Political parties and figures in Egypt are calling for a million-man march on Friday in central Cairo’s Tahrir Square under the slogan "No to sectarian strife."
Violent clashes erupted on Tuesday evening between hundreds of Copts and Salafis in the Moqattam neighborhood in the area of Zarayeb.
Coptic Christians blocked roads downtown and in Moqattam as they protested an attack on a church in the village of Sol in Helwan Governorate south of Cairo and the failure so far to reconstruct the church.
The crisis came about following violence sparked by a romantic relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman.
Ambassador Abdallah Ashaal, former assistant secretary of state and co-founder of the Free Egypt Party, called on the youth of the 25 January revolution to mobilize on Facebook and make Friday a day of national unity.
Ashaal suggested that demonstrators march on foot to the village of Sol where the couple lives and the initial fighting broke out.
Adal Daniel, co-founder of the Istiqama (Integrity) Party, said the party's members will participate in the initiative on Friday. Daniel said that priests, security forces, province officials and others who have tried to manage the crisis have failed in dealing with the events.
Officials belonging to other Egyptian political parties, including Youth of Change, Egypt's Revolution and Tahrir Youth, have confirmed they will participate in the protest.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
