QENA - Thousands protested in the southern Egyptian province of Qena against the appointment of a new Christian governor. Witnesses said the protesters threatened to bar Emad Mikhail, the new governor, from entering the province. The previous governor, whom Mikhail will replace Magdy Ayioub, was also Christian. Late last year, dozens of Christians and Muslims were arrested in Qena after nearly a dozen homes were burnt in clashes between members of the two religions. Residents said fighting erupted last year when it was discovered that a Coptic Christian man was dating a Muslim woman from the same southern town.
