The attack resulted in wounding of five Copts and two Muslims, after a dispute occurred between a Christian and a Muslim over a speed bump.
A number of Muslims prevented fire trucks and ambulances from reaching the village, before the intervention of the police forces in an attempt to control the situation.
Fr. Angelous Makar, the priest of St. George’s Church in Wasta, Beni Suef, told MCN a number of Muslims from Diabiya village set ablaze the eastern part of Archangel Church in the village and 7 homes owned by Christians, four of which were completely destroyed.
The incident broke out due to a dispute between a Christian and a Muslim when the Christian villager set up a speed bump in front of his house to reduce the speed of cars to protect children from car accidents. The Muslim man refused and attacked the Christian and then went to bring groups of militants, who set fire to the church and houses of Copts in the village.
MCN has spotted the losses suffered by Copts in the village. The eastern part of Archangel and St. Anthony Church was burned and fire was set to eight homes owned by Hanna Abdel Malak, Roushdi Korani Makarios, Diwan Nasrallah Abadir, Said Kamel Said, Sedki Asaad, heirs of Ayub Abdullah, Emad Attia Elias and Nasr Zarif Nasr.
A house owned by Nabil Aziz was stormed and smashed, a motorcycle owned by Fawzi Ayoub was destroyed and a shop owned by a Copt was set aflame.
Assailants opened fire at Fawzy Abu Saad Rizkallaha’s house, who installed the bump, resulting in injury of three members of his family, who were taken to Beni Suef General Hospital, as well as the injury of two other Copts.
Atef Faragallah, a Coptic villager, told MCN that Muslims took advantage of the incident of installing the speed bump to launch an attack on Copts, where Muslims from neighboring villages, such as Diabiya el-Bahriya and Diabiya el-Qibliya, came to participate in the attack on the village.
Faragallah said the attack took place after the village mosque broadcast calls over loudspeakers to Muslims to come and take revenge on Copts amid Islamic chants and throwing of stones at the houses of Copts, referring to the injury of five Christians and two Muslims.
Faragallah added that Muslims threatened of more attacks if the two injured Muslims are prejudiced. Marches are roaming the village, chanting against Copts.
The Coptic villager pointed out that Muslims cut off electricity and water in the village so that Copts cannot extinguish the fire. They clashed with the police when they arrived, prompting the Security Directorate to send more reinforcements to the village to face the attackers. He noted that the situation is dominated by cautious calm, but there are fears of renewed attacks on Copts at any moment in light of incitement and mobilization by Islamists.
Fr. Armia Abdo, priest of Virgin Mary Church in Ezbet Morris, Beni Suef, said the Coptic people of the village warned Fr. Rizkallah, priest of Diabya Church, from entering the village for fear of assault on him, especially as he was not in the village during the attacks.
Ramy Ramzy, one of the village residents, noted the attacks come in the context of violence against Copts after June 30.
He added that he is worried of exploiting this incident to fuel the situation in Wasta [Beni Suef], against the background of the events that took place previously following the disappearance of a Muslim girl, especially that Beni Suef witnesses daily marches by supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, who have surrounded St. George’s Church in Beni Suef and wrote offensive statements on its walls.
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By Nader Shukri and Irene Moussa – MCN