CAIRO - What started as a small incident developed into deadly rioting, exposing yet again the fragility of Egypt's community relations. For the past week, the village of Dahshur, some 40 kilometres south of Cairo, was gripped by terror, as its Muslim and Christian residents clashed after a Muslim died in communal rioting. It all began when a local laundry man, a Christian, scorched the shirt of a Muslim client while ironing it. An altercation soon degenerated into a pitched battle during which petrol bombs were used. A young Muslim died of injuries he had sustained in the violence, igniting massive tensions between local Muslims and Copts. It is baffling how such a trivial incident should spark such deadly violence, whose fallout has been felt across the nation. Around 120 Christian families have left the village for fear of reprisals from incensed Muslims, who reportedly torched stores and homes owned by Copts. Whether this displacement was voluntary or forcible, it must be condemned, because it reflects the insecurity felt by these residents in their hometown. This was the first incident of sectarian tension since Morsi took office on June 30. The official response did not go beyond the dispatch of police to the restive area. This reaction is reminiscent of the counter-productive measures usually taken by the Mubarak regime, in the wake of any incident involving communal strife. The then government used to put the onus on the police to temporarily defuse tensions. Muslim and Coptic clergymen would, meanwhile, appear in front of the cameras, forcing themselves to smile and claim that the “national fabric is strong". A long litany of sectarian violence in the past years should have rammed home the fact that there is something seriously wrong. It is high time this glaring fact was admitted. An increasing number of Christians feel vulnerable in their homeland. Some of them have already left the country. Whether justified or not, this vulnerability has deepened with the rise of Islamists. The key to reversing this situation, which is adding to national security challenges, is to spread religious tolerance and promote civic rights. This can be pursued by revamping a divisive education system and strictly enforcing the law against wrongdoers, regardless of their religious background or position. Anyone who attacks a place of worship should be severely punished. Failing to do this will mean sectarian tensions continuing to be a time bomb ready to explode at any moment for the slightest reason – the Dahshur incident should serve as a reminder of this.
