Intimate photos of Muslim girl spark riot against Christians in Egypt

CAIRO -- Sectarian violence targeting Christian Coptic inhabitants of the Upper Egyptian town of Dairout, 313 kilometers south of Cairo, erupted recently.

According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Service (AINA), on Oct. 24, hundreds of Muslims, mainly from Al-Azhar Institute in Dairout, and secondary school students chanted "God is Great" while attacking and looting Christian-owned homes and businesses.

Also included in the violence were churches and the Coptic Orthodox Diocese building. AINA said the alleged perpetrators were demanding revenge from a young Christian man who "shamed the Muslims."

AINA said the frightened Coptic inhabitants called for police protection which arrived five hours later, when State Security enforcement arrived from Assuit, 50 km away. No fatalities were reported, but several people were wounded by small rocks being thrown at them. In addition, some Coptic students were beaten as they left school. About 100 Muslims were detained.

According to AINA, prompting the first wave of violence in Dairout a week ago was a sexual relationship between a Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna, and a young Christian man, Romany Farouk Attallah.

A rumor that intimate photos of Hassouna together with her lover were circulating on cell phones in Dairut lead the Hassona family to kill Romany's father, 61 year-old Farouk, on October 19. Farouk was killed in the village market of Attaleen, after he was unable to locate his son, who had fled.

After using over 140 bullets to kill him and wounding two of his relatives, his body was dragged in the street, accompanied by shouts of victory and blows directed to the dead body, commented an Oct. 25 story in the Egyptian Al Akhbar Daily.

The Free Copts website published a video of the disfigured body (warning, violent graphic content).

AINA said the second wave of violence in Dairout started on the morning of October 24, when it was rumored that Romany Farouk Attallah would appear in court after being arrested and transferred from Alexandria. Muslims congregated around the police station only to learn that it was a false rumor.

According to AINA, after hearing that the prosecution extended the detention of the Muslim killers, the "mob" went on a rampage through various parts of the town, but mostly to the Abu Bakr el Sediq Street and Abu Gabal area where Coptic businesses and pharmacies tend to center. They broke into pharmacies, looted the drugs and confiscated whatever cash was available. Locked stores were broken into and looted, and vehicles belonging to Copts were demolished.

AINA said according to activist Wagih Yacoub, of the Middle East Christian Association (MECA), the Church of the Virgin and Abu Seifein, also known as the "ancient church" was attacked by rock throwers, as well as the Church of the Virgin which is located in the Coptic Diocese where the mob set fire to its windows.