Egypt court gives 12 Christians life sentences

[NY_BX 397]

Egypt court gives 12 Christians life sentences

By AYA BATRAWY | Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court sentenced 12 Christians to life in prison and acquitted eight Muslims on Monday in a case set off by religious tensions in the country's south.

The Christians were found guilty of sowing public strife, the possession of illegal weapons and shooting dead two Muslims in April of last year in Minya province, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo.

The religious tension in Minya spilled over into violence last year when a Muslim microbus driver, angered by a speed bump outside a wealthy Christian man's villa, got into a scuffle with security guards who beat him.

After returning to his village of Abu Qurqas that evening, he rounded up the villagers who then gathered outside an ultraconservative Islamist group's main office there to protest his beating. According to rights researcher Ishak Ibrahim, the Christians nearby thought they were going to be attacked and shot from their rooftops down at the crowd, killing two and wounding two others.

For several days after, angry villagers torched dozens of Christian homes and stores.

The eight Muslims on trial in the same case had been charged with possession of illegal weapons and burning down the Christian-owned homes and stores after the shooting.

"The fact that the Muslims were acquitted means that the attorney general's investigation from the beginning was faulty and unfair because there was evidence to prove these men had burned Christian property," Ibrahim said.

The State Security Court, whose rulings cannot be appealed, handed down its sentence on Monday. The ruling military council is the only entity with the power to request a retrial.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's estimated 80 million people, complain that the courts and police often turn a blind eye to discrimination or violence against them. Some fear the surge of ultraconservative Islamists to power after Hosni Mubarak's overthrow last year could further curtail their rights.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/368247-egypts-muslim-brotherhood-takes-hard-line-in-campaign/

[Penguin_ie 5,997]

**** One TOS violating post and one quoting same removed. Reply quoted below:

Islam fanatics that have misinterpreted their religious teachings to justify the unjustifiable. You can burn a woman's face but you can't burn the Koran, for example. I wouldn't say Muslims, as not all of them would condone this behavior. I do not like to generalize, especially if the overwhelming majority of members from a specific community exhibit the opposite behavior. These fascists dressed as clergy are destroying the religion's reputation, let alone the world.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Egypt court gives 12 Christians life sentences

By AYA BATRAWY | Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court sentenced 12 Christians to life in prison and acquitted eight Muslims on Monday in a case set off by religious tensions in the country's south.

The Christians were found guilty of sowing public strife, the possession of illegal weapons and shooting dead two Muslims in April of last year in Minya province, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of Cairo.

The religious tension in Minya spilled over into violence last year when a Muslim microbus driver, angered by a speed bump outside a wealthy Christian man's villa, got into a scuffle with security guards who beat him.

After returning to his village of Abu Qurqas that evening, he rounded up the villagers who then gathered outside an ultraconservative Islamist group's main office there to protest his beating. According to rights researcher Ishak Ibrahim, the Christians nearby thought they were going to be attacked and shot from their rooftops down at the crowd, killing two and wounding two others.

For several days after, angry villagers torched dozens of Christian homes and stores.

The eight Muslims on trial in the same case had been charged with possession of illegal weapons and burning down the Christian-owned homes and stores after the shooting.

"The fact that the Muslims were acquitted means that the attorney general's investigation from the beginning was faulty and unfair because there was evidence to prove these men had burned Christian property," Ibrahim said.

The State Security Court, whose rulings cannot be appealed, handed down its sentence on Monday. The ruling military council is the only entity with the power to request a retrial.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's estimated 80 million people, complain that the courts and police often turn a blind eye to discrimination or violence against them. Some fear the surge of ultraconservative Islamists to power after Hosni Mubarak's overthrow last year could further curtail their rights.

It seems the Egyptian court deemed that opening fire on protestors in the street, killing two and wounding two others, was the core issue at hand. But there are a lot of details missing from this report.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

It seems the Egyptian court deemed that opening fire on protestors in the street, killing two and wounding two others, was the core issue at hand. But there are a lot of details missing from this report.

Yes, such as the Muslim defendants showing they had simply left their weapon and burn permits at home during the incident. This article at least implies the Muslim defendants were found not guilty just because they were Muslims.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Yes, such as the Muslim defendants showing they had simply left their weapon and burn permits at home during the incident. This article at least implies the Muslim defendants were found not guilty just because they were Muslims.

The article implies it by quoting one person who says the acquittal was unfair - and that's the only quote in the entire article. There is nothing from the other side. There is also no detailed information about the trial, or the evidence presented at trial, or exactly whose homes were burned (were they the homes of the murderers?) etc. This is why I say there are too many details missing.

It may be a case of outrageous discrimination. Or it may not be. Need more info to determine that.