fight with two of the Christian men could not have caused his death, but lawyers and a family member told Compass that the two Christians and three relatives are charged with “conspiracy to murder” Talib.
Talib’s death occurred last December 10, when he intervened on his son’s behalf in a fight with Christian brothers Yusef and Wa”el Abdel Maseh Awad, a relative said. The brothers” cousin, Milad Samy Zaki, told Compass that after beating the Christians, Talib suffered a stroke and died minutes later.
A forensic medical report published in June, more than six months later, found that Talib had 75 percent blockage in his right coronary artery, and that two other arteries contained 60 and 90 percent blockage.
“Advanced atherosclerotic changes were found in all coronary arteries,” said the report, obtained by Compass.
Medical examiners concluded that “superficial injuries” to Talib’s nose, neck and left leg in the fight were “not sufficient to cause a death.” But when the Muslim population of Kafr Salama Ibrahim heard a call from mosque loudspeakers to attack Christian homes, many retaliated under the assumption that the Awad brothers had killed Talib.
“From 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a crowd of Muslims attacked Christian homes while police did nothing,” Milad Zaki said. “They went to Sayeed’s house, where Yusef and Wa”el Awad’s families were also living, and threw all of the furniture out the window and burned it, beating everyone up.”
According to a police report, the crowd destroyed seven Christian homes and a chicken farm during the rioting.
Read it all.