Two Dead after Attack on Church Construction in Egypt

Two Coptic Christians are reported dead and at least ten others were injured when a group of Muslim youths attempted to stop the construction of a new Coptic church building in the village of el-Udaysaat near the southern Egyptian town of Luxor . The attack took place in the early morning of January 19 when the youths set fire to building materials. They claimed the church did not have permission to build. According to reports from the U.S. Copts Association, police officers who arrived at the scene did little to stop the violence or protect the Christians. Those who died of injuries were Kamal Shaker and a thirteen-year-old boy, George Shahata. Shahata is reported to have died as the result of a heart condition that was exacerbated by the attack.

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