National American Coptic Assembly

morris album

2012-01-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Islamic barbarism towards Egyptian copts addressed at U.S. Helsinki Commission

2011-11-16T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Situation Faced by the Coptic Christian Community in Egypt
Statement to the U.S. Helsinki Commission
Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael H. Posner

November 15, 2011

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for conducting this important hearing on the situation faced by Coptic Christian community in Egypt, and for inviting me to testify.
As you know, this is a time of substantial transition in Egypt as Egyptians strive to move their country towards democracy. This is not an easy process and it will not happen overnight. Egypt is only starting on a path from the temporary stewardship of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), through parliamentary elections that will begin in two weeks, then the process of drafting of a new constitution and finally presidential elections. As they move toward these milestones, millions of Egyptians hope to see the emergence of a democratic civilian government that respects the universal rights of all of its citizens.

As part of this vision, it is vital that there be a place in the new Egypt for all citizens, including all religious minorities, of which the Coptic Christian community is the largest. President Obama and Secretary Clinton have made clear their deep concern about violence against Coptic Christians, most recently during the October 9 tragedy in front of the Egyptian radio and television building in the Maspiro area of Cairo. At least 25 people died and more than 300 were injured. We have urged the Egyptian government to investigate this violence, including allegations that the military and police used excessive force that was the cause of most of the demonstrator deaths. We also have urged that those responsible for these deaths and injuries be held accountable.

While the focus of my testimony is on the situation of the Copts, I would like to point out that other religious minorities also suffer official discrimination. While non-Muslim religious minorities officially recognized by the government – namely Christians and the tiny Jewish community – generally worship without harassment, members of the Bahai Faith, which the government does not recognize, face personal and collective discrimination. The government also sometimes arrests, detains, and harasses Muslims such as Shia, Ahmadiya, and Quranist, converts from Islam to Christianity, and members of other religious groups, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. The Government continues to refuse to recognize conversions of Muslims to Christianity or other religions, which constitutes a prohibition in practice.

I would like to set this testimony on the Copts in a broader context. Last week Secretary Clinton gave an important policy address in which she outlined our overall policy on democratization in the Middle East and beyond. She described the US government’s principled engagement in the Middle East. We support the aspirations of citizens to live in societies that guarantee freedom, including freedom of expression, assembly and religion. We also believe strongly in systems that allow citizens a say in how they are governed and that will provide economic opportunities for all. These are the demands that we heard in Tahrir Square, where Copts and Muslims joined hands to protest and to pray in the weeks leading up to the downfall of the Mubarak regime. We have heard similar demands echoing throughout the Middle East and even far beyond that region in the ensuing months.

Secretary Clinton also has spoken out consistently about the importance of religious freedom and religious tolerance, both of which are fundamental to human dignity and peaceful transitions to democracy. Religious freedom is a human right, guaranteed by international human rights law. At the release of the State Department’s report on International Religious Freedom in September, Secretary Clinton emphasized the role that religious freedom and tolerance play in building stable and harmonious societies. She said:
“Hatred and intolerance are destabilizing. When governments crack down on religious expression, when politicians or public figures try to use religion as a wedge issue, or when societies fail to take steps to denounce religious bigotry and curb discrimination based on religious identity, they embolden extremists and fuel sectarian strife. And the reverse is also true: When governments respect religious freedom, when they work with civil society to promote mutual respect, or when they prosecute acts of violence against members of religious minorities, they can help turn down the temperature. They can foster a public aversion to hateful speech without compromising the right to free expression. And in doing so, they create a climate of tolerance that helps make a country more stable, more secure, and more prosperous.”
This is the basis for our belief that in order to succeed and prosper, Egypt, and its neighbors, must protect the rights of all citizens and all minorities, including its Coptic population. The corollary is also true: successful democratic transitions are the best way to safeguard those rights.

Mr. Chairman, the Copts in Egypt have faced discrimination for many years. Christians face personal and collective discrimination, especially in government employment and the ability to build, renovate, and repair places of worship.
Although they represent about 10% of the population and play an important role in Egypt’s economy, Copts have suffered from widespread discrimination and remain underrepresented in prominent positions in Egyptian politics and society.
The headlines – and the trend lines – continue to tell a disturbing story.

I was in Egypt just days after the January 2010 attack on the Nag Hammadi Church in Upper Egypt, when gunmen shot and killed seven people as worshippers were leaving a midnight Christmas mass. At that time, I called for an end to impunity for such crimes and full accountability for those who attacked this holy place. One suspect, Hamam al-Kamouny was tried under the emergency law in a state security court, convicted on January 16 and executed on October 10. The other two defendants, Qoraishi Abul Haggag and Hendawi El-Sayyed, were acquitted by the court, angering many Coptic activists. Yesterday, November 14, Egypt’s official news agency announced that Abol-Haggag and El-Sayyed are to be retried on December 19 under the Higher Emergency State Security Court, for crimes including premeditated murder and terrorism with the use of force and violence. We applaud the pursuit of accountability in this case, although we would prefer that these types of crimes be dealt with in civilian courts with full due process of law.

Almost exactly a year after the Nag Hammadi attack, on January 1, 2011, a bomb exploded at the Coptic Orthodox Church of the Two Saints in Alexandria, killing 23 people and wounding around 100. There are no suspects in custody for that crime, although the Government of Egypt reports that its investigation is ongoing.

These two incidents, and others like them, took place before the fall of President Mubarak on February 11. We have since received reports of an increase in sectarian violence and tensions, including at least 67 people killed in religious clashes – most of them Coptic Christians. This brings the total number of reported deaths this year to more than 90. There have been at least six recent major incidents of violence against Copts:
- On February 23, the Army used live ammunition, including rocket propelled -grenades, against unarmed Copts during a land dispute at a monastery. A monk, one of the six shot, later died. To our knowledge, no one has been held accountable for these attacks.

- On March 4, in the village of Sol, a large group of Muslim villagers destroyed the Church of Saint Mina and St. George after the army failed to stop them. To our knowledge, there has been no investigation and no one has been charged despite videos of the perpetrators.

- On March 8, 13 people were killed when Muslims and Copts clashed in the Mukkatum area of Cairo. Some of the Copts had been protesting the slow government response to the destruction of the church in Sol. One Coptic bishop claimed that though news reports listed seven Christians and six Muslims. To our knowledge, there has been no investigation and no one has been charged in the deaths.

- On May 8 in Imbaba, a poor neighborhood of Cairo, two churches were attacked and one burned during sectarian riots. The clashes resulted in 23 deaths and 232 injuries. That month, the official media reported that the government referred 48 suspects to trial. Approximately half of these suspects have been arrested, including a prominent Salafist leader, while half remain at large. The High State Security Court in Giza has adjourned the trial until December 4, when it expects to hear testimony from the remaining witnesses.

- On September 30, in Merinab village in Edfu, Aswan governorate, an estimated crowd of 3,000 Muslims looted and burned the St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, in addition to some Copt-owned homes and businesses, following reported incitement by village imams. Local media reported that a Ministry of Justice fact-finding committee traveled to Aswan on October 12, in the aftermath of the Maspiro violence, to investigate the church burning. The status of this investigation is unclear.

- And finally, on October 9 in Cairo, violence erupted in front of the Egyptian television building known as Maspiro, at a demonstration by Copts protesting the government’s failure to investigate the burning of the church in Merinab in Aswan governorate. At least twenty-five people were killed and more than 300 injured.

On October 11, Secretary Clinton addressed the October 9 violence at Maspiro and called for an immediate, credible, and transparent investigation of all who were responsible for the violence, with full due process of law. The White House issued a statement urging Egyptians to move forward together to forge a strong and united Egypt and reaffirming our belief that the rights of minorities – including Copts – must be respected, and that all people have the universal rights of peaceful protest and religious freedom.

The government of Egypt has stated publicly that they are conducting two investigations. The Egyptian Armed Forces are reviewing the conduct of Military Police, who eyewitnesses and video evidence suggest ran over and shot at demonstrators. The Ministry of Justice has been tasked by the Egyptian Cabinet with a full investigation of the incident. Separately, military prosecutors are investigating about 30 demonstrators, including one prominent blogger, who were detained during the violence. They are accused of inciting violence, stealing firearms, and attacking security forces. They will be tried in military courts.

On November 2, a fact-finding committee established by the National Council for Human Rights issued an initial report on the Maspiro violence. (NCHR is a quasi-governmental watchdog body, but the committee was led by respected human rights advocates). The report found that the march by Copts and their Muslim allies began peacefully at Shubra and moved toward Maspiro in downtown Cairo. According to the report and several corroborating accounts, as the marchers approached Maspiro, they were attacked by civilians throwing rocks and chanting Muslim extremist slogans. According to the same sources, military police then confronted the marchers and attempted to keep them from reaching the building. The MPs used shields and batons, and fired blanks. Marchers began fighting back against the violent civilians and military police. The NCHR report acknowledged that 12 or more civilians were killed when they were run over by military vehicles. The committee said it could not determine who fired the bullets that killed at least seven demonstrators.
During the height of the clashes, state TV anchor Rasha Magdy called on “honorable Egyptians” to defend the Army against “attacks by violent demonstrators.” Twenty-one prominent Egyptian human right organizations criticized the “inflammatory role played by the official state media,” charging that a “direct link can be traced between the outright incitement against demonstrators by state media and the events at Maspiro.”

On October 13, the head of Egypt’s military justice system, Adel al-Morsi, said that the military would lead the official investigation into the events. According to Human Rights Watch and local media, the military has arrested approximately 30 individuals. The government has said it will try suspects in military courts, since the crimes involved attacks on military personnel and equipment.
The Coptic community is concerned, as we are, about the severity and frequency of sectarian attacks against their community, and while they recognize that the government has nothing to do with most of these attacks, they are greatly concerned about the need to hold perpetrators accountable. I want to make clear that most of these clashes have involved both Copts and Muslims, and members of both communities have been the perpetrators and victims of the violence. It also is important to emphasize that many Muslims have stood up to defend members of the Coptic community against extremist violence.

The United States Government condemns this sectarian violence and continues to urge the Government of Egypt to take all necessary and available measures to reduce these tensions.
In raising our concerns about the Coptic community, we are also aware and very supportive of the positive steps the Egyptian government has taken on behalf of the Copts. On March 8, by order of the Prime Minister, Coptic priest Mitaus Wahba was released from prison where he was serving a five year sentence for officiating at a wedding of a Christian convert from Islam.
On April 14, the SCAF fulfilled its commitment to rebuild a church in Sol that had been destroyed on March 4 by mob violence. And as I noted earlier, the government also took steps in response to the May 8 Imbaba violence; in addition to re-opening dozens of churches, the government is prosecuting 48 individuals charged with murder, attempted murder, and a variety of other crimes. The trial is scheduled to resume on December 4.
The government also has pledged to adopt a Unified Places of Worship Law, which would guarantee all faiths the ability to construct and maintain places of worship. The Cabinet sent the draft law to the military council in October. We urge the SCAF to endorse this provision as soon as possible. The Government of Egypt has promised to consider this measure for several years, including twice in the last five months. Numerous cases of sectarian violence in recent years have stemmed from disputes over church construction. The prompt adoption of this provision now would send a very strong signal of the government’s commitment to protect religious freedom. It would recognize the right of all Egyptians to freely build places of worship they need to conduct religious activities. As the government reviews this proposal it should take into account the concerns expressed over earlier drafts that the suggested multi-stage process of applying for permits to construct and repair churches is too convoluted, cedes too much authority to governors to grant permits, and imposes onerous restrictions on the number and location of houses of worship.
Finally, in the aftermath of the Maspiro violence, we welcome steps that are being taken by the Government of Egypt to reduce discrimination in the penal codes. On October 15, the SCAF issued a decree amending Egypt’s penal code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, language, faith, or race. The decree also delineated prison sentences and specific fines for acts of discrimination, as well as failure to prevent discrimination. These included more severe penalties for government officials found to be complicit in discrimination.
The new penal code provisions bolster the Egyptian constitution’s ban on discrimination. Article 7 of the March 31, 2011, constitutional declaration states that “all citizens are equal before the law. They have equal public rights and duties without discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin, language, religion, or creed.” We urge the government to enforce these and other anti-discrimination laws and hold violators accountable so that all minorities, including Copts, can enjoy equal protection.
Like Egyptian Muslims, Egyptian Copts are concerned about their country’s future and their own place in it. In addition to security from sectarian violence and equal treatment under the law, they want equal representation in parliament and a proportional voice on the committee that will draft Egypt’s new constitution. Like moderate Egyptian Muslims, the vast majority of whom support religious freedom, Copts and other religious minorities consider themselves full partners in a new Egypt.
As Secretary Clinton said last week, “If – over time – the most powerful political force in Egypt remains a roomful of unelected officials, they will have planted the seeds for future unrest, and Egyptians will have missed a historic opportunity.” The door to real democratic change is only beginning to open. We hope Egyptians will walk through it together to a more peaceful and prosperous future.
Thank you.

Petition Opposing Shariah Law in American

2011-11-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

Petition Opposing Shariah Law in American
Courts and in Support of Liberty Counsel's
Demand Letter to Nashville's Hutton Hotel!

The Issue:
Shariah law's infiltration into American courts -- the U.S. expression of a world-wide movement to overturn Western societies by the imposition of Islamic law and culture -- is quickly becoming the leading cultural and legal threat to our way of life. With increasing frequency, American courts and communities are submitting to Shariah law in ways that directly undermine and subvert our Constitution.

As a public interest law firm, Liberty Counsel is taking aggressive action to stop the threat of Shariah Law -- both in the courtroom and the court of public opinion. Recently, Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, cancelled an important national conference on the impact of Shariah law on the U.S. Constitution. In response to this unjustifiable act, Liberty Counsel's Mat Staver -- one of the scheduled speakers -- sent a "Demand Letter" challenging Hutton Hotels' decision to censor the conference.

Sign Our Petition Opposing Shariah Law in American Courts!
We are calling on citizens across the nation to join with Liberty Counsel in exposing and opposing efforts to implement Shariah law here in America by signing our Citizen Petition. This petition is a clear statement of your opposition to legal and cultural efforts to impose Shariah Law, as well as your support of Liberty Counsel's Demand Letter to the Hutton Hotel.

Shariah law now represents a serious legal and cultural threat to our Constitution and our way of life. Please sign the petition today!

The Petition: As a citizen of the United States, I am deeply concerned by efforts under way to subvert our Constitution and way of life through the imposition of Shariah law in our legal system. Shariah law is the proximate cause of oppression and suffering for millions of people worldwide and represents the greatest threat America currently faces from the radical Islamic agenda.I specifically oppose the admittance, recognition, or use of Shariah law in any U.S. Courtroom or government jurisdiction. I also call on private institutions to resist pressures to cater to Shariah law or its proponents.

I also support Liberty Counsel's Demand Letter of October 26, 2011, to the Hutton Hotel, an operating unit of Amerimar Enterprises, and call on Hutton Hotel to reverse its policy of suppressing the free speech rights of those who peacefully speak out about threats to our Constitution and the impact of recognizing Shariah law in American courtrooms.

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Where is the support for Egypt’s Copts?

2011-11-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

Where is the support for Egypt’s Copts?
http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5050&Itemid=53
Written by Jack Chivo Monday,
14 November 2011
VANCOUVER – News reports about continuing attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt are disturbing, yet aside from under-reported rallies by Copts in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, there appear to have been no supporting protests from ‘human rights’ organizations or churches anywhere, and the media appear uninterested.

Indeed, over the past several weeks, there has been more media coverage of the ‘Occupy’ movement in North America and the trial of Michael Jackson’s physician, than of the fate of about 10 million Christians in Egypt. The Copts, whose presence in Egypt predates that of its Arab Muslim population, have been treated as second-class citizens and subjected to repeated murderous attacks, humiliation and degradation at the hands of the Muslim majority.

