Romance rumor leads to torching of Christian
Muslim charged with setting fire to man, murdering fatherWorldNetDaily
An Egyptian Muslim is charged with setting fire to a 25-year-old Christian, murdering the victim's father and wounding his younger brother over a rumor about a romance between the young Christian and the Muslim man's sister.
The events took place in the village of Dmas Meet-Ghamr after a rumor spread of a relationship between the 25-year-old Copt, Shehata Sabri, and the sister of a Muslim man named Yasser Ahmed Qasim.
Qasim allegedly poured gasoline over Sabri and set him on fire as bystanders looked on in horror. The young Copt threw himself into the adjacent canal to try to put out the flames. The fire left burns all over his body, leading to his death.
After the attack, the Coptic community rallied in the village. When Sabri Shehata, the father of the victim, arrived, he, too, was attacked by a group of Muslims who stabbed him with knives and daggers; one stab penetrated his back and came out of his abdomen below the rib cage, resulting in his death.
Rami Sabri Shehata, the 22-year-old brother of the burning victim, was also beaten and sustained serious injury to the head.
Security forces moved into the village of 60,000 people, which includes more than 1,000 Copts, surrounded the victims' house and deployed extra forces throughout the village.
Several Muslims were reportedly charged with homicide, according to a translation of news accounts by Voice of the Copts.