CAIRO: Hundreds of Egypt's Coptic Christians gathered in front of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Cairo yesterday in reaction to Salafist protests that were held last week insulting Pope Shenouda III. A number of Muslims joined the Coptic demonstrations and chanted together to support national unity in Egypt. Slogans includedd such as, "Muslims & Christians - one hand" and "No religious discrimination." Protesters also criticized Wahabis (an Islamic sect) and chanted: “Raise your voice and say Wahhabis are cowards." Protesters demanded the ruling military council to interfere to ensure Egypt's does not see a separation similar to that in Sudan. The increasing number of protesters affected traffic. It also caused an increase in the number of military troops and individuals of central security. The Copts had called for a million-man demonstration on Friday to respond to Salafists. Arabic here.