On Oct. 9, Copts demonstrated in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, to protest the destruction of an ancient church by a Muslim mob. The protestors were met with deadly force: 35 Christians were killed and hundreds more injured. According to the New York Times, "the military and riot police…appeared to be working in tandem with the Muslims (civilians), who were lashing out at the Christian Copts.” The British Telegraph reported that military armoured vehicles charged the demonstrators at full speed and crushed many to death.

What a contrast to the restraint shown by Egyptian security forces during the anti-Mubarak demonstrations held in Tahrir Square, most notably when CBS reporter Lara Logan was gang-raped while hundreds of people watched.

The Oct. 9 protest was triggered by a violent attack on St. George's Church in the village of Al Marinab in Edfu province. The church was more than 100 years old and in a state of ruin after decades of neglect. Under Sharia (Islamic) law, Christians must receive approval from the government to build, or repair, churches. It took many years before they were granted permission to do the necessary work on St. George’s Church. As the work was being done, hundreds of Muslims attacked. According to reports, they removed the cross and set the church on fire while the district security chief and his men cheered. This was the fourth Christian church in Egypt destroyed by arson since March.

Immediately afterward, several Christian homes in the neighbourhood were also looted and demolished.

Copts are the original people of Egypt. They were there during the time of the Pharaohs, the Roman occupation, Cleopatra’s reign and the conquest by the Byzantine Empire. From the beginning of the Common Era to the fall of the Byzantine Empire, Copts represented about 90 per cent of the population, and Jews, Greeks and Romans were minorities. According to ancient religious texts, the Copts (as they were subsequently called) were converted to Christianity by St. Mark sometime around 42 CE.

When Arabs invaded and conquered Egypt in 641, they imposed a special tax, called jizya, on non-Muslims, who were declared dhimmis – second-class citizens – under Sharia law. According to Wikipedia, the literal translation of the word dhimmi is “one whose responsibilities (and rights) have been taken (away).” Copts suffered for 1,200 years under degrading laws and harsh conditions, which pushed them into abject poverty.

After Viceroy Muhammad Ali Pasha abolished the jizya in the early 19th century, Copts were permitted to join the army, and they gradually moved towards middle-class status, as they were given more freedom to worship, study, practice commerce, own land and become professionals.

By the early 1950s, many were successful and wealthy, but this ended after the 1952 military coup led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. The country returned to a harsh application of laws governing the dhimmi status of non-Muslims and millions of Copts emigrated as a result.

One example of the anti-Christian attitude prevalent in modern-day Egypt was the 2009 slaughter of every pig in the country – estimated to number between 300,000 to 500,000 – under the pretense of preventing swine flu. The scientifically unsound and unnecessary action destroyed the livelihood of farmers, butchers, restaurant owners, meat distributors, and other small merchants. Christian protests against the elimination of this dietary staple were met with police and mob violence.

The world’s human-rights ‘fighters’ stood silent then, as they do now.

Jack Chivo is a retired journalist who lives in West Vancouver.
Last Updated ( Monday, 14 November 2011 )

Michael Coren on muslims killing Coptic Christians

2011-11-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Michael Coren on muslims killing Coptic Christians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2awoDi4uaM
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U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on Egypt

2011-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

From: Helsinki Commission News [mailto:news@csce.gov]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:39 AM
To: Roudik, Peter
Subject: U.S. Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on Egpyt

[http://csce.gov/_images/headers/print_pressreleases.gif]

Hon. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman
Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin, Co-Chairman
For Immediate Release

www.csce.gov
November 10, 2011

U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION TO HOLD HEARING ON EGPYT

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced today the following hearing:

“From Arab Spring to Coptic Winter: Sectarian Violence and the Struggle for Democratic Transition in Egypt”

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

2:00 p.m.

Room 210 Cannon House Office Building

Please join the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe for a heaing that explores the nexus between sectarian violence and democracy.

On Sunday October 9, 2011, 25 people were killed and more than 300 injured when the Egyptian military attacked a peaceful group of Coptic Christians protesting the burning of a church in Aswan. In what has been deemed the “Massacre at Maspero,” referring to the location of the demonstration, witnesses say the army fired on the demonstrators with live ammunition and plowed into the crowd with armored vehicles. The military denied the use of live ammunition and claimed that their soldiers were attacked by an armed mob. The military has arrested at least 28 people, almost all Copts, including prominent blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, and brought them before military prosecutors. The hearing will focus on violence perpetrated against the Coptic Christians in Egypt, the implications of the events for that community and the current Egyptian leadership, and prospects for the consolidation of democracy in Egypt.

Witnesses Scheduled to Appear:

Mr. Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State

Ms. Dina Guirguis, Egyptian democracy activist and attorney and member of the Egyptian American Rule of Law Association (EARLA)

Mr. Samuel Tadros, Research Fellow, Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute

Dr. Michele Dunne, Director, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, Atlantic Council

###

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is an independent agency of the Federal Government charged with monitoring compliance with the Helsinki Accords and advancing comprehensive security through promotion of human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental and military cooperation in 56 countries. The Commission consists of nine members from the U.S. Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each from the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce.
Media Contact: Shelly Han
202.225.1901
# # #

http://csce.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContentRecords.ViewDetail&ContentRecord_id=1035&ContentType=P&ContentRecordType=P

Coptic Christians protest infront of un in ny against violence in Egypt ,Egypt Christians abroad tell US persecution is “crime against humanity”

2011-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

Egypt Christians abroad tell US persecution is “crime against humanity”
CAIRO: Egyptian Coptic Christians living in the United States have sent a letter to American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, imploring her to take more action against what they termed a “crime against humanity” facing the Christian population in Egypt from the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the letter, sent on Wednesday to the State Department, head of the American Coptic Association Monir Dawoud warned the United States government that the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most organized and popular Islamic group, is “attempting to annihilate Christians” and other minority groups int he country.
It came as Clinton appeared ready to give support to Egyptians as they head to the polls in less than three weeks to elect a new parliament that will be responsible for developing and writing a new constitution in the country, some 11 months after a popular uprising ousted the former government.
Dawoud called for international protection of Christians in the country as well as an “Egyptian Charter of Rights and Freedoms” that guarantees the rights of all minorities, the disabled, women and children.
“The constitution should be made before any parliament elections to decide the type of government and President beside giving chances to the new political parties to be at the level of competition with the Brotherhood’s party and so allowing all citizens to be represented,” Dawoud wrote. “We demand that your aid to Egypt should be conditioned on the justice towards Christians and minorities.”
The controversial leader, who many Coptic Christians in Egypt say does not speak on their behalf, also accused the Brotherhood of wanting to change the American Constitution based on the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book.
“A planned destruction to America is going on,” he said. “The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is deadly serious about waging what it calls “civilization jihad” against the United States and other freedom-loving nations in order to secure their submission to the Islamic totalitarian political-military-legal doctrine called Sharia. The MB’s goal in this country is to replace our great Constitution with theirs, namely the Koran. And they regard this task as one commanded by none other than Allah.”
The head of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in the Giza governorate in Egypt, Amr Derrag, said that his party – an offshoot of the Brotherhood – wants to guarantee all rights of Egyptians, whether they be Coptic or women.
“Christians were part of the revolution and they deserve the full rights of the Egyptian society,” he told Bikyamasr.com at his home on Thursday, denying any “plan” to force out the country’s Christian population.
However, Dawoud’s letter is likely to get some traction in Congress, where repeated calls to stem the popularity of the Brotherhood have been heard.
A staffer for a leading Republican Congressman told Bikyamasr.com that “many representatives in Washington believe, whether true or not, that the Christians in Egypt are facing a genocide of some kind,” adding that this is the result of “the PR campaign being made by the Christian community here in the US.”
Dawoud hit home on this fact in his letter, calling on Washington to curtail aid to the country and put stipulations on Congressional aid to Egypt until the situation facing the Coptic community is rectified.
“We demand that your aid to Egypt should be conditioned on the justice towards Christians and minorities,” he said. “What we are facing today is a Crime against not only the Christian minority in Egypt, but against Humanity, against all what United States stand for, against the constitution that the founders of America have shed their blood for. We appreciate your speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves and defending those who cannot defend themselves, the Christians of Egypt who are facing persecution, impending massacres and ethnic cleansing.”

http://bikyamasr.com/48069/egypt-christians-abroad-tell-us-persecution-is-crime-against-humanity/Coptic Christians protest infront of un in ny against violence in Egypt
Morris sadek leads coptic protest infornt UN November 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wdoEnxlAXs

Coptic Christians protest outside White House against violence in Egypt

2011-10-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Coptic Christians protest outside White House against violence in Egypt
“It is like a horrible nightmare. We watch on TV and see our people being run over by tanks,” said Mary Wassef, 66, who took a bus with friends from her church in northern New Jersey. “This is my church and my homeland. But now they want to force all Christians to convert or leave. If you hang a cross in your car, they pull you out and smash you to pieces.”

Christians in Egypt are a deeply rooted minority of about 10 million in a largely Muslim society of 81 million. Long-simmering tensions between the two groups have escalated since January, when a popular uprising in Cairo led to the fall of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak but left the country in a state of political turmoil.

Many Christians in the Egyptian American diaspora of about half a million, scattered across a dozen states, have expressed concern that radical Islamist groups are seeking to dominate the post-revolutionary scene and to turn Egypt into a Sunni theocracy. Some placards at the rally Wednesday warned of an “Islamic jihad” against Christians.

The demonstrators also expressed fear that the Egyptian army, a longtime bulwark of Mubarak’s power, is becoming a repressive force against Christians. Many held up bloody photos of crushed torsos and limbs, which they said had been deliberately run over by tanks Oct. 9. Hundreds chanted “shame on the army” and called for the ouster of its national commander, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.

“We Christians have faced Islamic oppression for 1,400 years, but now it is getting much more ugly,” said Ghada Nasr, 35, a small business owner from Newark, Del., whose parents live in Egypt. “The army should be protecting people, not crushing them. Our religion is peaceful, but it is time for us to act.”

Traditionally, leaders of the Coptic church in Egypt have tried to avoid provoking Egyptian authorities. The rally Wednesday was peaceful, and protesters interspersed chants for justice with hymns calling for God’s mercy in Arabic, English and ancient Coptic. Organizers said the presence of numerous senior Coptic priests — several gray-bearded, one in a wheelchair — had the blessing of their orthodox pope in Cairo.

“We need an Egyptian Martin Luther King to lead our people to freedom,” said George Ibrahim, 66, a retired civil engineer who emigrated from Egypt in the 1940s and lives in Ashburn. Unlike Copts in Egypt, who have long been ostracized, many of those who came to the United States are well established, successful professionals. In the greater Washington area, many work for the federal government.

A major demand of the demonstrators was that the Obama administration, which has continued the long U.S. alliance with Egypt and provides it with hundreds of millions of dollars in financial aid each year, pressure Cairo by conditioning further assistance to improvements in human rights and religious freedom.

“If we are calling them an ally, then we should not be paying with U.S. taxpayers’ money for bullets and weapons that are being used to oppress Christians,” said Michael Ruzek, 30, a medical doctor from New Jersey who attended the rally. Protesters placed a row of black wooden coffins along the sidewalk in front of the White House.

An advocacy group called Coptic Solidarity, which helped organize the rally, also called for an impartial investigation into the Oct. 9 violence, prosecution of official perpetrators, and full enactment of a bill that Congress passed in July that would create a U.S. envoy to the Middle East for religious minorities.

The circumstances of the Oct. 9 clashes in Cairo, in which Christian and Muslim protesters were involved in hours of battles with police and troops, remain confused. The day after the incident, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that President Obama was “deeply concerned” about the violence and “believes that the rights of minorities, including Copts, must be respected,” but he stopped short of blaming the government and called for “restraint on all sides.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/coptic-christians-protest-outside-white-house-against-abuses-in-egypt/2011/10/19/gIQAxRvByL_story.html

October 12, 2011- Religious Violence in Egypt.ts

2011-10-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Coptic Christians Need Protection -- Will the U.S. Help Them? >
www.foxnews.com
Coptic Christians in Egypt, the largest contingent of Christians in the country, are under severe attack — so much so that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced just recently that Egypt made the list of “Countries of Particular Concern.”..
Coptic Christians Need Protection -- Will the U.S. Help Them?
www.foxnews.com
Coptic Christians in Egypt, the largest contingent of Christians in the country, are under severe attack — so much so that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom announced just recently that Egypt made the list of “Countries of Particular Concern.”..
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/05/20/coptic-christians-need-protection-help/?cmpid=cmty_fb_Gigya_Coptic_Christians_Need_Protection_--_Will_the_U.S._Help_Them%3F

REP ALBO SIRES
October 12, 2011- Religious Violence in Egypt.ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RpwFU8EnUQs

Video of deadly Egypt riots as Christians clash with police, Muslims

2011-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

Egypt's Military Vows to Get Tough After Clashes

Raw Video: Deadly Sectarian Violence in Cairo

CBC News: Deadly violence in Egypt - October 10, 2011

Deadly violence in Egypt CNN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAidvI8XS-8

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the situation in Egypt

2011-10-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

9 May 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement on the situation in Egypt:

“The Government of Canada strongly condemns the violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt.

“Canada is a tolerant, multicultural country with a proud tradition of defending religious minorities around the world. We stand behind the Coptic Christian community and their right to practice their faith in safety and security, free of persecution. This is a universal human right and one which our Government is committed to defending.

“Recognizing that religious pluralism is inextricably linked to democratic development, our Government has committed to creating a special Office of Religious Freedom to monitor and help ensure religious minorities can practice their faith without fear of violence and repression.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I express my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones during these events. Our thoughts and prayers are with all Egyptians as they face the difficult challenges ahead.”

An Appeal for Immediate Intervention from the International Community to Protect Egyptian Copts

2011-10-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Voice of the Copts
A non profit human rights organization working to free the oppressed and persecuted Coptic Christians of Egypt.

In light of the current attack upon Copts protesting in Cairo where 36 Copts were murdered and many more injured by Egyptian military forces together with Muslim militants, Voice of the Copts is appealing to the international community for immediate help.

Beginning at 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, Oct 9, in Shubra district of Cairo, more than 100,000 Copts and some Muslims marched peacefully together for more than two miles toward Tahrir Square shouting slogans in protest of theMuslim burning of Marinab Coptic Church in Edfo in Upper Egypt a few days earlier.

During an orderly approach by Coptsto the Maspiro area, Muslim groups began throwing stones and malotov cocktails at the crowd of protesters. The military began shooting live bullets into the protesters and then drove speeding armored cars and tanks directly into the crowd. Meanwhile, Copts were unable to get to safety because they were held back by Muslim militant criminals released from jails earlier this yearby the former Mubarak regime at the beginning of the revolution.

The apparent cooperation between Egyptian military forces and Muslim groups who gathered to protect army personnel as requested by National Public TV prior to the start of the Copts' protest, reveals the true nature of Egypt's interim regime. Lingering attachments to the Mubarak regime combined with Islamic interests spells the beginning of the end for Copts and freedom and justice. Equality under the law is now impossible with what seems to be the real aim of those in power -- to annihilate the Copts of Egypt.

Voice of the Copts would like to thank the Muslim citizens who stood in solidarity with the Copts demanding freedom of religion, justice and equality.

Furthermore, Coptic clergy, especially Father Filipert and Father Meytias, are now being intimidated by death threats which indicate that military rulers are plotting to silence them due to their activities among the Coptic population. As a consequence of this and from this point on, we, as Voice of the Copts, deem any murder or accidental death of any Coptic clergy to be nothing less than an assassination carried out by the state.

Voice of the Copts calls for immediate action to be taken by Western governments to protect Egyptian citizens from the violent acts of the Egyptian state military and police force who ignore the law and defy their given responsibility to protect all citizens equally. Military leaders, putting their own greed before the interests of the country and, by doing so, promote Islamic interests, damage any hope of democracy. Field Marshall Tantawi and his henchmen must immediately step down from governing Egypt's post-revolutionary efforts.

revenge from israel islamic army killing copts

2011-10-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

By: Nabil Bissada

On Sunday October 9, 2011 more than 150,000 Coptic -Christians of Egypt (with the authorization of the Islamic Egyptian government) gathered in a peaceful protest because of the attacks against the Coptic and their churches by Islamic Egyptian army. Protest took place in Cairo the Egyptian capital.

