By Agencies
LUXEMBOURG: European Union foreign ministers on Monday condemned the worst sectarian violence in Egypt since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak and told authorities to do more to protect religious minorities.
“It is about time that the Egyptian leadership understands the importance of religious plurality and tolerance,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said, highlighting European displeasure following months of steadfast support.
Condemnation of the violence was strong across the board.
The White House and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an investigation into violence.
“It’s very important that the Egyptian authorities reaffirm freedom of worship in Egypt,” said British Foreign Secretary Wiliam Hague.
Hague said he was “very alarmed” and Westerwelle said violence against religious minorities was “unacceptable”.
The White House said Obama was “deeply concerned” about the situation and said it believed that minorities — including Copts — must be respected along with the rights to religious freedom and peaceful protest.
Spokesman Jay Carney said the “tragic events” in Egypt should not stand in the way of “timely elections and a continued transition to democracy that is peaceful, just and inclusive.”
Ban called on Egyptian military authorities to defend “all faiths” in the country after the clashes and asked Egyptians to “preserve the spirit of the historic changes” witnessed during the Arab Spring uprisings, a spokesman said.
“The secretary general is deeply saddened by the loss of life in Cairo last night,” said UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey.
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said it was up to Egypt “to protect your people, whoever they are, wherever they come from or whatever belief or faith they have.”
At least 24 people were killed and more than 300 injured Sunday night in Cairo when a march condemning an earlier attack on a church in Aswan was met with intense violence by security forces and, according to eyewitnesses, thugs.
The rioting lasted late into the night, bringing out a deployment of more than 1,000 security forces and armored vehicles to defend the state television building.
“It is totally unacceptable that people, because they want to practice their Christian faith and life, are physically threatened. It is unacceptable,” said Westerwelle.
Egypt’s official news agency announced that dozens of “instigators of chaos” were arrested after the deadly clashes between angry Christians, Muslims and security forces.
Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sovendal called for a strong condemnation of the violence. “Nothing in this world gives people the right to move into a religious fight. And I think it’s a bit scary that we come to that point in Egypt.”
Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal called the violence “extremely worrisome.”
EU’s Ashton said the events in Egypt and violence in Tunis — where police used tear gas against Islamist protesters on Sunday — would be at the core of ministers’ discussions in Luxembourg.
“We really do expect that Egypt will move towards its elections with the desire to see all people as part of those elections,” she said.
The Cairo violence casts a shadow over Egypt’s first parliamentary election since Mubarak’s fall. Voting starts on Nov. 28 with candidates due to begin registering during the week starting on Wednesday.
“Egypt needs to move forward politically and economically against the backdrop of recognizing that what happened in the Arab spring now needs to turn into a real democracy of a country where people of a country where people can…recognize that their human rights are respected,” Ashton said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he was “very worried”, adding: “The authorities have the responsibility to protect each and everyone; also their right to express their opinions. So it was highly regrettable.”
“We can only call on the Egyptian government to get to the bottom of these incidents as soon as possible and bring those responsible to justice,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told journalists.
“We encourage the Egyptian government to do everything in its power to foster an atmosphere of religious tolerance,” he added, calling for respect for the rights of the Coptic Christian minority.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini urged EU “condemnation of the very serious violence against Christians, the Egyptian Copts,” who he said were fleeing in “exodus.”
Noting “an escalation” in violence against the country’s Christians, Frattini said: “We hope the response of the Egyptian authorities will be more energetic than under (former president Hosni) Mubarak, which was insufficient.”
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero “deeply regrets” the clashes, his office said in a statement.
“Spain calls for overcoming the differences between communities so that the spirit of the ‘Arab spring’ may be translated very soon into a peaceful and democratic future together,” it said.
“The building of a democratic regime is the universal aspiration of all Egyptians, independent of their origin and religious belief. To that end, it is essential that the authorities pursue their efforts to guarantee Coptic citizens’ their safety and the exercise of their rights.”
