Cairo, May. 23, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Egypt's Coptic Christians, who have endured a series of assaulted by Muslim extremists in recent years, endured another attack on May 11 when an Islamic mob destroyed 27 homes and shops in the town of Bamha, south of Cairo.
 
 At least 10 Christians were injured in the mob violence-- which, following the regular pattern for such assaults, occurred on a Friday, after a local imam had stirred the passions of Muslim worshippers at a weekly assembly. The violence reportedly erupted after Muslims learned that the Copts planned to establish a church in a house where they had been gathering to pray.
 
 Local government authorities responded to the violence by imposing a "reconciliation" settlement in which rioters were absolved of any financial responsibility for the destruction they caused, Coptic leaders complained. The Copts were told that the house they planned to convert into a church could only be used for educational classes, and the Cross could not be displayed there.
 
 Egyptian Coptic leaders have issued a call for international pressure on the Egyptian government to guarantee security for the embattled Coptic population, warning that inaction will encourage future mob violence. In their statement, the Coptic leaders cite the "reprehensible failure of Egypt to guarantee religious freedom, justice and accountability towards the Copts."