CAIRO: Security sources on Thursday afternoon said that a drive-by shooting in Fayoum, about an hour south of Cairo, left at least one security guard dead. The attack apparently was outside the church's kindergarten. Details of the attack on the Rouda Church in the town are still murky, but according to one witness nearby, the attackers drove past the church and opened fire, in what is the most recent attack that could spark renewed fears of sectarianism in Egypt. “I just heard the gun shots and saw that one guard was on the ground in obvious pain,” said Mona, a witness nearby. In recent years, sectarianism has been reportedly on the rise, with both religious groups clashing in numerous towns and villages across Egypt, but often the fights are unrelated to religious identity and are not a result of religious tension. Experts say it is only after both parties discover the other is either Christian or Muslim does the fight become sectarian. However, Mona said that it is “obvious that the church was attacked because it was Christian. I hope it doesn't grow.” BM
