CAIRO: Twenty-eight people were arrested Saturday following clashes between Christians and Muslims in the Sidi Bishr district of Alexandria.
According to reports a fight erupted after a 22-year-old Muslim man, Ahmed Abdel-Hamid, spotted a Muslim woman entering a residential building with a Christian man, Sami Rustum, also 22.
Following a verbal exchange, both men called on friends to back them up. About 40 men arrived on the scene with approximately 20 on each side.
The two mobs are said to have hurled bottles and stones at one another, leaving six men with minor injuries.
The fighting also held up traffic and a number of cars were damaged, police in Sidi Bishr said.
Eight of the detainees are Muslims and 17 are Christians.
Local reports, quoting men involved in the clash, say the incident was not sectarian in nature, but was related to drugs, and claim that three sacks hidden inside empty bottles were confiscated by police.
Police in Alexandria were unable to confirm this by press time.
Relations between Muslims and Christians in the seaside town have historically been good, but have come under strain in recent years after a succession of sectarian clashes.
Political analysts and religious leaders generally blame rising poverty and a lack of education as leading to misunderstanding and tension between the two commun
