ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT (ANS) -- Muslims and Coptic Christians have clashed for a third day in Alexandria, Egypt, after a Coptic worshiper was stabbed to death in church.

The BBC reported that the most recent skirmishes broke out near one of three churches attacked by armed men on Friday.

Egyptian officials have blamed the attacks on extremists, but Coptic Christians say the government is not doing enough to protect them.

The latest violence erupted shortly after a service ended at the Saints Church, the BBC said the Associated Press reported. About 2,000 riot police blocked off the front of the church after about 200 men left the building carrying crosses, clubs and machetes, the agency reported.

On Saturday, thousands of Copts joined the funeral procession for Noshy Atta Guirgis, the Coptic Christian killed during the attacks on four Coptic churches in Alexandria, Egypt on Good Friday.

Seventeen Copts were also injured during the attacks.

According to a news release from http://mychristianblood.blogspirit.com, Muslims clashed with Copts who were peacefully marching on Sat. along the funeral route in Alexandria. The Copts were protesting statements made by Egyptian officials about the church attacks.

The BBC reported that while the Egyptian government has stated a “deranged” man was arrested for carrying out all the attacks at the three churches, some Copts believe they were carried out simultaneously as part of an anti-Christian plot by extremist Muslims.

In a statement, the Alexandria Clergy Council and the Alexandria Laymen Council, condemned the official statements by Egyptian officials on the attacks as “deceptive,” and lacking in “transparency.”

Amgad Zakhari, a youth leader with the New Jersey-based International Christian Union, said he had been in constant contact with his brother, who had joined the funeral procession, and also with his cousin who had barricaded himself inside of his store, located along the funeral route, because he feared further attacks by Muslims.

“The situation is escalating, as multitudes of Muslims are surrounding Christians,” the news release from http://mychristianblood.blogspirit.com stated Zakhari said.

Copts throughout the U.S. are speaking out against the church attacks, and are asking the U.S. government, which gives billions of dollars in aid to Egypt, to intervene.

“Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. aid,” Zakari said in the news release. “Why is the U.S. government doing nothing about this, and why are U.S. taxpayers supporting Christian persecution in the Middle East?”

According to Dr. Monir Dowoud, president of the International Christian Union, Copts in Egypt have been the victims of severe human rights abuses and oppression for many years.

“The incidents are usually covered up or downplayed by the Egyptian government, but are increasing in severity,” Dowoud said in the news release. “The shocking truth is that Copts in Egypt are frequently attacked, kidnapped and violently persecuted by radical Muslims, with the tacit consent and cooperation by Egyptian Security Forces and Government officials.”

Aljazeera television reported on its web site that Copts account for up to 10% of Egypt's population of 73 million people. They typically attend weekly Mass on Friday.

Aljazeera noted that the U.S. condemned the attacks on the Coptic churches and urged tolerance and calm in both the Coptic and Muslim communities in Alexandria.

“This act of violence against worshipers on a holy day for the Christian Coptic Community in Alexandria is unacceptable,” Aljazeera reported that U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. “We also would ask the Egyptian government to continue its efforts to defuse the situation, including providing effective security for all places of worship, and calling upon people of all communities to refrain from further violence and incitement.”

Egypt's last sectarian clashes occurred last Oct. in Alexandria, Aljazeera reported, when Muslims attacked churches and shops over the distribution of a DVD of a play deemed offensive to their religion. Four people were killed in week-long riots.

Copyright 2006 ASSIST News Service, used with permission