Clashes leave 10 dead and 186 wounded in Egypt

Ten people died and 186 were wounded during an attack by a mob of Muslims against a Coptic church last night in Cairo, Egypt, in the latest incident of sectarian violence in the country.
The attack was triggered by rumors that a Christian woman who married a Muslim man was being held captive in the church, located in the poor neighborhood of Imbaba, against his will because he wanted to convert to Islam.
The rumors, which have not been confirmed, led a crowd of Salafis, who are advocates of a puritanical Islamic doctrine and began to march toward the Church of Saint Mena, one of the oldest Egypt, And set it ablaze.
Army special forces and police were called to try to end the violence and fired warning shots in the air, witnesses said.
At the same time, the Holy Virgin Church in nearby also Coptic, firefighters were called to extinguish a fire, witnesses said, seemed to have been started by members of the same group that attacked the Church of Saint Mena.
The Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who canceled a visit to Bahrain and would make the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and called an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the violence, according to a news agency.
Copts represent about 10% of the 80 million inhabitants of the country, complain of discrimination and have been targets of sectarian attacks in Egypt fairly regular.