The Islamic Egyptian Army and their allies have never won a war against Israel. Now the Egyptian army has adopted Nazis tactics against Christian Egyptians.

The Islamic Egyptian army is supported by The Muslims Brotherhood and other Muslims organizations. They are using terror tactics, which include the use of guns, tanks and explosives bullets to destroy the Copts.

The Islamic Egyptian Army has killed in excess of 55 peaceful Copts protesters and wounded over 300. That numbers includes men, women and children.

The Islamic Egyptian Army is using the government run media to conceal their actions.

The Copts are more than 25% of the popular in Egypt. The Islamic Egyptian government are consider them as a 3rd class citizen.( Muslims Egyptian, Muslims from out, the Copts)

We ask The United Nations, United States of America, The European Union, Israel, Russia, and all others country who believe in human rights and freedom of religion to protect over 25 Millions Coptic native of Egypt who are living under threat and siege to push them to convert to Islam religion or to leave Egypt.

The National American Coptic Assembly & the Coptic Nation announced sad days for the genocide and Nazis for the Holocaust against the Copts in Egypt.

Inside Cairo's Riots: The Egyptian Junta's True Colors

2011-10-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

Written by Time Mag
11 October 2011

Coptic mourners chanted slogans against the military: "Tantawi you traitor, the blood of Copts is not cheap,"

Clouds of tear gas released and protesters crushed and killed by military vehicles
that reportedly rammed into them

The dead were buried on Monday, more than two dozen Christian Egyptian protesters mowed down by their own military, an army that had won praise back in February for refusing to turn its weapons on demonstrators. After Sunday night's violence, which left 24 dead and more than 270 wounded, according to the Egyptian Health Ministry, the Arab Spring seems a long time ago.

A military council led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi is now in charge of Egypt, and it is resurrecting many of the tactics of deposed President Hosni Mubarak to instill fear and keep the citizenry in line, like using state TV to spread sectarian suspicion and conspiratorial talk of "foreign hands" sowing internal discord.
Sunday's march in Cairo by Coptic Christians — with a fair smattering of sympathetic Muslim participation as well — started out as a peaceful protest against the recent burning of a church by ultraconservative Muslims and the perceived lackadaisical response by the ruling military junta to a spate of anti-Christian attacks since Mubarak's ouster. Events rapidly devolved into chaos, with live ammunition fired, clouds of tear gas released and protesters crushed and killed by military vehicles that reportedly rammed into them. Some protesters responded by throwing rocks. (See pictures of the Coptic Christians' march in Cairo.)

State TV had another narrative: a violent mob of Christians sparked the melee by attacking the military, killing several soldiers. Breathless anchors urged "honorable" citizens to head down along the Nile to the national media building at Maspero to help soldiers defend themselves and public property. The clashes reignited on Monday, when Christians pelted security forces with rocks outside the Cairo hospital where the bodies of victims were taken the previous night. The Coptic church on Monday disputed state TV's claims, saying there was no evidence that Christian protesters shot at soldiers. Church officials called for a three-day fast to protest the events.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Essam el-Erian condemns the violence, telling TIME that this is a critical period for the country, a "time for solidarity, to implement a state of law, and to make reconciliation between all sections of society."

Egypt's Christians, who make up about 10% of the country's 80 million or so people, have watched warily as Salafists and other ultraconservative Muslims, long kept underfoot by Mubarak, have begun exercising their political rights — and influence — in the wake of the February revolution. At 8 million or so, Egypt's Copts are easily one of the biggest Christian communities in the Middle East, but unlike the much smaller Christian population in Lebanon, for example, they lack political muscle. (Lebanon is the only country in the Middle East with a Christian head of state mandated by political consensus.) (See TIME's exclusive pictures of the turmoil in Egypt.)

It's a trying period for the Middle East's dwindling Christian communities as secular pan-Arab, anti-Islamist regimes fall by the wayside and leave political vacuums in their place. The precedent of Iraq looms large. There were some 800,000 Christians in the country before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein. Since then, hundreds of thousands have fled the war-ravaged state. In majority-Sunni Syria, the minority Christians have largely sided with Bashar Assad's brutal regime in public, fearful of what may follow it, although many prominent Christians are also part of the opposition. "This is a dangerous period, one that will determine in which direction the country is going," says Emad Gad, a Copt and leader of the Egyptian Social Democratic party. "Are we taking the first steps toward creating a real state or are we going toward sectarian conflict and war?"

Sunday's violence in Cairo has significance beyond the country's religious divisions. This is a wider conflict in which Egyptians of all religions are turning against a military regime that just eight months ago was hailed for ensuring a peaceful transfer of power after Mubarak was forced from office. The fruits of Egypt's revolution have yet to be savored by millions who hoped a quick revolution would bring even quicker economic, social and political benefits. The economy has slumped, and the generals — who initially pledged to hand back power to a civilian administration in six months — seem increasingly comfortable at the helm. Their recently announced electoral timetable would keep them in charge until presidential elections in 2013, much to the ire of many. "I don't think we'll have elections at all," Gad says, echoing a sentiment relayed on Twitter and other social media. "I think that the army let the violence happen so that it could cancel the elections and remain in power."

The Brotherhood's el-Erian warns against any delay to the elections. "We cannot move forward without elections," he tells TIME. "We can overcome all of these trials with solidarity and national consensus ... The people are waiting for elections and to have a new system."

As the exuberance of Arab Spring becomes a faraway memory in the Middle East, a counterrevolution is gaining ground, exploiting the sectarianism that power brokers in the region have long used to keep their populations at bay. Will Egyptians and other Arabs see through it? Or will they be sucked into its vortex? What happens next on Cairo's streets will be critical.

Egypt’s Coptic church says repeated attacks on Christians go unpunished

2011-10-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

Washington Post
10 Oct 2011

State TV, appealed on “honorable” Egyptians to protect the army against attacks by the Christian protesters outside the TV building. Soon afterward, bands of young men armed with sticks, rocks, swords and firebombs began to roam central Cairo, attacking Christians. Troops and riot police did not intervene to stop the attacks on Christians.

Egyptian relatives of Copts who were killed by the Egyptian army
late Sunday, react after seeing their bodies outside the morgue
of the Copts’ hospital in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Oct. 10, 2011.

CAIRO — Egypt’s Coptic church blasted authorities Monday for allowing repeated attacks on Christians with impunity as the death toll from a night of rioting rose to 26, most of them Christians who were trying to stage a peaceful protest in Cairo over an attack on a church.

The spiritual leader of the Coptic Christian minority, Pope Shenouda III, declared three days of mourning, praying and fasting for the victims starting on Tuesday and also presided over funerals for some of the Christians killed. Sunday’s sectarian violence was the worst in Egypt since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.

“Strangers got in the middle of our sons and committed mistakes to be blamed on our sons,” the Coptic church said in a statement. It lamented “problems that occur repeatedly and go unpunished.”

The clashes Sunday night raged over a large section of downtown Cairo and drew in Christians, Muslims and security forces. They began when about 1,000 Christian protesters tried to stage a peaceful sit-in outside the state television building along the Nile in downtown Cairo. The protesters said they were attacked by “thugs” with sticks and the violence then spiraled out of control after a speeding military vehicle jumped up onto a sidewalk and rammed into some of the Christians.

There is no precise breakdown of how many Christians and Muslims were among the victims, but the 26 are believed to be mostly Christian. Officials said at least three soldiers were among the dead. Nearly 500 people were injured. Egypt’s official news agency said dozens have been arrested.

Much smaller skirmishes broke out again Monday outside the Coptic hospital where many of the Christian victims were taken the night before. Several hundred Christians pelted police with rocks outside while the screams of grieving women rang out from inside the hospital. Some of the hundreds of men gathered outside held wooden crosses and empty coffins were lined up outside the hospital.

There were no word on casualties from the new clashes.

In Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama is deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt and called for restraint on all sides.

“As the Egyptian people shape their future, the United States continues to believe that the rights of minorities - including Copts - must be respected, and that all people have the universal rights of peaceful protest and religious freedom,” a White House statement said. “These tragic events should not stand in the way of timely elections and a continued transition to democracy that is peaceful, just and inclusive.”

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s 85 million people, blame the ruling military council that took power after the uprising for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since Mubarak’s ouster. The chaotic power transition has left a security vacuum, and the Coptic Christian minority is particularly worried about a show of force by ultraconservative Islamists, known as Salafis.

In recent weeks, riots have broken out at two churches in southern Egypt, prompted by Muslim crowds angry over church construction. One riot broke out near the city of Aswan, even after church officials agreed to a demand by ultraconservative Muslims known as Salafis that a cross and bells be removed from the building.

Aswan’s governor, Gen. Mustafa Kamel al-Sayyed, further raised tensions by suggesting to the media that the church construction was illegal.

Christian protesters are demanding the ouster of the governor, reconstruction of the church, compensation for people whose houses were set on fire and prosecution of those behind the riots and attacks on the church.

The European Union strongly condemned the violence.

“It is about time that the Egyptian leadership understands the importance of religious plurality and tolerance,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said. “It’s very important that the Egyptian authorities reaffirm freedom of worship in Egypt,” added British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf warned in a televised address that the riots were another setback on the country’s already fraught transition to civilian rule after three decades of Mubarak’s authoritarian government.

“These events have taken us back several steps,” Sharaf said. He blamed foreign meddling for the troubles, claiming it was part of a “dirty conspiracy.” Similar explanations for the troubles in Egypt are often heard from the military rulers who took power from Mubarak, perhaps at attempt to deflect accusations that they are bungling the management of the country.

“Instead of moving forward to build a modern state on democratic principles, we are back to seeking stability and searching for hidden hands — domestic and foreign — that meddle with the country’s security and safety,” Sharaf said.

Sunday’s violence will likely prompt the military to further tighten its grip on power.

The ruling military council led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, defense minister of 20 years under Mubarak’s former regime, took over after the 18-day popular uprising forced Mubarak to step down. The military initially pledged to hand back power to a civilian administration in six months, but that deadline has passed, with parliamentary elections now scheduled to start in late November. According to a timetable floated by the generals, presidential elections could be held late next year.

Already, the military council said it had no intention to lift the widely hated emergency laws in place since Mubarak first took office in 1981.

Tension has been growing between the military and the youth groups that engineered the uprising, with activists blaming the generals for mishandling the transition period, human rights violations and driving a wedge between them and ordinary Egyptians.

“The army incites sedition to remain in power,” said Mariam Ayoub, a relative of a slain Christian protester, Michael Mosaad, as she stood outside the Coptic hospital. “They tell all of us that this is what happens without emergency laws.”

State television said authorities stepped up security at vital installations in anticipation of renewed unrest, deploying additional troops outside parliament and the Cabinet. Riot police were also stationed outside the Coptic hospital. Funeral services were planned in the afternoon at the main Coptic Cathedral in Cairo.

The clashes on Sunday night did not appear to be exclusively sectarian.

State TV, which has been growing increasingly loyal to the military, appealed on “honorable” Egyptians to protect the army against attacks as news spread of clashes between the Christian protesters and the troops outside the TV building. Soon afterward, bands of young men armed with sticks, rocks, swords and firebombs began to roam central Cairo, attacking Christians. Troops and riot police did not intervene to stop the attacks on Christians.

Throughout the night, the station cast the Christian protesters as a violent mob attacking the army and public property. At one point, Information Minister Osama Heikal went on the air to deny that the station’s coverage had a sectarian slant, but acknowledged that its presenters acted “emotionally.”

The military council ordered the Cabinet to investigate the violence and pledged measures to safeguard Egypt’s security

http://www.copts.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3350&Itemid=1

Egyptian Army, Police Kill 35 Coptic Christian Protestors

2011-10-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Egyptian Army, Police Kill 35 Coptic Christian Protestors
(AINA) -- For the second time in five days military and police forces forcibly dispersed Coptic protesters. 35 Copts were killed today and over 300 injured. The numbers could rise dramatically as many bodies are still unidentified and disfigured beyond recognition.

The dead and injured have been transported to the Coptic Hospital in Cairo. Bodies of 4 Copts were found in buildings and taken to the public morgue, reported al-Ahram Daily.

There were discrepancies between reports from the official State-owned TV and independent TV stations. Al-Hayat confirmed that army armored vehicles went into Maspero "in a strange way" and ran over the protesters. A video clip of the armored vehicles running amok through the 150,000 protesters was shown on Al-Arabia TV. Egyptian State-run TV said that Coptic protesters killed 3 soldiers and injured 20. They gave no numbers for the fallen or injured Copts. They also said that the Copts had weapons. This was refuted by Coptic priests and activists. Nader Shoukry, Coptic activist and journalist, said "We only had wooden crosses."
"Today occurred a massacre of the Copts," said Coptic priest, Father Filopateer Gamil in a telephone conversation with CTV Coptic Channel. "I was an eyewitness to all what happened."

According to witnesses, the army forces were waiting for the Copic rally to arrive at Maspero, near the state television building. "They arranged a trap for us," said Father Filopateer. "As soon as we arrived they surrounded us and started shooting live ammunition randomly at us. Then the armored vehicles arrived and ran over protesters."

Father Filopateer said he saw army police and affiliated thugs torching police cars, to later blame it on the Copts. He believes that the assault on the Copt was preplanned.

Copts announced a few days ago that they would stage a rally to protest the torching of the church in the village of Elmarinab in Edfu, Aswan (AINA 10-1-2011), as well as the brutal attack on the Coptic rally in Maspiro on October 4 (AINA 10-9-2011). Rallies were to be staged in Cairo, Aswan, Minya, Beni-Suef, Assiut, Suez and Alexandria.

"When we announced this peaceful rally we made it understood that it will be from 5-8pm and no sit-in and no blocking of traffic," said Ihab Aziz, Coptic-American activist, who was one of the organizers.

Aziz said that the procession started today at the Christian populated district of Shubra and went to Maspero, in front of the TV building, on the river Nile. On their way, some Muslims fired live ammunition over their heads to terrorize them and some bricks were hurled at them. By the time they arrived to Maspero there were nearly 150,000 protesters. "The army and police were waiting for us about 200 meters away from the Maspero TV building," said Aziz. "They started firing at us before two army armored vehicles came at great speed and drove into the crowds, going backwards and forwards, mowing people under their wheels." He said he saw at least 20 dead Copts around him.

"The most horrible scene was when one of the vehicles ran over a Copt's head, causing his brain to explode and blood was all over the place," recalled Aziz. he held out his hand, showing two bullets in his palm. "We got a clear message today that we are no first class citizens."

The same description of events was confirmed by Nader Shoukry. He said that when the Copts were trapped by the army forces, some threw themselves in the Nile and some just fainted seeing other people being run-over in front of their eyes. Copts ran to hide in the neighboring buildings, but the police dragged them out and assaulted them.

Dr. Naguib Gabriel, who was at the procession, was shot in the leg.

Michael Munier, head of El Hayat (Life) Party, said that what happened to the Copts today was a massacre. He asked why do the authorities kill the Copts who were protesting peacefully for their rights, while at the same time when Salafists blocked the trains in Qena for 10 days protesting against a Copt being nominated for governor of Qena, no one touched them?

"People are being prosecuted, including former President Mubarak, in courts presently because they killed demonstrators on January 28. Now the military police is doing the same to the Copts," said Shoukry.

A curfew has been announced tonight in several Cairo streets.

Mary Abdelmassih

http://www.copts.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3347&Itemid=1

19 dead in worst Cairo riots since Mubarak ouster

2011-10-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

.
19 dead in worst Cairo riots since Mubarak ouster

http://news.yahoo.com/19-dead-worst-cairo-riots-since-mubarak-ouster-215419049.html ..CAIRO (AP) — Massive clashes raged Sunday in downtown Cairo, drawing Christians angry over a recent church attack, hard-line Muslims and Egyptian security forces. At least 19 people were killed and more than 150 injured in the worst sectarian violence since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.

