Church burning deepens unrest in Egypt

CAIRO - Relations between Egypt's Muslims and Christians have degenerated to a new low after riots left 15 people dead and a church burned, adding to the disorder of the country.

The attack on the church was the latest sign of assertiveness by an extreme, ultraconservative movement of Muslims known as Salafis, whose increasing hostility toward Egypt's Coptic Christians over the past few months has been met with little interference from the country's military rulers.

Salafis have been blamed for other recent attacks on Christians and others they don't approve of. In one attack, a Christian man had an ear cut off for renting an apartment to a Muslim woman suspected of involvement in prostitution.