CAIRO - Egypt was in mourning mood, a few hours after bloody clashes between hundreds of Christian protesters and military police outside the State TV Building on the Nile Corniche left 25 soldiers and protesters dead and more than 200 injured. TV channels called for calm, while Muslim and Christian men of religion called on their followers to forget about their religious differences and only think of the things that unite them. "This is more than enough," said renowned Islamic preacher Amr Khaled on TV. "We need to remember that Egypt is in danger." On the streets of the Egyptian capital, fear and sorrow prevailed, with some ordinary citizens wondering whether their country will be able to escape from the dark night of sectarian strife that has already claimed many lives. On public transport and in other public places, people looked suspiciously at each other, while others expected the worse to come. The general mood in Egypt was one of shock. Prime Minister of the caretaker Government Essam Sharaf described the deadly encounter between the Army and the protesters as a "setback". One man in the street described it as the "beginning" of a new wave of sectarian violence. Many public figures, who hurried to Al-Sawy Cultural Centre in Zamalek yesterday, shared his fears. There, they warned against what might lie ahead for this country where the problems of the nation's more than 10 million Christians have remained unresolved for a long time. Potential presidential candidate Amr Moussa categorised Egypt's present situation as "difficult". "What is happening now reflects the major problems in the relations among all segments of this society," he said. This was quite evident in the clashes outside the TV Building, some people say. As the protesters and military police fought against each other, Muslim protesters were reported to have taken to some streets, raising the Holy Qur'an high and chanting "Islamia, Islamia," expressing their desire for the creation of an Islamic state in Egypt. A few yards away from the clashes, Muslim radicals were reported to have stormed into a liquor shop owned by a Christian in downtown Cairo and smashed up the place. Outside the Coptic Hospital near Ramses Square, where some of the injured and dead protesters were taken, clashes erupted between Muslims and Christians, resulting in the torching of several cars and a bus. A TV reporter who was there described the scene as "hellish". "We cannot wait any longer," said George Ishaq, a political activist and the founder of the Kefaya protest movement. "If we continue to watch without taking any action, our country could get lost."
