ICC Note: Following the latest attack against Christians in Egypt, victims and perpetrators sat together for a ‘reconciliatory session.’ While this may sound encouraging and/or progressive, these meetings usually result in the minority victim being bullied into an arrangement that is passive and unjust. These meetings are carried out under the supervision of security forces and village elders, meaning they happen outside a proper judicial process.

07/25/2016 Egypt (Ahram Online): Beni Suef security directorate facilitated a reconciliation between Muslims and Christians in a village in the Upper Egyptian governorate after Christians were attacked there on Friday, Al-Ahram Arabic reported on Saturday.

According to Al-Ahram Arabic, the security forces managed to control the situation, which was caused by a rumour that a church was being constructed, before it deteriorated.

On Friday, a group of Muslims in a small village in Beni Suef gathered after noon prayers, and went to the houses owned by Christians attacking them by rocks, after a rumour spread that one of the buildings had been turned into a church.

A video clip showing Christian families reacting to the attack while standing at their balconies went viral on Friday in Egypt.

The head of the local security directorate reportedly sat with the elders from the village, both Muslims and Christians, and they agreed on reconciliation and that the Christians would not turn a house into a church unless they received official authorisation.

This is the most recent sectarian incident involving Muslims and Christians in the past four weeks in Upper Egypt.

At least three clashes have erupted in different villages in Minya governorate between Muslims and Christians recently.

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