The violence lasted late into the night, bringing out a deployment of more than 1,000 security forces and armored vehicles to defend the state television building along the Nile, where the trouble began.

The clashes spread to nearby Tahrir Square, drawing thousands of people to the vast plaza that served as the epicenter of the protests that ousted Mubarak. On Sunday night, they battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes.

At one point, an armored security van sped into the crowd, striking a half-dozen protesters and throwing some into the air.

Christians blame Egypt's ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since the ouster of Mubarak. The Coptic Christian minority makes up about 10 percent of the country of more than 80 million people.

As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition and security vacuum in the wake of this year's uprising, Christians are particularly worried about the increasing show of force by the ultraconservative Islamists.

The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But then, they said, they came under attack by thugs in plainclothes who rained stones down on them and fired pellets.

"The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual," said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross drawn on it. "Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them."

Wael Roufail, another protester, corroborated the account.

"I saw the vehicle running over the protesters. Then they opened fired at us," he said.

Khalili said protesters set fire to army vehicles when they saw them hitting the protesters.

Television footage showed a military vehicle plowing into the crowd and also showed Coptic protesters attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him. One soldier collapsed in tears as ambulances rushed to the scene to take away the injured.

A government-funded newspaper, Al-Akhbar, reported that some of the protesters snatched weapons from the soldiers and turned them on the military. Others pelted soldiers with rock and bottles.

At one point, a group of youths with at least one riot policeman among them were seen dragging a protester by his legs for a long distance.

The protest began in the Shubra district of northern Cairo, then headed to the state television building along the Nile where men in plainclothes attacked about a thousand Christian protesters as they chanted denunciations of the military rulers.

"The people want to topple the field marshal!" the protesters yelled, referring to the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Some Muslim protesters later joined in the chant.

Later in the evening, a crowd of ultraconservative Muslims known as Salafis turned up to challenge the Christian crowds, shouting, "Speak up! An Islamic state until death!"

Armed with sticks, the Muslim assailants chased the Christian protesters from the TV building, banging metal street signs to scare them off. It was not immediately clear who the attackers were.

Gunshots rang out at the scene, where lines of riot police with shields tried to hold back hundreds of Christian protesters chanting, "This is our country!"

Security forces eventually fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. The clashes then moved to nearby Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising against Mubarak. The army closed off streets around the area.

The clashes left streets littered with shattered glass, stones, ash and soot from burned vehicles. Hundreds of curious onlookers gathered at one of the bridges over the Nile to watch the unrest.

After hours of intense clashes, chants of "Muslims, Christians one hand, one hand!" rang out in a call for a truce. The stone-throwing died down briefly, but then began to rage again.

In the past weeks, riots have broken out at two churches in southern Egypt, prompted by Muslim crowds angry over church construction. One riot broke out near the city of Aswan, even after church officials agreed to a demand by local Salafi Muslims that a cross and bells be removed from the building.

Aswan's governor, Gen. Mustafa Kamel al-Sayyed, further raised tensions by suggesting to the media that the church construction was illegal.

Protesters said the Copts are demanding the ouster of the governor, reconstruction of the church, compensation for people whose houses were set on fire and prosecution of those behind the riots and attacks on the church.

Last week, the military used force to disperse a similar protest in front of the state television building. Christians were angered by the treatment of the protesters and vowed to renew their demonstrations until their demands are met.

..

Morris Sadek: “My enemy is the God of Islam”

2011-09-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Egypt » Morris Sadek: “My enemy is the God of Islam”

Morris Sadek: “My enemy is the God of Islam
http://bikyamasr.com/42699/morris-sadek-my-enemy-is-the-god-of-islam/
CAIRO: Morris Sadek, one of the most hated men in Egypt. A controversial figure for his fiery statements against Islam and Muslims and for his demands of international protection on Egypt’s Coptic minority.

His name was recently mentioned in the declaration of the symbolic Coptic state in the United States. He conducted a number of talks and meetings with Congressional representatives, asking for US intervention in Egypt.

As a result of his work, his Egyptian citizenship has been withdrawn. He denounces the Egyptian and Arab uprisings and supports the Bashar al-Asaad regime in Syria.

Sadek lives with his family in the US as a religious refugee.

Bikyamasr.com interviewed Sadek via email.

First, you protested outside the White House to force international protection over Egypt?

International protection means forming a legal plan that goes along with the United Nations’ international declaration for minorities and presenting it to the Egyptian government to be applied. Egypt uses foreign referees for its football matches and thus accepts. Egypt sent troops to Kosovo to protect the Muslim minority there. Therefore we are persing a decision by Congress to protect Copts after they have been slaughtered, blown to pieces outside of their churches, their daughter’s kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam, their houses of worship set on fire, and complicating the procedures to build new ones, adding to that a complicit legal system that slacks in investigating crimes committed against Copts as well as excluding them from government jobs and not putting a quota for Copts in the parliament and insisting that Islam is the religion of the State and ignoring *25 million people who believe in Christianity and having the Arabic language, the language of the invaders, as the official language and *ignoring the Coptic language.

Muslims insist on keeping Sharia, or Islamic law, as a source of legislation and Copts refuse things such as cutting a thief’s hand and whippings. It [Sharia] also diminishes women and considers them cursed and unclean. Therefore, we want an American envoy to make sure that the following happens in Egypt:

Enhancing religious freedoms for minorities such as Copts, Baha’is and Shiites. Also, to monitor religious prejudices, provide social and economic security and to work with the government to prevent laws that lean towards religious prejudices.

News reports were talking about the declaration of a Coptic state in the US, please shed light on that and did you ask people to immigrate and join you?

The idea of a Coptic State came after the March referendum that approved keeping Sharia as the main source of legislation, ignoring the Coptic people who reject Islam and Sharia and the idea behind establishing a Coptic state in Egypt is to have Coptic courts; they were cancelled by former president Gamal Abdul Nasser in 1956; Coptic religious schools and universities like al-Azhar; involving Copts in all governmental institutions with a percentage not less than 25 percent, including the police academy and the army and perhaps establishing a parallel Coptic Government working hand in hand with the central government to protect Copts rights.

Egyptian Copts have welcomed the idea of a Coptic state in Egypt, and as for the ignorant Copts, agents of the Arabic invasion who disagree with us, I can say we despise you and Muslims who refuse it are afraid that Copts will be masters in their own country, therefore Muslims’ opinions have no weight internationally. We are not asking for immigration or division, we only ask for the sharing of power and the founders of the Coptic nation are working on taking the next constitutional and legal steps necessary. We have already chosen the flag and the national anthem.

Your Egyptian nationality has been recently withdrawn, how did you feel about that and will you fight the decision?

I felt I was hit by lighting when I heard the news. The Egyptian nationality is my flesh and bones and the bones and the graves of my ancestors are in Egypt. Nationality is not just a piece of paper and I defend my Coptic community’s rights in Egypt and my weapons are words. I have repeatedly attacked former president Hosni Mubarak and prayed to God to revenge us yet he didn’t withdraw my citizenship. The current ruling power, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, had caused a scandal upon itself after many American newspapers reported the news that I lost my citizenship because of my opinions. The British never did it, but the Arab invaders did. However, I am fighting the decision and presented an appeal in front of the high administrative court.

What do you say to those accusing you of trading the Coptic cause for personal gain and fame?

I am a law man. I have a license to practice law from Egypt and a consulting license from the US and wrote many legal books that high courts in Egypt read and consult. These books will give me enduring fame, but I don’t need fame because it doesn’t help and as for financial issues, I have started a human rights organization in Egypt and have refused American funds before and all I ask for is freedom for my people.

You have declared your support to the Syrian regime and President Bashar al-Asad. Why?

Al-Assad is facing the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist groups killing in the name of Allah, therefore he is fighting them and in Egypt we faced the same threats before and fought against it.

Asaad didn’t kill Christians or Muslims and never burned a church or bomb a car parked in front of one. There are many Christian ministers and ambassadors in Syria and Muslims and Christians are given equal employment and Christians could open a church without permission and if Asaad’s regime is gone, so will the Syrian Christians, like what happened to the Copts in Egypt. This is ultimately what Saudi Arabia and Qatar wants. They were behind the uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya so the Muslim Brotherhood gain power all over the Middle East.

So this is how you view the Egyptian revolution?

I don’t see a revolution, I see chaos, economy collapsing and the fall of tourism and loud voices that brought Egypt back to the middle-ages. I see Saudi flags flapping in my country and idiots calling for war and others cutting off an ear of a Coptic man and other violent incidents happening in front of the Egyptian army. I see Hamas invading my country, digging tunnels and the revolutionists are not closing these tunnels and ridding our land from this Hamasian invasion. It’s very sad.

You are reputedly accused of defaming Muslims and Islam and in some cases you are called an extremist. How do you respond to this?

I don’t defame any religion and I love all Muslims and I have Muslim friends and I have never carried a gun or bomb or incited young people to blow themselves up and kill innocent people to please their alleged God and win virgins and so on from these superstitions. I am a thinker and I use my head and my pen and I read and educate myself. The life of freedom we lead in the US made me study and read, so if studying and voicing one’s opinion is extremism, then I am one.

My enemy is the God of Islam that overstepped on my legislations and my faith and said that those who believe that Jesus is the son of God are infidels and rejects the crucifixion. Islam defames women and those who believe in other religions and Jesus, glory to him, forgave people on the cross, including women, and said that who doesn’t have a sin, throw the first stone.

* The Christian community in Egypt, by most estimates is between 7 and 10 million people.

BM

Egypt Overlooked in State Department’s Religious Freedom Report

2011-09-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.persecution.org/2011/09/16/egypt-overlooked-in-state-departments-religious-freedom-report/

Egypt Overlooked in State Department’s Religious Freedom Report
Washington, D.C. (September 16, 2011) – International Christian Concern (ICC) commends the Obama administration’s designation of eight nations as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs) – a classification appointed to countries that severely violate religious freedom – in the State Department’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom released on Tuesday. However, the report failed to designate Egypt as a CPC despite the increase of violence targeting religious minorities and the killings of more than fifty Christians in 2011.

On April 28, the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, had recommended for the first time that the State Department designate Egypt as a CPC. “Instances of severe religious freedom violations engaged in or tolerated by the government have increased dramatically,” said USCIRF Chair Leonard Leo. “Since President Mubarak’s resignation from office in February, such violence continues unabated without the government’s bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Attacks against Egyptian Christians in 2011 include, but are not limited to:

• The bombing outside the Church of the Two Saints on New Year’s morning that killed 23 worshippers leaving a midnight mass celebration in Alexandria.
• The destruction of a church by a Muslim mob following reports of a romantic relationship between a Christian man and a Muslim woman in the village of Sol on March 5.
• The killing of nine Coptic Christians by a radical mob and the Egyptian military while Copts were protesting in the Mokattam Hills in Cairo on March 9.
• The killing of twelve Christians and Muslims by an Islamist group that attacked St. Mina Church and Virgin Mary Church in the Imbaba district of Cairo on May 7. One church was burned to the ground and numerous Christian-owned apartments and shops were vandalized and looted.

Egyptian Christians are also concerned that religious freedom will decline further if Islamist-based parties win the majority seat in Egypt’s parliament in elections scheduled for November. The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party is the most organized and financed contender in the elections and has publicly stated their intention to institute forms of Sharia (Islamic law) in the country.

While the U.S. gives 1.3 billion dollars in foreign military assistance to the Egyptian government annually, a CPC designation can carry economic sanctions if the Egyptian government fails to address U.S. concerns. Several U.S. congressmen have voiced frustration to ICC over the “illogical” approach taken by the U.S. in continuing to give billions of dollars in aid to a government that is yet to be elected and that may not be interested in honoring previous agreements made between the U.S. and Egypt, like maintaining a peace treaty with Israel.

“Egypt should be classified as a CPC,” Coptic scholar Magdi Khalil told ICC. “Further monitoring of persecution, like the special envoy to promote religious freedom in the Middle East known as [house bill] H.R. 440, would be pushed forward quicker and taken more seriously if Egypt was a CPC.”

Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “In light of increasing attacks on Christian communities and the Egyptian government’s failure to enhance security and institute nondiscriminatory reforms to protect religious minorities, we urge the Obama administration to strongly consider designating Egypt as a CPC. A CPC designation will give the U.S. additional leverage to place sanctions on existing military and emergency economic aid and to direct a portion of that aid to enhance security for religious minorities and fund civil society groups who are adamant about promoting religious freedom."

This entry was posted on Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 10:10 am and is filed under Africa, Countries, Egypt, ICC News, Islam, News, Press Releases, Priority News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

International Religious Freedom » July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report » Near East and North Africa » Egypt

2011-09-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

International Religious Freedom » July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report » Near East and North Africa » Egypt

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/168262.htm
constitution provides for freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites, although the government places restrictions on these rights in practice. Islam is the official state religion, and the principles of Sharia (Islamic law) are the primary sources of legislation.

The government's respect for religious freedom remained poor during the reporting period. Non-Muslim religious minorities officially recognized by the government generally worship without harassment; however, Christians and members of the Bahai Faith, which the government does not recognize, face personal and collective discrimination, especially in government employment and the ability to build, renovate, and repair places of worship. The government also sometimes arrested, detained, and harassed Muslims such as Shia, Ahmadiya, and Quranist, converts from Islam to Christianity, and members of other religious groups whose beliefs and/or practices it deemed as deviating from mainstream Islamic beliefs and whose activities it alleged jeopardized communal harmony. Government authorities often refused to provide converts with new identity documents indicating their chosen faith. The government failed to prosecute perpetrators of violence against Coptic Christians in a number of cases. The government continued to favor informal reconciliation sessions following sectarian attacks, which sometimes prevented the criminal prosecution for crimes against Copts and contributed to a climate of impunity that encouraged further assaults. The government again failed to redress laws relating to church construction and renovation, as well as practices, especially in government hiring, that discriminate against Christians. This allowed their discriminatory effects on society to become further entrenched. In positive steps, the government continued prosecution of four alleged perpetrators of a sectarian attack against Copts in Naga Hammadi and spoke out at the highest levels against sectarian violence.

Sectarian tensions increased during the period covered by this report. On January 1, 2011, just after the end of the reporting period, a bomb attack at the Coptic Orthodox "Church of the Two Saints" in Alexandria killed at least 22 and injured 96. On November 24 a riot that began over church-building in the Giza neighborhood of Omraniya led to the death of two Copts, reportedly by security forces. Approximately 68 others, including 18 police, were injured. Inflammatory religious rhetoric increased during the reporting period, both in the media and during street demonstrations.

The ambassador, senior administration officials, and members of Congress continued to raise U.S. concerns about religious discrimination with senior government officials and directly with the public. Specifically, embassy officers and other U.S. Department of State officials raised concerns with the government about sectarian violence, ongoing discrimination that Christians face in building and maintaining church properties, the government's use of informal reconciliation instead of criminal prosecutions, and its treatment of Muslim citizens who hold heterodox beliefs or convert to other religions. The Department continues to sponsor programs in Egypt to promote religious tolerance and freedom.

Section I. Religious Demography

The country has an area of 370,308 square miles and a population of 86 million, almost 90 percent of whom are Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims constitute significantly less than 1 percent of the population. Estimates of the percentage of Christians range from 8 to 12 percent (6 to 10 million), the majority belonging to the Coptic Orthodox Church. The country's Jewish community numbers approximately 125 persons, mostly senior citizens.

