Several Christians have been injured after a mob attacked a Coptic church building in Upper Egypt. 

Dozens of women and children threw stones at the church building in Tal Al-Quiblya, Minya Province, on 8 July. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) said the local Muslim residents were chanting sectarian and hateful insults. Damage to the building and priest’s car was also reported. 

“The attacks occurred despite the fact that the church priest, Father Pavlos Kamal, had notified security authorities about incitement and harassment during previous religious services—yet the authorities failed to intervene pre-emptively to prevent the attacks”, the EIPR said.

An unknown number of people were arrested. This includes four Christian men who were attacked, but they were released two days later after withdrawing their complaints against the mob. 

Christian residents of Tal Al-Quiblya had only recently designated a building as their church, after years of meeting in homes. 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has expressed its concern at the attack and the failure of police to act pre-emptively.

Mervyn Thomas, CSW founding president, said: “The fact that four victims of violence were detained and were only released upon withdrawing their complaint against their assailants is a lamentable indication of an abiding inequality before the law. 

“We call on local and state authorities to ensure that justice is served, and urge the Egyptian government to increase efforts to crack down on those responsible for the dangerous rhetoric and hate speech that emboldens extremists and mob groups to attack Christians with impunity”, he added.