CAIRO: Egypt's top Christian leader called on his followers Sunday to end a weeklong sit-in in front of a government building on the Nile after a mob attacked the Christian protesters and their supporters, injuring 67. The head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, said in a statement that outsiders have infiltrated the group of largely Christian demonstrators, making the situation even more explosive. “This has exceeded the mere expression of opinion,” the statement said, “harming Egypt's reputation and your reputation.” He warned that Egypt's interim military rulers were losing patience with the protesters and that they “will be the losers if this sit-in continues.” It was not immediately clear if the protesters — many of whom have been camping out on the riverbank in front of the state TV building — would heed his call. The protesters have been trying to draw attention to the plight of Christians, who have been the target of several attacks in recent weeks. Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population, have felt increasingly insecure since the popular uprising brought down Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who led the country for nearly 30 years until he was forced to resign on Feb. 11. The Christians, many of whom are Coptic, have complained that the interim government and its security forces have failed to protect them and have allowed fundamentalist Islamic groups to attack with impunity. Clashes between Muslims and Christians in the centre of Cairo have left 51 people wounded, the Health Ministry said Sunday, as Coptic Christians pursued a sit-in protest against the violence. “Most of the wounded suffer from fractures and bruises,” said health ministry official Ayman Ragab, quoted by the MENA news agency. The clashes broke out Saturday after an altercation between a young Muslim and Coptic Christians who have been staging a sit-in outside the state television building in Cairo since May 7, after sectarian unrest last week that left 15 dead, police said.