Other Christian communities include the Armenian Apostolic, Catholic (Armenian, Chaldean, Greek, Melkite, Roman, and Syrian Catholic), Maronite, and Orthodox (Greek and Syrian) churches that range in size from several thousand to hundreds of thousands. A Protestant community, established in the mid-19th century, includes 16 Protestant denominations: Presbyterian, Anglican, Baptist, Brethren, Open Brethren, Revival of Holiness (Nahdat al-Qadaasa), Faith (Al-Eyman), Church of God, Christian Model Church (Al-Mithaal Al-Masihi), Apostolic, Grace (An-Ni'ma), Pentecostal, Apostolic Grace, Church of Christ, Gospel Missionary (Al-Kiraaza bil Ingil), and the Message Church of Holland (Ar-Risaala). There are also followers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was granted legal status in the 1960s. There are 1,000 to 1,500 Jehovah's Witnesses and small numbers of Mormons, but the government does not recognize either group. The number of Bahais is estimated at 2,000 persons.

Christians reside throughout the country, although the percentage of Christians is higher in Upper Egypt (the southern part of the country) and in some sections of Cairo and Alexandria.

There are many foreign religious groups, especially Roman Catholics and Protestants, who have had a presence in the country for more than a century. These groups engage in education, social, and development work.

Section II. Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom

Legal/Policy Framework

Please refer to Appendix C in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for the status of the government's acceptance of international legal standards http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/appendices/index.htm.

Article 46 of the constitution provides for freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites, although, in practice, the government places restrictions on these rights. Islam is the official state religion, and Islamic law is the principal source of legislation. A January 2008 lower court ruling interpreted the constitution's guarantee of religious freedom as inapplicable to Muslim citizens who wish to convert to another religion. This ruling, which is not binding in other courts, remained under appeal at the end of the reporting period, although on April 27, 2010, an appellate court announced that it would not decide the appeal until the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled on a series of cases related to article 46. Courts ruled in previous years that the constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion does not apply to Bahais.

In its January 2008 decision in the case of Muhammad Ahmad Abduh Higazy v. the Minister of Interior et al., the Cairo Administrative Court noted that the country ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) with a reservation that the covenant shall be ratified to the extent that it does not conflict with Islamic law, including the covenant's article 18 which provides for freedom of religion.

Although there are no statutory prohibitions on conversion, the government does not recognize conversions of Muslims to Christianity or other religions. This and resistance to such conversions by local officials -- through refusal to recognize conversions legally -- constitutes a prohibition in practice. The security services reportedly maintain regular and sometimes hostile surveillance of Muslim-born citizens who are suspected of having converted to Christianity. Moreover, in January 2008 the Cairo Administrative Court, a court of first impression, ruled that freedom to convert does not extend to Muslim citizens. The court stated that the freedom to practice religious rites is subject to limits, especially those entailed by the maintenance of public order, public morals, and conformity to the provisions and principles of Islam, which forbid Muslims to convert. The court stated that "public order" is defined as the official religion being Islam, that most of the population professes Islam, and that Islamic law is the primary source of legislation. The ruling remained under appeal at the end of the reporting period. The Cairo Administrative Court ruled in June 2009 to deny Maher al-Gohary, a Muslim-born convert to Christianity, an identity document indicating his chosen faith.

While there is no legal ban on proselytizing Muslims, the government restricts such efforts. Neither the constitution nor the civil and penal codes prohibit proselytizing, but police have detained or otherwise harassed those accused of proselytizing on charges of ridiculing or insulting the three "heavenly religions" -- Islam, Christianity, or Judaism -- or inciting sectarian strife. The government generally tolerates foreign religious workers on condition that they do not proselytize Muslims. For more than 15 years the government has refused reentry, denied residency renewal requests, or expelled expatriates they suspected of engaging in unapproved religious activities.

The application of family law, including marriage, divorce, alimony, child custody, and burial, is based on an individual's religion. In the practice of family law, the government recognizes only Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Muslim families are subject to Islamic law, Christian families to canon law, and Jewish families to Jewish law. In cases of family law disputes involving a marriage between a Christian woman and a Muslim man, the courts apply Islamic law. The government does not recognize the marriages of citizens adhering to religions other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.

Under Islamic law as practiced in the country, Muslim women are prohibited from marrying non-Muslim men. A non-Muslim male must therefore convert to Islam to marry Muslim women, although non-Muslim women need not convert to marry Muslim men. Also, a non-Muslim woman who converts to Islam must divorce if her husband is not Muslim. In some cases, upon the wife's conversion, local security authorities reportedly have asked the non-Muslim husband if he is willing to convert to Islam; if he chooses not to convert, divorce proceedings may begin immediately, and custody of children is awarded to the mother.

Inheritance laws for all citizens are based on the government's interpretation of Islamic law. Muslim female heirs receive half the amount of a male heir's inheritance. Christian widows of Muslims have no automatic inheritance rights, but may be provided for in testamentary documents. Converts from Islam to Christianity lose all rights of inheritance. Because the government offers no legal means for such converts to amend their civil records to reflect their new religious status, the converts' loss of inheritance rights may not be indicated on civil documents.

In the absence of legal means to register their change in religious status, some converts resort to soliciting illicit identity papers. Authorities periodically detain and charge converts and those assisting them with violating laws that prohibit the falsification of documents. The minor children of such converts, and in some cases adult children who were minors when their parents converted, may automatically become classified as Muslims by the government irrespective of the religion of the other parent. This practice is in accordance with the government's interpretation of Islamic law, which dictates "no jurisdiction of a non-Muslim over a Muslim."

Civil statutes and religious laws, both Islamic and Coptic, prevent Coptic men and Muslim women from marrying. When a male Christian and a female Muslim marry outside the country, their marriage is not legally recognized in the country. Additionally, the woman could be arrested and charged with apostasy, and any children from such a marriage could be taken and assigned to the physical custody of a male Muslim guardian, as determined by the government's interpretation of Islamic law.

The law provides for "khul'" divorce, which allows a Muslim woman to obtain a divorce without her husband's consent, provided that she is willing to forego all of her financial rights, including alimony, dowry, and other benefits. Many women have complained that after being granted khul', the required child support is not paid.

In July 2010 the Supreme Constitutional Court suspended the implementation of a May 2010 Supreme Administrative Court ruling that the Coptic Orthodox Church must permit divorced adherents to remarry. The Coptic Orthodox Church characterized the May decision as an infringement on its authority. Execution of the ruling remained suspended at the end of the reporting period pending further review. According to government policy and previous practice, the application of family law, including marriage and divorce, is based on an individual's religion, whereby Orthodox Copts are subject to Coptic Orthodox Church law. The Coptic Orthodox Church permits divorce only in cases of adultery or the conversion of one spouse to another religion, or to another Christian denomination.

The Ministry of Education bans wearing the hijab (Islamic headscarf) in primary schools and allows it only in preparatory and secondary schools upon written request from a girl's parent.

In September 2010 professors filed suit against Hossam Kemal, President of Cairo University, for failing to carry out a court order overturning his earlier decision to ban university staff from working or giving lectures on campus while wearing the niqab (Islamic full face veil).

In September 2010 Ain Shams University and Fayoum University announced that female professors wearing the niqab would not be allowed into the classroom.

Constitutional amendments approved by referendum in 2007 have unclear implications for religious freedom. The amended article 1 of the constitution states that the country's political system is based on the principle of citizenship. The amended article 5 prohibits the formation of political parties or the conduct of political activities on a religious basis. Government supporters argued that these changes would separate religion from politics. Some critics, including the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, argued that the amendments are incompatible with the constitution's article 2, which states that the principles of Islamic law are the primary source for legislation.

Various ministries are legally authorized to ban or confiscate books and works of art upon obtaining a court order. The Council of Ministers may order the banning of works it deems offensive to public morals, detrimental to religion, or likely to cause a breach of the peace. The Islamic Research Center (IRC) of Al-Azhar has the legal authority to censor and, since 2004, to confiscate any publications dealing with the Qur'an and the authoritative Islamic traditions (Hadith). A 2003 Ministry of Justice decree authorizes Al-Azhar to confiscate publications, tapes, speeches, and artistic materials deemed inconsistent with Islamic law. There were no reports of the exercise of this authority during the reporting period.

In 2008 the Cairo Administrative Court ruled that the government must issue new identity cards and birth certificates to 13 Christian-born converts to Islam who converted back to Christianity; the documents must indicate that the holder is Christian and "previously embraced Islam." The court held the "recording of a conversion" from Islam to Christianity in the personal identity card does not "establish" the apostasy of the card holder. However, the court held that failure to convey the holder's apostasy would conflict with public order. Some human rights observers said that by identifying persons as apostates, the court ruling would serve as a warning mechanism to the society at large. The nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights warned the government that any such public reference could subject converts to social stigma and discrimination. The government has taken no action to implement the order. In 2009 the government stated that it was awaiting a Supreme Constitutional Court decision on more than 100 cases filed by other "reconverts," and by several nongovernmental entities that oppose the ruling, contending that article 2 of the constitution, which states that Islamic law is the primary source of legislation, denies Muslims the right to convert from Islam.

On March 30, 2010, the Alexandria Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of two boys born as Coptic Christians seeking recognition of their self-identification as Christian, despite their father's conversion to Islam in 2005. As a result, when the plaintiffs turned 16 in June 2010, they were only eligible to receive national identification cards designating that they are "Muslim." The court's dismissal of the lawsuit supported the discriminatory policy of forcibly changing the religious affiliation of children recorded on official documents when their father converts to Islam, even when the Christian mother retains custody. The court also dismissed a lawsuit filed to compel the government to identify the boys as "Christian" on official identity documents, ruling that Coptic Church-issued documents certifying that the boys were Christian had no legal standing.

All mosques must be licensed by the Ministry of Islamic Endowments (Awqaf). The government appoints and pays the salaries of the imams who lead prayers in mosques and monitors their sermons. It does not contribute to the funding of Christian churches. The Ministry of Islamic Endowments reported that there were 104,506 mosques and small dedicated prayer areas called "zawayas" nationwide as of April 2010. A 2004 decree by the minister of Islamic endowments removed from governors the authority to issue permits to build mosques and placed private mosques under the ministry's administrative control; however, up to 20,000 mosques and zawayas may remain unsupervised by the ministry.

The contemporary interpretation of the 1856 Ottoman Hamayouni Decree, still partially in force, requires non-Muslims to obtain a presidential decree to build new churches and synagogues. In addition, Ministry of Interior (MOI) regulations, issued in 1934 under the Al-Ezabi Decree, specify a set of 10 conditions that the government must consider before a presidential decree for construction of a new non-Muslim place of worship can be issued. The conditions include the requirement that the distance that a church may be no closer than 100 meters (340 feet) from a mosque and that approval of the neighboring Muslim community must be obtained before a permit to build a new church may be issued.

In 2005 the president issued Decree 291/2005, which delegated authority to the country's 26 governors to grant permits to Christian denominations that seek to expand or rebuild existing churches. The decree also stated that churches could undertake basic repairs and maintenance subject only to the provision of written notification to local authorities. Decree 291 noted that governors must examine all applications for rebuilding or expansion, which must be supported by unspecified documents, within 30 days of submission. According to the decree, "permits may not be refused except with a justified ruling." Decree 291 also cancelled a 1999 decree aimed at improving the permit process for church repair. (Presidential Decree 453 of 1999 had made the repair of all places of worship subject to a 1976 civil construction code. Although this decree made mosque and church repairs technically subject to the same laws, authorities enforced the laws more strictly for churches. The lack of implementation meant that the difficulties faced by Christians largely remained.)

Some communities, faced with refusal of their requests for permits, use private buildings and apartments for religious services or build without permits. Local authorities sometimes close down such unlicensed places of worship.

To obtain official recognition, a religious group must submit a request to the MOI's Religious Affairs Department, which determines whether the group would, in its view, pose a threat or upset national unity or social peace. The department also consults leading religious figures, particularly the pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the sheikh of Al-Azhar. The registration is then referred to the president, who, if he concurs, issues a decree recognizing the new group, according to Law 15 of 1927. If a religious group bypasses the official registration process, participants are potentially subject to detention and could also face prosecution and punishment under article 98(F) of the penal code, which forbids the "denigration of religions." There were, however, no reports of the government prosecuting unregistered religious groups under these provisions. The government last recognized a new religious group in 1990.

Law 263 of 1960, still in force, bans Bahai institutions and community activities and strips Bahais of legal recognition. Despite the ban, Bahais are able to engage in community activities such as Naw-Ruz, the Bahai new year's celebration. During the Nasser era, the government confiscated all Bahai community properties, including Bahai centers, libraries, and cemeteries.

Government practices restrict the provision of national identity papers to some Bahais and members of other religious groups that are not officially recognized. The government requires all citizens to be categorized as Muslims, Christians, or Jews on national identity cards. Consequently, Bahais and other religious groups not associated with any of the three recognized religions have been compelled either to misrepresent themselves or to live without valid identity documents. However, some unmarried Bahais have secured identity cards with a "dash" in place of a stated religion. In 2008 the Cairo Administrative Court ruled in three cases brought by Bahais that the government must issue official identification documents containing a dash or other mark in the religion field. However, the court noted that one purpose of filling the religion field with a dash or other distinctive mark was to protect members of the "revealed religions" (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) from Bahai infiltration and to avoid potential dangers from such persons' conduct and relations with them. The ruling stated that anyone who adopts the Bahai Faith is an apostate and that the religion cannot be recorded in any civil status or other official document because it would conflict with public order. In April 2009 the MOI issued Decree 520 providing procedures for members of unrecognized religious groups to obtain national identity cards with dashes in the religious identification field. According to Bahai community members, throughout 2010 the government implemented the order and continued to issue national ID cards with a dash, as well as birth certificates for the children of married Bahais. However, the government refused to issue identification documents to married, divorced, and widowed Bahais, unless they would agree to specify their marital status as "unmarried," because the government does not recognize Bahai marriage, and there is no civil mechanism for marriage.

Those without valid identity cards also encounter difficulty registering their children in school, opening bank accounts, and establishing businesses. Police occasionally conduct random inspections of identity papers, and those found without identity cards can be detained until they produce the document.

The government has not granted legal recognition to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), or Mormons, in Cairo. The LDS Church has maintained an organized congregation in the country for more than 30 years. The government has raised no objection.

The government banned Jehovah's Witnesses in 1960. Since then the government has, to varying degrees, subjected members of the Jehovah's Witnesses to harassment and surveillance. The Jehovah's Witnesses were legally registered in Cairo in 1951 and Alexandria in 1956, and their presence in the country dates to the 1930s. In January 2010 the Cairo Administrative Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Jehovah's Witnesses to compel the government to recognize it as a Christian denomination. The government attributes its refusal to grant the registration to the Jehovah's Witnesses to the opposition of the Coptic Orthodox Church, which during the reporting period condemned the group as heretical, as well as to its lingering Nasser-era suspicion of links between the Jehovah's Witnesses and the State of Israel.

In 1954 the government outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist party that operates missionary, charitable, and political activities, on the grounds that the Constitution prohibits the formation of political parties based on religion. The Muslim Brotherhood was also viewed as a threat to National Democratic Party (NDP) rule. However, the government has tolerated Muslim Brotherhood operations with varying levels of interference. Muslim Brothers speak openly and publicly about their views and identify themselves as members of the organization, although they remain subject to arbitrary detention and pressure from the government.

The government at times prosecutes and otherwise harasses, including through detentions and the imposition of travel bans, members of religious groups whose practices are deemed to deviate from mainstream Islamic beliefs and whose activities are alleged to jeopardize communal harmony.

The government has advised journalists and cartoonists to avoid anti-Semitism. Government officials insist that anti-Semitic statements in the media are a reaction to Israeli government actions against Palestinians and do not reflect historical anti-Semitism; however, there are few public attempts to distinguish between anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli sentiment.

The quasi-governmental National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) is charged with strengthening protections, raising awareness, and ensuring the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom. It is also charged with monitoring enforcement and application of international agreements. Five of its 25 appointed members are Christians.

Local media, including state television and radio, regularly include Islamic programming. Christian television programs are shown weekly on state-owned Nile Cultural TV.

The government observes the following as national holidays: Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha, the Islamic New Year, Mawlid al-Nabi (the birth of the Prophet Muhammad), and Coptic Christmas (January 7).

