Calm was restored to a village in Beni Suef yesterday after clashes broke out Friday between Muslims and Christian over alleged illegal church-building.

House of Representatives’ Religious Committee has received a draft law, proposed by over 60 MPs, to organize the building and renovation of churches in Egypt, said the committee’s Chairman Osama Al-Abd on Sunday.

A total of 18 people were arrested over alleged involvement in inciting sectarian violence in Beni Suef, the head of the media office at the Interior Ministry Khaled Fawzy told El-Asema TV Channel.

Chairman of Religious Affairs parliamentary committee Osama Al-Abd demanded Speaker Ali Abdel Aal to involve members of his committee in the fact-finding mission scheduled to be authorized to investigate the recent sectarian incidents witnessed in Minya, Youm7 reported on Sunday.

Islamist parties joined the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in their sit-ins in Rabaa and Nahda squares after the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi without asking them about their plans to deal with the crisis, said member of Gammaa Islamiyaa Assem Abdel-Maged.

Beni Suef security directorate facilitated a reconciliation between Muslims and Christians in a village in the Upper Egyptian governorate after Christians were attacked there on Friday, Al-Ahram Arabic reported on Saturday.

A court in Minya ordered on Thursday the release of 16 people pending trial on charges related to sectarian attacks in the governorate earlier this week, a statement by the interior ministry read on Friday.

Minya’s parliamentarian submitted a formal request to Speaker of Egypt’s parliament to form a fact-finding mission to investigate the sectarian incidents witnessed in a village, said MP Margraet Azer.

An Egyptian delegation is set to participate in a Wednesday meeting that aims to combat extremist thoughts and draft media strategies for the international anti-Islamic State group coalition in Washington, a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry read.

Minya Prosecution on Wednesday has ordered the detention of eight suspects for four days pending investigations over the recent sectarian violence incidents that took place in the Upper Egyptian governorate, Youm7 reported.