In Port Said, Egypt, six Coptic Christian brothers and their café were brutally raided on 08.09.08 for being open during Ramadan. They were sentenced on 22.01.09 to three years in prison with hard labor for resisting arrest and attacking police. During the raid, the police overturned tables, broke chairs, smashed glasses and hookahs. They beat the brothers with batons, causing two to suffer broken arms and a third to have 11 stitches in his head. "The police attack on these people was unreasonable. They didn't want to see people eating during Ramadan.
It's unfair because one is the faith of the people, another is the law, and the two should not be mixed," said the Christians' lawyer. According to the law, it is not forbidden to be open during Ramadan.
Compass Direct