Restrictions on Religious Freedom

Church and human rights leaders reported that six years after the promulgation of Decree 291/2005 many local officials continued to intentionally delay the process for obtaining permits to repair, rebuild, or expand existing churches. They charged that some local authorities refused to process applications without "supporting documents" that are virtually impossible to obtain (e.g., a presidential decree authorizing the existence of a church that had been established during the country's monarchical era). They also complained that some local authorities categorized routine repairs and maintenance (e.g., painting and plumbing repairs) as expansion/reconstruction projects that require formal permits rather than simple notification and maintained that some security forces blocked their churches from using permits that have been issued and denied them permits for repairs to church buildings. Such practices depended primarily on the attitudes of local security officials and the governorate leadership toward the church, and on their personal relationships with church representatives. As a result congregations experienced lengthy delays, years in many cases, while waiting for new building permits.

The government continued to detain, harass, and deny civil documents, including national identity cards, birth certificates, and marriage licenses, to citizens who convert from Islam to Christianity.

During the reporting period, the government refused the Jehovah's Witnesses' continued efforts to obtain legal registration.

While the government complied with court rulings by issuing identity documents with a "dash" for religion to Bahais, it continued to refuse to issue marriage certificates. This made it impossible for married members of the Bahai community to obtain identity documents recognizing their marital status. The government cited its nonrecognition of the Bahai Faith and the country's lack of a civil marriage mechanism as reasons for the denial.

During the reporting period, the approval process for church construction continued to be hindered by lengthy delays, often measured in years. Although government officials maintained that the president approved all requests for permits presented to him, independent critics charged that delays by the MOI and/or local authorities caused many requests to reach the president slowly or not at all. Some churches complained that local security officials blocked church repairs or improvements even when a permit had been issued. Others suggested unequal enforcement of the regulations pertaining to church and mosque projects. Many churches faced difficulty in obtaining permits from provincial officials.

According to statistics published in the Official Gazette, the president issued seven decrees during the six-month reporting period authorizing construction of four Protestant churches and three Coptic Orthodox churches. These churches include five in the Upper Egypt Governorate of Assiut, one in Bani Sweif, and one in the Delta city of Zagazig. No statistics were available on the number of permit requests made during the reporting period.

Local government officials have refused to issue a building permit for a new church in the Arbaeen District of Assiut for 13 years, despite a 1997 order from the president and approval from the MOI to issue the permit.

Local government officials in Assiut Governorate revoked a license to reconstruct the church belonging to the Church of the Brethren shortly after the license was granted in 2001, and construction has been halted for the past nine years. Church representatives reportedly began the application process in 1997, intending to replace their church building, the dilapidated condition of which they said posed safety hazards. Local police reportedly halted construction after the old building was razed in preparation for constructing the new one.

Since 2001 the MOI has prevented renovation of St. John the Baptist Church at Awlad Elias in Sadfa, near Assiut. At the end of the reporting period, the congregation continued to meet for worship in a tent erected in the small courtyard of the church. The governor of Assiut issued a decree for a permit to undertake renovations in 1999 that was renegotiated with State Security in 2001 to allow for enlargement. Church representatives initiated their request for a renovation permit in 1999.

Governmental authorities delayed or blocked renovation of other churches as well, including the Church of Mar Mina near Beni Suef and the Archangel Mikhail Coptic Church in Ezbet al-Nakhl.

In recent years, two converts from Islam to Christianity, Muhammad Ahmad Abduh Higazy and Maher Al-Gohary, have sought to have their conversion officially recognized in national identity documents by seeking recourse through the courts. In April 2010 an Administrative Court transferred a case filed by Higazy for change of religious affiliation to the Supreme Constitutional Court. The Administrative Court stopped proceedings until the Supreme Constitutional Court issues a decision on a separate appeal filed by Higazy regarding the constitutionality of article 47 of the Civil Status Law. Other converts have also filed claims regarding article 47. In January 2008 the Cairo Administrative Court ruled that the administrative agency of the Civil Status Department was not bound to examine Higazy's request to have his new religious affiliation, Christianity, recorded on his national identity card. In its ruling the court wrote that principles of Islamic law forbid Muslims from converting from Islam and such conversion would constitute a disparagement of the official state religion and an enticement for other Muslims to convert. The court asserted its duty to "protect public order from the crime of apostasy from Islam and to protect public morals, especially if the apostate petitions the administration to condone his misdeed and his corrupt caprice." The ruling maintained a government policy not to provide a legal means for converts from Islam to Christianity to amend their civil records to reflect their new religious status.

Maher Al-Gohary continued to appeal a June 13, 2009, decision by the Seventh Circuit Court of Administrative Justice. The court ruled against Al-Gohary, a Muslim convert to Christianity, who sought government recognition of his conversion, including by changing the required religion space on his national identity card to indicate "Christian." The court stated that al-Gohary had demonstrated behavior that contradicted his claim to be a Christian, thereby "toying with religion." The court stated that, while the constitution's guarantee of freedom of belief is an internal matter and not subject to restrictions, the guarantee of freedom to practice religious rites, including freedom to embrace a different religion, may be limited through regulations that emphasize higher interests, especially those related to safeguarding public order and moral values. The court also stated that Egypt approved the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with its religious freedom guarantees, "taking into consideration the provisions of Islamic law and the absence of contradiction between these provisions and the covenant." The ruling indicated that in the event of a contradiction, Islamic law takes precedence. The court also stated that there is no law authorizing the Coptic Church to certify a citizen's change of religion from Islam to Christianity. Accordingly, the court recommended that Parliament rectify legislative shortcomings that constitute a failure to achieve effective protection for freedom of religion and prevent manipulation of religion for personal gain.

On December 28, 2010, the State Security Administrative Court overturned a Ministry of Interior travel ban on Maher al-Gohary. The Court reportedly found that the MOI's "security concerns," namely that Al-Gohary's case would be used by human rights organizations abroad to defame the country's reputation, unconvincing. MOI is expected to appeal, and at the end of the reporting period al-Gohary was still unable to obtain a passport.

In recent years there have been reports that the government harassed Christian clergy and other Christian leaders at the international airport in Cairo, confiscating address books, written materials, and various forms of recordable media while they passed through customs to board flights.

Government officials detained a U.S. citizen at Cairo International Airport as he was traveling to a youth event at a Christian center outside Cairo. The traveler had a valid Egyptian visa. Officials held the man for 24 hours before returning him to the United States. Also during the reporting period, an American religious worker who had lived for more than a decade in Egypt was refused entry when returning to the country.

An Egyptian citizen convert to Christianity and his UK citizen spouse were detained at Cairo International Airport upon arrival in November. The spouse was deported and the Egyptian detained for approximately three weeks before being released and allowed to depart the country.

Anti-Semitic sentiments appeared in both the government-owned and opposition press; however, there have been no violent anti-Semitic incidents in recent years.

Press articles and editorials in print and electronic media, which often criticize Israel and Israeli policy, occasionally also expressed anti-Semitic sentiment. Prior to the current reporting period, there were anti-Semitic editorial cartoons depicting demonic images of Israeli leaders, stereotypical images of Jews and Jewish symbols that generally referenced Israel or Zionism, and comparisons of Israeli leaders to Hitler and the Nazis. A number of privately owned, but government licensed, satellite television stations broadcast virulent anti-Semitic programming, which glorified or denied the Holocaust, over government-owned Nilesat. Beginning in October the government warned stations to eliminate "sectarian content" (content that reinforces sectarian hatred or could spark sectarian violence) and took a number of these channels off Nilesat. Following a court decision in November, five of these stations returned to Nilesat while others remained off the air.

The constitution provides for equal public rights and duties without discrimination based on religion or creed; however, the government discriminates against non-Muslims.

As of December 31, 2010, there were 10 Christians (seven appointed, three elected) in the 518-seat People's Assembly; six Christians (all appointed) in the 264-seat Shura Council; two Christians in the 32-member cabinet; and one Christian among Egypt's 28 governors. Christians, who represent between 8 and 12 percent of the population, hold fewer than 2 percent of the seats in the People's Assembly and Shura Council. There were few Christians in the upper ranks of the security services and armed forces. Public funds compensate Muslim imams but not Christian clergy.

Political parties nominate relatively few Christians to run in elections as candidates. Out of 839 candidates for the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) in the 2010 People's Assembly election, 10 were Copts. Approximately 24 Christians ran as opposition candidates and number of others ran as independents. Out of 92 candidates put forward by the NDP to run in the June 1 Shura Council election, 3 were Copts.

There were no Christians serving as presidents or deans of the country's 17 public universities. Of nearly 700 president, dean, or vice dean positions in the country's public university system, only one or two positions were filled by Christians.

The government discriminates against Christians and other religious minorities in public sector hiring and staff appointments to public universities and bars them from studying at Al-Azhar University, a publicly funded institution with approximately half a million students. In general the government bars non-Muslims from employment in public university training programs for Arabic language teachers because the curriculum involves study of the Qur'an. Media and activists claim that Christians make up a disproportionately small proportion of the police and security forces.

The 2009-2010 National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) annual report, issued in February 2010, highlighted increased sectarian tension and restrictions on Shias, while at the same time noting a "relative breakthrough" in issuing identity documents to Bahais. Following communal violence up to and including the January 2010 Naga Hammadi attack, NCHR noted that authorities used a "combination of customary procedure, reconciliation and mitigation, along with the legal procedures of detention, referral to the public prosecution. . . ." An NCHR Mission investigating one case of communal violence recommended "penalizing the aggressor in the incident [because] reconciliation meetings were futile if they provide impunity for the aggressor." However, unlike in previous years, the 2009-2010 annual report did not provide recommendations on religious freedom or any other area to the government.

Abuses of Religious Freedom

The government harassed Muslims who held views it deemed unorthodox including Quranist, Shia, and Ahmadiya Muslims. The Quranists are a small group of Muslims that the state considers unorthodox because they view the Qur'an to be the sole authority for Islam and reject some other traditional sources of Islamic law, including the Hadith.

In 2008 security officials in the governorate of Sharqiya arrested Quranist blogger Reda Abdel-Rahman. Police raided Abdel-Rahman's home and confiscated his personal computer, books, CDs, and cassette tapes before taking him to an unknown location. Despite multiple court rulings ordering his release, Abdel-Rahman was held until January 22, 2009. Security officials reportedly subjected him to physical and mental abuse in detention. As of the end of the reporting period, there had been no government response to investigate and potentially prosecute the officials.

In 2008 the public prosecutor ordered the release without charges of 25 members of the Islamic Al-Ahbash sect, including three Lebanese and a Kazakh, who had been arrested in 2007 on charges of membership in an illegal organization and contempt for religion. The expatriates were reportedly deported.

Between April and July 2009, government security forces arrested 200-300 Shias including prominent Shia cleric Hassan Shehata on charges of forming an organization for the purpose of propagating Shiite ideas that disparage Islam and Sunni confessions. Most of those arrested were released by fall 2009, and Shehata was released in March 2010. However, as of the end of the reporting period, seven Shias from this group were still being detained. The MOI has repeatedly renewed the detention orders, despite release orders from the Supreme State Security Court.

In 2009 security officials at Cairo International Airport detained Quranist Abdel Latif Said. The government released him, without charges, on November 25, 2009. On April 14, 2010, a Cairo Administrative Court ordered the government to lift any travel ban it had imposed on Said. Security officials at Cairo International Airport had also prevented Said from traveling earlier, on April 24, 2009, to the United States to attend a conference.

Beginning on March 15, 2010, government security officials arrested, over several days, 11 members of the country's Ahmadiya Muslim community; all were subsequently released, with the final six being freed on June 7. The Ahmadiyas were charged with the penal code offence of showing "contempt for religion" and vague emergency law charges of undermining social cohesion. They were never prosecuted. Authorities also detained a number of Ahmadiyas for questioning over periods up to three days in December.

In September and October 2010, the government detained approximately 100 Shia Muslims. Media and NGOs reported that the Supreme State Security Prosecutor accused 12 Shia from this group in mid-October of "contempt of religion," forming an underground organization to overthrow the ruling regime, and receiving foreign funds.

On December 13, Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Hamdy Zakzouk called on security officials and imams, the vast majority of whom are paid by the government, to not permit celebrations of the Shia religious holiday of Ashura.

An estimated several thousand persons remained imprisoned during the reporting period because of alleged support for or membership in Islamist groups seeking to overthrow the government. The government stated that these persons were in detention because of membership in or activities on behalf of violent extremist groups, without regard to their religious affiliation. Internal security services monitor groups and individuals suspected of involvement in or planning for extremist activity. Internal security agencies regularly detain such persons, and the ongoing state of emergency allows them to renew periods of "administrative detention" indefinitely.

Although there are no legal restrictions on the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam, there were occasional reports that police persecuted converts from Islam to Christianity.

For approximately two years the MOI failed to comply with repeated court orders to release Emad Adib Atiya Suleiman, a Christian married to a convert to Christianity, from "administrative detention." The courts, including a 2008 ruling by the Supreme State Security Emergency Court, issued 15 orders to revoke a 2007 detention order for Suleiman that was based on reports of an alleged "romantic relationship between the aforementioned and a Muslim woman living in the same area." Suleiman was released on July 26, 2010.

In 2008 airport security officials arrested a convert from Islam to Christianity, along with her husband and their two sons, ages two and four, while they were trying to board a flight to Russia. Officials charged her with carrying a false identification document. The convert subsequently told U.S. officials that state security officials raped her multiple times and subjected her to other physical and mental abuse during her detention in January 2009 to pressure her to revert to Islam. Although her husband and sons were released after four days in custody, she was held until January 22, 2009, when a judge granted bail and ordered her release. Before granting bail, a judge reportedly told her he would have killed her if the law permitted. Upon her release she was reportedly thrown from a moving vehicle and subsequently went into hiding. Two employees of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Alexandria were arrested on suspicion of providing her forged identity documents.

In 2008 a male convert from Islam to Christianity claimed that agents of state security had detained him on multiple occasions over several years, including during the reporting period. The convert stated that authorities had subjected him to severe physical and mental abuse; he said the officers called him a "murtadd" (apostate), told him he was suffering as a result of his conversion, and pressured him to revert to Islam. The convert stated that during the reporting period state security officers beat his wife on the abdomen while she was pregnant, causing her to hemorrhage. He also showed officials scars purportedly inflicted by governmental interrogators in previous years, including long scars on his back and sides and numerous deep, circular scars on his shoulder, reportedly caused by state security officers holding burning cigarettes against his flesh for long periods of time.

The government took no action to implement a 2008 ruling of the Supreme Court of Administrative Justice that ordered the government to issue national identity documents to 13 converts to Christianity who were originally Christian but had converted to Islam. There were hundreds of pending cases that other such converts have brought with the same request. The ruling, which is not subject to appeal, overturned a 2007 ruling by a lower court that held that the MOI was not obligated to recognize the reconversion to Christianity by Christian-born converts to Islam (see Legal/Policy Framework).

The government took no action during the reporting period to provide Fathy Labib Youssef, another such "reconvert," an identity document indicating that he is Christian. In December 2008 the Alexandria Administrative Court ruled that refusal to issue the identity document was illegal.

As mentioned above, the government refuses to issue converts from Islam to Christianity identity documents indicating their chosen faith. Some converts who procured counterfeit or falsified identification documents denoting their chosen religion, or helped others to do so, have been arrested, tried, and convicted for these crimes. For example on April 13, 2009, police arrested convert to Christianity Raheal Henen Mussa, reportedly for possession of a false identification document. She was held for four days and then released into the custody of her parents.

In October 2009 a criminal court convicted Einas Refaat Mohamed Hassan, a convert from Islam to Christianity, of forgery for possessing a forged national identity card indicating her religion was Christianity. Hassan was released after serving a one-year prison sentence.

