Religion remains both a unifier and a divider in modern society,
offering hope and promoting tolerance and justice in some cases, while
being used as a wedge to scapegoat and enflame tensions in others.
CAIRO, Jan 2 (IPS) - It was a tragic year for Egypt’s minority Coptic Christian community that began with a drive-by shooting at a church in southern Egypt, and ended in deadly clashes near Cairo after authorities halted construction of a church. As 2010 came to a close, Copts ushering in the New Year with a midnight mass in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria wondered if 2011 would be any better.