CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) -- Thousands of Muslims who stormed a church in Ain Shams, Cairo, on Sunday and set fire to the building, are seen in two videos on a news agency website.

Part of the crowd that stormed a Coptic church in Cairo.

A crowd of Muslims, estimated at 20,000 strong, were enraged by an extension that was added to the church of St. Mary and Anba Abraam, according to Assyrian International News Agency (www.aina.org ).  

The videos at www.aina.org/images/en_shams1.wmv and
www.aina.org/images/en_shams2.wmv , show the mob storming the church, chanting "Allahu Akbar!" (God is greatest).

Assyrian International News Agency said at least one thousand Christians were trapped inside the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in West Ain Shams, Cairo, after more than twenty thousand Muslims attacked them with stones and butane gas cylinders. The Church's priest Father Antonious said the situation was extremely dangerous.

The news agency says the Muslim mob that attacked the church blocked both sides of the street and encircled the church building, broke its doors and demolished its entire first floor.

The crowd were heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar!' (God is greatest).

In its report, AINA says the mob were chanting Jihad verses as well as slogans saying "we will demolish the church" and "We sacrifice our blood and souls, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Islam," while the entrapped Christians chanted "Lord have mercy."

According to AINA, the incident started on the occasion of the inauguration of the Church today, when the Muslims hastily established a Mosque in the early hours of this morning, by taking over the first floor of a newly-built building facing the Church and started praying there.

Securoty forces in riot gear outside the church in Cairo.

The AINA report says: "When the security forces tried to

disperse the mob, they went to nearby homes and shops owned by Christians, and were armed with sticks, butane, knives and other sharp objects. Witnesses said the mob included children from as young as 8-years old to men of over 50-years old, in addition to women."

AINA said the Church building was originally a factory that was adapted into its present state. It took over five years to complete and to get the necessary permissions from the authorities to have a Church established.

Human rights organizations and lawyers were refused entry into the besieged Church, according to the AINA report.

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael has traveled to Albania and the former Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany and the former Czechoslovakia, Israel,and Canada. He has reported for ANS from Jordan, China, Russia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International.