In June 2009 the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) referenced a 2007 report by Human Rights Watch which asserted that in 2007 there were 89 cases of Egyptian citizens whose religious affiliation had been changed in official documents to Islam against their will, after their fathers converted to Islam. The 2007 report also asserted that in violation of the law, the MOI refused to change their religious affiliation to Christianity when they reached the age of 15.

The government failed to investigate allegations of police misconduct and excessive use of force during the November 24 riot in the Giza neighborhood of Omraniya. Clashes between police and mostly Coptic rioters began over a church-building dispute and led to the deaths of two Copts. As many as 68 others, including 18 police, were reportedly injured. Human rights advocates have demanded an investigation into excessive use of force by security forces, including use of rubber bullets that witnesses claim caused the two deaths, and misconduct by police who threw rocks alongside civilians. Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III announced that the Coptic Church would file lawsuits against the government for actions that led to the two deaths. There were unconfirmed reports of police abuse against some of the 154 persons detained in connection with the riots.

Security forces on September 7 reportedly clashed with monks at the Coptic Orthodox monastery of St. Macarius of Alexandria in Wadi Rayan, Fayoum Governorate. Witnesses claim that police used tear gas, batons, and stones, and three monks were injured. Authorities confiscated limestone bricks that were to be used for building monks' cells, claiming the Coptic Church had not obtained authorization to build additions. The Monastery is located in a protected wilderness area and was periodically deserted prior to 1996.

The government continued in most cases to sponsor "reconciliation sessions" following communal violence and sectarian attacks instead of prosecuting perpetrators of crimes. Such "reconciliation sessions" generally precluded recourse to the judicial system for restitution. Following an attack on a Coptic Church facility in the Mediterranean coastal city of Marsa Matruh on March 13, 2010, 30 attackers were arrested, but no criminal charges were filed as the government had organized a reconciliation session. According to credible reports, the attack resulted in injuries to 19 Christians, four Muslims, and eight policemen who attempted to intervene. The Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies investigated and reported that the attack resulted in the destruction of only Coptic-owned properties including nine homes, three workshops, a warehouse, and 11 automobiles. The Institute's assessment and press reports indicated that the incident was settled through cash payments to some victims who suffered property damage, and the Coptic Church agreed to demolish the wall that blocked an access route to the neighboring mosque. Some reports indicated that the wall was built on recently acquired Copt property. The attack was reportedly encouraged by the imam of that mosque who, like most imams in the country, receives a salary from the Ministry of Islamic Endowments. The imam reportedly incited a crowd estimated in the low hundreds. According to the institute report, the attack lasted three hours; fire trucks and ambulances arrived four hours after the attack began, and security forces, although located nearby, responded after two hours. The institute report credited security forces with extinguishing the fires and preventing carnage. Victims alleged that homes were looted before being set on fire.

During the reporting period, the government did not investigate or prosecute the perpetrators of a March 2009 attack on the homes of seven Bahai families in the village of al-Shuraniya in Sohag Governorate. Muslim villagers, some of them related to the Bahai villagers, attacked Bahai houses with bricks and rocks until police dispersed them. On March 31, 2009, the attacks escalated when attackers returned and set fire to the homes, forcing the Bahais to flee.

Prior to this reporting period, some prominent government officials denied that sectarian tensions were among the root causes of violence that occurred between Christians and Muslims, pointing instead to criminal, family, tribal, or other disputes. This contributed to a failure to effectively address religious tensions and violence.

In June 2009 state security and police forces reportedly instigated a sectarian clash in Boshra, near Beni Suef, when they prevented Christians from praying in an unlicensed church.

By the end of the reporting period, the government had not prosecuted any of the Bedouin villagers who assaulted the Abu Fana monastery in 2008, nor those who concurrently kidnapped, physically abused, and reportedly attempted forcefully to convert several monks. The armed assault also resulted in the death of one Muslim man, as well as multiple injuries including gunshot wounds to monks and the destruction of the chapel, artifacts, and some of the monks' cells. Three monks abducted from the monastery were reportedly rescued by security services. Police were reportedly slow to respond to the attack, but have maintained a presence on the road leading to the monastery. The NCHR investigated the attack, which according to independent human rights groups originated in a land dispute. On August 20, 2009, the government released, without charges, two Copts arrested in connection with the death of a Muslim villager. Two Muslims detained in connection with the attack were also released on August 20. Reports claimed the two Coptic brothers were being detained to pressure Coptic authorities not to press for official prosecution of the perpetrators. Human rights advocates reported that this incident exemplified an increasingly prevalent pattern of governmental authorities detaining Copts following sectarian attacks and either holding them without charges or threatening false charges and a police record. They said the detentions serve as a tool to blackmail Coptic authorities to desist from demanding criminal prosecution of the perpetrators and to dissuade the victims and/or their families from seeking recourse in the judicial system for restitution of damages.

Jehovah's Witnesses leadership reported the continuation of government harassment and interrogation of their members during the reporting period, including confiscation of religious documents and a ban on importing Bibles and other religious material. State security authorities also reportedly monitored the homes, telephones, and meeting places of Jehovah's Witnesses. Their mail was also reportedly sometimes confiscated and intended recipients summoned for interrogation by security officials that reportedly included threats of increased harassment of coreligionists, abusive language, and psychological pressure. Security agents also reportedly sought to incite animosity against them, characterizing Jehovah's Witnesses to neighbors as security threats and Zionists. Authorities also reportedly followed visiting foreign members of Jehovah's Witnesses. While Jehovah's Witnesses continue to be allowed to meet in groups of up to 30 in private buildings, they remain prevented from building dedicated places of worship. Jehovah's Witnesses have reported varying degrees of government harassment and surveillance since 1960. Witnesses reported that government harassment they experienced in 2010 declined substantially from 2006-2008.

In 2008 a Giza criminal court sentenced Coptic priest Mita'us Wahba to five years in prison with "forced labor" for officiating at a wedding between a Copt and a Muslim convert to Christianity. The court found Father Wahba criminally liable for accepting an allegedly false identification document the convert presented. Wahba appealed but remained in prison at the end of the reporting period.

On November 5 authorities released blogger Abdel Karim Nabil Suleiman Amer, incarcerated since 2006 and convicted in 2007 of "denigrating Islam" and insulting the president, and immediately detained him again. He was released on November 16. According to Karim Amer's public statement November 24, prison officials beat him on three occasions during his detention. A state security officer also reportedly warned him not to blog upon his release. The government has not responded to calls for an investigation into abuse by security forces.

On July 22 the government released blogger Hany Nazir, who had been held without charge under the Emergency Law since 2008 following his blogging about allegedly sensitive religious issues.

In April 2009 government security forces demolished a building the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Marsa Matrouh had recently bought to serve as a parish social services center. According to media reports, security forces claimed a brick fence on the roof of the one-story building exceeded the height approved by local government. At the end of the reporting period, there were no reports of governmental intention to investigate the conduct of the security forces who carried out the demolition.

In March 2009 a local council in Maghagha, Minya governorate, demolished part of a 10-acre Coptic cemetery, destroying graves.

In 2008 local authorities demolished a Coptic social services building owned by the Coptic Church in Alexandria, alleging it had been built without a permit.

On March 30, 2010, an administrative court in Alexandria dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of twin boys born as Coptic Christians seeking recognition of their self-identification as Christians, despite their father's conversion to Islam in 2005. As a result, when the plaintiffs, Andrew and Mario Medhat Ramses, turned 16 in June 2010, they could only receive national identification cards designating them as "Muslim." The court's dismissal of the lawsuit supported the discriminatory policy of forcibly changing the religious affiliation of Christian children recorded on official documents when their father converts to Islam. In its opinion, the court stated that Coptic Church-issued documents certifying that the boys were Christian had no legal standing. In June 2009 the Court of Cassation ruled to grant the twins' mother, Kamilia Lotfy, a Coptic Christian, custody of her two sons, overturning a 2008 ruling by the Alexandria Appeals Court that had awarded custody to their father based upon his conversion to Islam. At the end of the reporting period the boys remained in their mother's custody.

On July 27, 2009, a Cairo family court awarded legal custody of Aser Usama Sabri, whose parents are Bahais, to the child's Muslim aunt. The ruling, which came in a lawsuit filed by the boy's grandfather, had no immediate practical effect as the boy and his parents live abroad.

Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom

The government continued prosecution of three Muslim men implicated in the January 2010 Naga Hammadi attack. They were charged with premeditated murder. As of the end of the reporting period, the court had ruled on motions, heard testimony from numerous witnesses, reviewed crime scene data, and was scheduled to resume in January 2011 to issue verdicts.

Senior government officials issued strong statements condemning sectarianism and religious violence during the reporting period. Following the October 31 attack on the Saydat al-Najat Church in Baghdad and Al Qaeda threats against Copts, President Mubarak condemned sectarian violence and announced increased security measures for churches. Numerous ministers and religious leaders echoed these statements. On October 6 Mubarak publicly denounced sectarianism and called national unity "a red line I will allow no one to cross." The same day Sheikh Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayeb, and head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, issued a joint statement calling for peaceful coexistence. On October 9 Minister of Awqaf Mahmoud Hamdi Zaqzouq warned imams working for the Ministry not to attack Copts in their sermons.

In October the government removed 12 privately-owned satellite television stations from government-owned Nilesat for spreading "sectarian incitement" and other charges. A number of these stations were well-known for virulent anti-Semitic and other extremist programming. In late November a court order allowed five stations to resume broadcasting.

Section III. Status of Societal Actions Affecting Enjoyment of Religious Freedom

Violent sectarian attacks, primarily directed at Copts, continued during the reporting period, although Christians and Muslims share a common culture and live as neighbors throughout the country. Communal tensions and sectarian incitement increased during the reporting period.

On January 1, 2011, a bomb attack at the Coptic Orthodox "Church of the Two Saints" in Alexandria killed at least 22 and injured 96.

On November 24 a demonstration in the Giza neighborhood of Omraniya led to clashes between police and mostly Coptic rioters. Two Copts were killed and up to 68 others, including 18 police, were reportedly injured. Eyewitnesses claim that rioters threw "Molotov cocktails" and stones, while police primarily used tear gas and rubber bullets. Videos of the riot show groups of police, joined by civilians, and rioters throwing rocks at each other. Rioters briefly blocked traffic on Cairo's ring road and also attacked the Giza Governorate headquarters building. Authorities detained approximately 154 persons in connection with the riot. The riot began when demonstrators, who had been at the site a number of days, attempted to prevent Giza officials and police from entering the construction site of a new community/social center. Giza officials claimed that Copts were building a church instead of a "services building" for which they had a permit. Before the riot Copts added domes and a small cross.

On November 15-16, in the village of Al-Nawahid, Qena Governorate, 12 houses and a store belonging to Coptic families were set on fire. The arson started after locals saw a Coptic teenage boy and Muslim teenage girl together. Police arrested 14 persons, including Muslims and Christians, who were released in the days following the violence. As of the end of the reporting period the government had reported no progress in investigating these crimes and had not arrested any suspects.

In late October one store and four houses belonging to Coptic families were set on fire in the village if Awlad Kalaf in Sohag Governorate. Security forces intervened to prevent further violence. As of the end of the reporting period the government had reported no progress in investigating these crimes and had not arrested any suspects.

Salafist-led demonstrations took place many Fridays from September to December in Alexandria, with crowds of up to 2,000 chanting violent anti-Coptic slogans and displaying signs with violent rhetoric. Demonstrators expressed anger at recent statements by Coptic Church leaders. Salafists also called for the release of women allegedly held in Coptic monasteries against their will. Smaller Salafist-led demonstrations took place in Cairo on a number of Fridays. Demonstrators echoed a call by the Al Azhar Scholars' Front (not directly affiliated with Al Azhar) in September for a boycott on Christian businesses.

Bishop Bishoy, the second highest official in the Coptic Orthodox Church, angered many Muslims in September when he stated that Muslims are "guests" in Egypt and that parts of the Qu'ran may have been added by followers of the Prophet Muhammad after his death. Earlier in September prominent Islamist and former secretary general of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, Selim Al-Awwa, suggested that the Coptic Church was buying weapons and storing them in churches, as well as kidnapping Muslim women. These statements heightened sectarian tensions.

Throughout the reporting period, communal tensions in the media and during street demonstrations focused on the July 2010 disappearance in Minya Governate of Camilia Shehata Zakhir, the spouse of a Coptic priest. Egyptian lawyers filed suit accusing Al Azhar and the MOI of forcibly preventing Shehata from converting to Islam, though Al Azhar officials claim that Shehata never approached them. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights publicly criticized police for handing Shehata to the Coptic Church against her will. Some incendiary preachers and editorialists called for "storming" monasteries to find the woman.

The trial of four suspects continued during the period for their alleged role in the January 6, 2010, Christmas Eve shooting in Naga Hammadi, Qena Governorate that left seven persons dead (six Christians and one off-duty Muslim police officer) and 11 others wounded (nine Copts, two Muslims). The suspects remained in detention throughout the reporting period and were being tried before an emergency state security court on charges of premeditated murder. At the end of the reporting period, the court was scheduled to resume in January 2011 to issue verdicts.

The trial of a 20-year-old Coptic man who allegedly raped a 12-year-old Muslim girl in November 2009 in Farshout, Qena Governorate, continued during the reporting period. The court was scheduled to issue a verdict in February 2011.

As in previous years, there were occasional claims of Muslim men forcing Coptic women and girls to convert to Islam. Reports of such cases were disputed and often included inflammatory allegations and categorical denials of kidnapping and rape. In November 2009 an international Christian advocacy group published a report regarding alleged cases of forced conversion; however, well-respected local human rights groups were unable to verify such cases and found it extremely difficult to determine whether compulsion was used, as most cases involved a female Copt who converted to Islam when she married a male Muslim. Reports of such cases almost never appear in the local media.

Section IV. U.S. Government Policy

Religious freedom is an important part of the bilateral dialogue. The right of religious freedom has been raised with senior government officials by all levels of the U.S. government, including the ambassador, members of Congress, the Secretary of State, the Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs, the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and other Department of State and embassy officials. The embassy maintains formal contacts with the Office of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The embassy also regularly discusses religious freedom matters with other government officials, including governors and members of parliament. The ambassador has made public statements supporting religious freedom, interfaith understanding, and efforts toward harmony and equality among citizens of all religious groups. Specifically the embassy and other Department of State officials raised concerns with the government about the ongoing discrimination that Christians face in building and maintaining church properties despite Decree 291 of 2005; official discrimination against Bahais; arrests and harassment of Muslim citizens whose religious views deviate from the majority; and the government's treatment of Muslim citizens who wish to convert. During the UN Human Rights Council periodic review of the government's human rights record in February 2010, the U.S. delegation made a number of interventions regarding religious freedom.

U.S. embassy officials maintain an active dialogue with leaders of the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Bahai religious communities, human rights groups, and other activists. U.S. embassy officials investigate complaints of official religious discrimination brought to its attention. They also discuss religious freedom matters with a range of contacts, including academics, businessmen, and citizens outside the capital area. U.S. officials actively challenge anti-Semitic articles in the media through discussions with editors in chief and journalists.

U.S. programs and activities support initiatives in several areas directly related to religious freedom, including funding for programs of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services that work with Coptic and Muslim community groups, as well as support for NGOs that monitor the country's media for occurrences of sectarian bias.

The U.S. government is working to strengthen civil society, supporting secular channels and the broadening of a civic culture that promotes religious tolerance, and supporting projects that promote tolerance and mutual respect between different religious communities as a means to promote religious freedom.

The embassy supports development of educational materials that encourage tolerance, diversity, and understanding of others, in both Arabic-language and English-language curricula. The embassy also supported programs that promoted tolerance among young religious leaders, interfaith understanding in communities that have recently suffered from religious strife, and civic and political participation by marginalized youth.

Embassy officials also worked with the Supreme Council of Antiquities to promote the conservation of cultural antiquities, including Islamic, Christian, and Jewish historical sites.

