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Coptic Orthodox Pope Wants Harsher Penalties For Muslim Rioters
additional reporting by Megahed Melligi
CAIRO, Feb 7 (IslamOnline) - The top cleric of the Eastern Coptic Church, Pope Shenouda III, said Wednesday he would appeal a court ruling two days ago penalizing four Muslims and acquitting 92 others who were involved in inter-religious violence last year.
The clashes in the southern Egyptian village of Kosheh, south of Sohag, in January 2000, between members of Egypt's Muslim majority and Christian minority left 20 Copts and one Muslim dead and injured hundreds of others.
None of the four was found guilty of murder, but rather on lesser charges of manslaughter, arms possession and assault.
Before handing down his verdict, Judge Mohammed Afifi blamed local Coptic priests for fanning the flames of what became the worst Muslim-Christian violence in two decades.
The Pope said his church would appeal the ruling. "I cannot believe that the sentences were so lenient in a case where twenty people were killed," the Pope told reporters on Wednesday. "There was not a single deterring sentence."
Four Muslims were sentenced Monday to between one and 12 years in prison with hard labor while 92 others acquitted over the clashes.
The judge sentenced Fayez Amin Abdel Rahim to consecutive terms of 10 years and two years, both with hard labor, for possession of firearms, manslaughter and assault that caused injury to others.
Mohammed Fawzi Shabib was sentenced to two years of hard labor for manslaughter and injuring others, while Abul Ela Abdel Alem and Al-Fangari Abdu Shaker each were condemned to one year with hard labor.
The latter pair were found guilty of damaging vehicles during the violence, which erupted on January 2, in the Christian-majority town of 35,000 people, amid lingering tension over a dispute concerning New Year's Eve celebrations.
Some 38 Muslim defendants were facing the death penalty from among 96 Muslims and Christians who went on trial here in June.
Christian clerics denounced the court verdict.
"That means Muslims are encouraged to kill Christians. They are being told 'Go ahead. Kill Coptic Christians,'" Bishop Wissa of Balyana, which includes the town of Kosheh, said.
Bishop Bassanti of Helwan, near the capital of Cairo, urged the court to reconsider its verdict to "preserve national unity" after saying that the decision was "too lenient" and "makes light of human life."
Many villages in Upper Egypt have large proportions of Copts, who account for around six percent of Egypt's mainly Muslim population of 65 million.
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