Egypt

June 2008 | Ratings Update

Tensions between Copts and Muslims have flared up again, with violence erupting on May 31, after three Coptic monks were abducted, in Deir Abu Fana (Al-Minya) by local Muslims, following a dispute over the expansion of a monastery. Relations between the two communities have historically been good, but there have been increasing (although infrequent) incidents over recent years. With the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and with it the decline of Egypt's historical secularism, at least in the eyes of the population, this looks set to remain the case. However, we have not adjusted Egypt's rating for social stability, which

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