CAIRO: Eighteen human rights organizations today accused the Egyptian government and ruling military council of inciting sectarian violence. The organizations condemned the deadly October 9 Maspiro clashes between Coptic Christian demonstrators and military police that left 27 dead. The organizations include: Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies; the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; The Egyptian Association For Community Participation Enhancement; The Arab Network for Human Rights Information; New Woman Foundation; Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Childhood Conditions; Association for Freedom of thought and expression; United Group of Lawyers; Egypt Legal Consultants; The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights; El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies; Habi Center for Environmental Rights; The Hisham Mubarak Law Center; Egyptians against Religious Discrimination; Egyptian Democratic Institute; and Egyptian Vision for Feminist Studies. The above organizations condemned the military and security forces for killing peaceful demonstrators who support the rights of Coptic Christians in Egypt. They also criticized storming the al-Hurra and 25 T.V. channels by the security forces during the bloody incidents. Christians comprise about 10 percent of Egypt's population.
