Coptic Christian killed in clashes with Muslims in Egypt

PanARMENIAN.Net - At least one person has died and fifteen injured in clashes between Coptic Christians and Muslims in Cairo, Egyptian officials say.

The violence began during a protest by Copts against last week's burning of a church. Witnesses say the army fired into the air to disperse the crowds. The clashes come two months after a suicide bomber killed 23 people at a Coptic church in Alexandria.

In January, an Egyptian man was sentenced to death for shooting dead six Copts and a Muslim policeman in Naga Hamady, southern Egypt. The violence on March 8 erupted when Coptic protesters blocked a highway in the Egyptian capital, protesting against the burning of the church in the province of Helwan.

The rally angered Muslims who wanted to pass through. Witnesses say people from both sides then began throwing stones until the army intervened. The person who died in the clashes was a Coptic Christian, BBC reports.

Copts - who make up about 10% of Egypt's population - have often complained of harassment and discrimination, and argue that attacks on them go unpunished or result in light sentences.

The government in the predominantly Muslim country denies discriminating against Copts.