An Egyptian man living in Prince Edward Island is calling on the Canadian government and the international community to condemn the violence in his home country.

Nasser Saad, who was born and raised in Egypt as a Coptic Christian, is now a professor of mathematics at the University of Prince Edward Island.

"Look at what's happening to a minority in Egypt. Look at them and see how they suffer," Saad told CBC News.

Coptic Christian demonstrators clashed with Egyptian military forces earlier this week in what began as a peaceful sit-in outside the state television building.

They were protesting a recent attack by Muslims on St. George Coptic Orthodox church — a church that is under construction about 1,000 kilometres south of Cairo.

The protest turned violent and 26 people died. Most of them were Coptic Christians, according to a local politician.

Egypt's Coptic Christians, who represent about 10 per cent of the 85 million people in the Muslim-majority nation, have long complained they are second-class citizens in their own country.

"People have been killed because they are Christian. We want a country that treats all their citizens equally," said Saad.

"That's all that we are asking for."