US Congress3 - Kidnapping Coptic Girls - Jean Maher1

2011-09-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

US Congress3 - Kidnapping Coptic Girls - Jean Maher1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anG-WO8WgIo

Congress1 - Coptic Christians Egypt - Chairman Chris Smith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIhND3iDr3I&feature=related

Future of copts in Egypt C-SPAN witness 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6miPDnPPSkI&feature=related

Morris sadek Esq Album

2011-09-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Concerned Citizens for The First Amendment (CCFA) in Los Anglos

2011-07-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

Concerned Citizens for The First Amendment (CCFA)
Thursday, 07 July 2011 20:35 Steve Klein Share 0

Concerned Citizens for The First Amendment (CCFA)

July 28, 2011
Mr.Carmen A. Trutanich Los Angeles, Ca City Attorney
200 North Main Street, 8th Floor, Los Angeles, Ca. 90012

Subject: First Amendment Educational Outreach, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, 500 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, California 90012 by Concerned Citizens for the First Amendment (CCFA)

Dear Mr. Trutanich,

Concerned Citizens for the First Amendment (CCFA) will conduct a First Amendment educational outreach on the public sidewalk in front of The Los Angeles County Administration Building from about 11:00 AM to about 2:00 PM on Friday July 29, 2011

In separate public appearances Sheriff Baca praises a Muslim Brotherhood Organization, Council on American Islamic Relations, CAIR, this is confirmed by The Hudson Institute at .http://www.currenttrends.org/docLib/20090411_Merley.USBROTHERHOOD.pdfsee pages 51 and 52, Appendix 1.

One can watch and listen to Sheriff Baca at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOkfLBt-Rk and LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing notes that we should not “demonize” the Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siOgo1QHfZw .

Of course the motto of The Muslim Brotherhood is:

- Allah is our objective.
- The Prophet is our leader.
- Qur'an is our law.
- Jihad is our way.
- Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.

City Attorney, Mr. Carmen A. Trutanich

Page 2

July 28, 2011

RE: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Outreach

And the Logo of the Muslim Brotherhood: at the top with two Crossed Swords and at the bottom, the Arabic from Sura 8:60 of the Qur’an, as translated by Abdullah al-Araby:

And make ready (originally: be prepared) against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to threaten (originally: to terrorize) the enemy of Allah and your enemy.

The direct meaning of this to Muslims: be prepared to terrorize non-Muslims. The indirect meaning to non-Muslims is: Muslims are preparing themselves to terrorize you.

Moreover, Ibrahim Hooper, National Spokesman for CAIR, stated that if Muslims were ever to become a numerical majority in the U.S., they would likely seek to replace the Constitution with Islamic law (Sharia), which they view as divinely inspired and thus superior to all other legal systems. See http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2136 .

We of CCFA understand that our First Amendment, our Constitution has always created the highest degree of peace, order, liberty and prosperity. And we know by a quick perusal of the Muslim world Constitutions we discover that all but 3 are based on Islam and that these Islamic based countries create the highest degree of hostility, disorder, slavery, poverty and misogyny**

Islamic law, Sharia has never created or permitted:

1.Any Constitutional Republic
2.Any Bill of Rights
3.No freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, or peaceable assembly to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
4.No Majority Rules with Minority Rights
5.No Rule of Law: The highest official is equal before the law as the lowest citizen.

We of Concerned Citizens for the For the First Amendment (CCFA) are alarmed that authorities, Sheriff Baca and Deputy Police Chief, Michael Downing, who have sworn to protect us from organizations that seek to replace the Constitution with a form of government antithetical to our Cherished First Amendment, our Cherished Constitution are making such public statements in support of The Muslim Brotherhood.

As a result we shall peaceably assemble in front of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to petition all our Los Angles leaders, City and County to please protect us from the Muslim Brotherhood instead of allying with them.

The purpose of this First Amendment educational outreach is six-fold:

1.To educate citizens and authorities about The First Amendment.
2.To familiarize all citizens and authorities with our cherished First Amendment rights.
3.To educate citizens and authorities about Sharia, Islamic law
4.It is Constitutional, i.e., “American” to regulate Religion, Speech and Assembly under the First Amendment
5.Islam flows from the behavior of Mohammed; Islamic ethics is understood as
What Would Mohammed Do?” And this is the basis of ethics for Islam – yet history proves - Mohammed never supported any of our Constitutional freedoms such as our First Amendment. Moreover, Mohammed had sex with his six year old wife, and based on this Ayatollah Khomeini had sex with a four year old girl. Proof is found at http://www.faithfreedom.org/videos-features/khomeini-sexually-assaulting-crying-and-screaming-4-year-old-girl-with-parental-consent/
6.Saudi Arabia funds 80% of the U.S. Mosques; Saudi Arabia funds Global Terrorism and the Muslim Brotherhood – we seek to educate all Americans that the Muslim Brotherhood and organizations in America are antithetical to our cherished First Amendment liberties. See these 3 URLs. Congressional Testimony at http://old.nationalreview.com/document/document-un122002.pdfhttp://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/special_report/45.pdf and http://globalmbreport.org/?p=991

For years CCFA has participated in such outreaches throughout Southern California on a weekly basis, mostly without incident, however, even though we stay only on public sidewalks and do not trespass on private property, there are those who believe that they have the right to abridge our First Amendment rights through intimidation, sometimes accompanied by threats of violence. We are familiar with these tactics and know that a police presence has a calming effect upon such persons. As a result, we extend to you the courtesy of making our presence known in advance, so that the police may take appropriate precautions.

As a courtesy to you - so that you know we are both peaceful and professional - I am providing five references from law enforcement personnel who have worked with CCFA in the past: Temecula, Sergeant Potter; Yorba Linda, Sergeant Bill Smyser; Anaheim, Sergeant Wilkes; Los Angeles Sergeant Lee Perry; and Corona Lieutenant Mark Johnson. Please use them as a reference to confirm our peaceful and professional demeanor.

On Friday July 29, 2011 our educational outreach will last from approximately 11:00 AM to about 2:00 PM. We anticipate 200 or more participants. We are always courteous and respect the police. From experience we have found that meeting with a police representative about 15 minutes before such an outreach helps to make the event run smoothly.

We ask to meet with a police representative at 10:45 AM on the public sidewalk in front of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors building so that we may introduce ourselves and discuss any concerns that your police department may have.

You may contact me at the above referenced number or one of our attorneys, Mr. Michael Kumeta. We look forward to hearing from you, or a police representative, at your earliest convenience.

With kind regards,

Sincerely,

Steven A. Klein

CC: Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa

L.A. City Council Members:

District 1 Ed Reyes

District 2 Paul Krekorian

District 3 Dennis P. Zine

District 4 Tom LaBonge

District 5 Paul Koretz
District 6 Tony Cardenas

District 7 Richard Alarcon

District 8 Bernard Parks

District 9 Jan Perry

District 10 Herb J. Wesson, Jr.

District 11 Bill Rosendahl

District 12 Mitchell Englander

District 13 Eric Garcetti

District 14 Jose Huizar

District 15 Janice Hahn

Chief of Police Charlie Beck
Biondi, Gillespie and Kumeta Attorneys for CCFA

Los Angeles Police Chief

Mr. Charlie Beck

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Gloria Molina, 1st District Supervisor

Mark Ridley-Thomas, 2nd District

Zev Yaroslavsky, 3rd District Supervisor

Don Knabe, 4th District Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich, 5th District Supervisor

Sachi A. Hamai Executive Officer

Los Angeles County District Attorney

Steve Cooley

Los Angeles Sheriff

Mr. Leroy D. Baca

California State Sheriff’s Association

Sheriff Mark Pazin, Merced County, President

Sheriff Keith Royal, Nevada Count, 1st Vice President

Sheriff Greg Ahern, Alameda County, 2nd Vice President

Sheriff Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County, Secretary

Sheriff Martin Ryan, Amador County, Treasurer

Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Kern County, Sergeant at Arms

Sheriff Ed Bonner, , Placer County, Immediate Past President

California Police Chiefs Association

President Dave Maggard

1st Vice President Scott Seaman

2nd Vice President Kim Raney

3rd Vice President Pete Dunbar

Immediate Past President Susan Manheimer

Director at Large Carlos Mestas

National Sheriff’s Association

Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald, Story County, IA, President

Sheriff Larry Amerson, Calhoun County, AL, 1st Vice President

Sheriff Michael Leidholt, Hughes County, SD., 2nd Vice President,

Sheriff John Aubrey, Jefferson County, KY., 3rd Vice President

Sheriff Danny Glick, Laramie County, WY. Secretary

Sheriff Gregory C. Champagne, Treasurer, St. Charles Parish, La

National Association of Police Chiefs
49 other Police Chief Associations

49 other Sheriff’s Associations

U.S. Senator s

Barbara Boxer

Dianne Feinstein

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Washington DC Assistant Director in Charge, James W. McJunkin

Los Angeles Assistant Director in Charge, Steven M. Martinez

Dept of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

Central Intelligence Agency Leon Panetta

Los Angeles County Office of Education

Douglas R. Boyd President

Rudell S. Freer, Vice President

Katie Braude, Board Member

Gabriella S. Holt, Board Member

Maria Reza, Board Member

Thomas A. Saenz, Board Member

Rebecca J. Turrentine, Ed.D, Board Member

Maria Elena Yepes, Board Member

Arturo Delgado, Ed.D. Superintendent

Los Angeles Unified School District

Marguerite LaMotte

Mónica García

Tamar Galatzan

Steve Zimmer

Bennett Kayser

Nury Martinez

Richard Vladovic

Superintendent Dr. John Deasy

Jefferson Crain, Executive Officer of the Board

Press Releases to every media outlet in the United States, Canada and Europe

* Simply go to the Constitutions of the Global Muslim Nations and all but 3 begin with Islam is the basis of our law. The 3 that do not base their fundamental law on Islam are Turkey, Indonesia and Malaya.

LAPD supports muslim brotherhood

2011-07-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Police Department reinforcing its support of the Muslim Brotherhood – here it is in their own words … See Sheriff Baca at

CAIR 2010- Sheriff Baca Courage In Leadership Award Acceptance Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOkfLBt-Rk&feature=player_embedded LA Top Cop in Bed with Muslim Brotherhood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siOgo1QHfZw&feature=player_embedded

LA Sheriff Lee Baca must be fired for praising Hamas-linked CAIR

2011-07-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

LA Sheriff Lee Baca must be fired for praising Hamas-linked CAIR
Thursday, 07 July 2011 20:39 Steve Klein Share 0
The courageous Coptic Christian activist Joseph Nasralla, who gave a riveting speech at our 9/11 Rally of Remembrance at Ground Zero last year, and Steve Klein of Concerned Citizens for the First Amendment are leading a demonstration on Friday, July 29, here in downtown Los Angeles, asking the Los Angeles county board of supervisors to fire the compromised and clueless Sheriff Lee Baca. Here is their announcement:

L.A. Sheriff Baca must be fired for praising organizations with ties to terrorism
San Diego: Christian leaders in Southern California are calling on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors to fire Sheriff L. D. Baca for comments he made praising the Council on American Islamic Relations, a group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood; both have been linked to terrorist activities.

See Sheriff Baca’s remarks at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgOkfLBt-Rk

“I fled to America with my family because of the violence directed against me for my Christian faith,” said Joseph Nasralla, founder of The Way T.V. satellite network. “Sheriff Baca must be fired, and the County must apologize to all of us who have suffered at the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

“Sheriff Baca’s praise for an organization with known ties to Islamic terrorism is outrageous and is an affront to all the victims of Islamic terror,” said Dr. Gary Cass of DefendChristians.Org. “This infiltration of law enforcement by those with sympathies for organizations that support Muslim violence is terrifying for Christians who have fled to the U.S. because of Muslim violence. Sheriff Baca must go!”

“We are alarmed that Sheriff Baca, who has sworn to protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic, is making public statements in support of The Muslim Brotherhood,” said Steve Klein, of Concerned Citizens for the For the First Amendment. “We demand he be fired and that the L.A. Sheriff department make an unequivocal statement renouncing the work of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The motto of The Muslim Brotherhood is:

Allah is our objective.

The Prophet is our leader.

Qur'an is our law.

Jihad is our way.

Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.

The Logo of the Muslim Brotherhood has at the top with two crossed swords and at the bottom, the Arabic verse from the Qur’an, Sura 8:60, “And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to terrorize the enemy of Allah and your enemy.” The direct meaning of this to Muslims is be prepared to terrorize non-Muslims. Translated by Abdullah al-Araby.

new alboum

2011-06-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

Copt stripped of citizenship files int'l complaint against Egypt

2011-06-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

http://thedailynewsegypt.com/people/copt-stripped-of-citizenship-files-intl-complaint-against-egypt.html By Marwa Al-A’sar /Daily News Egypt June 15, 2011, 6:10 pm

CAIRO: Coptic lawyer Morris Sadek filed a complaint earlier this week before a UN body against the Egyptian government for stripping him of his nationality on charges of high treason.

Sadek’s complaint — filed before the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva — identifies his opponents as the head of the ruling army council, the judges who handed down the verdict, the interior minister, the justice minister, the lawyers who filed the lawsuit against him and the lawyers’ syndicate president.

On May 22, the State Council’s Administrative Court ordered the interior ministry, representing the Cabinet, to strip Sadek of his Egyptian citizenship due to his constant incitement against Egypt in what constitutes “high treason.”

Legally, the verdict cannot be appealed, but it can be contested before a higher court.

In his complaint, 69-year-old Sadek said he was never given the chance to make his plea or defend himself. He said he couldn’t contest the verdict and issue a power of attorney to any lawyer in Egypt to represent him.

“Any attempt to do that must be at an Egyptian consulate. At this point, my Egyptian passport will be withdrawn,” Sadek told Daily News Egypt in an email exchange. “The ruling also bans me from entering my country of birth, Egypt.”

In addition, the court ordered that Sadek’s membership at the Lawyers’ Syndicate in Egypt be revoked.

Sadek said that if the OHCHR considers his case, it may turn into an international lawsuit against Egypt.

Last year, the Islamic Lawyers Association (ILA) filed a complaint before the Prosecutor General against Sadek, whom they described as “the extremist,” for “committing crimes … that would have an impact on the security of the state.”

The ILA also accused Sadek of insulting Prophet Mohamed, a claim he denied.

Sadek said in his complaint that the case against him was filed by unconcerned parties based on “Hisba,” a doctrine that entitles any Muslim to take legal action against anyone considered harmful to Islam. The concept is sometimes used in politically-motivated lawsuits.

Sadek described the court order as “null and void,” violating his freedom of speech.

Quoting the Universal International Declaration of Human Rights ratified by Egypt and other countries, he told DNE, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom … to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Sadek, who immigrated with his family to the US in 1999, is the president of the National American Coptic Assembly (NACA). He is currently working as a lawyer in Washington, DC.

Sadek is known for his controversial statements, once calling on Israel to interfere in Egypt’s domestic affairs to protect Egyptian Copts.

In May 2010, Sadek sent a letter to Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman asking him to convince the United Nations to impose an international mandate over Egypt due to what he described as the “oppression” Egyptian Copts were exposed to.

Sadek considered convicting him of high treason as a proof of “public hostility of extremist Egyptians against Israel.”

An Egyptian citizen can be legally stripped of his nationality if, at any time, he is seen to embrace Zionism.

“Israel and Egypt have diplomatic ties… [and] economic relations as the two had entered into a peace treaty. So Israel is not an enemy of Egypt,” Sadek previously told DNE, arguing that there is “no single Egyptian law preventing a citizen from contacting a country and using its friendly relationship with Egypt to call for equality between citizens.”

Sadek justified his endeavors to seek international interference by saying that he criticized human rights violations which Egyptian Christians had been subjected to. Sadek threatened in earlier controversial statements that “if such persecution was not stopped, he would call for dividing Egypt in order for Copts to have their own country and nation.”

The Coptic Church has recurrently denounced Sadek’s statements.

MORRIS SADEK ESq

2011-06-12T15:56:00.001-07:00

Morris Sadek, Esq. is an attorney registered with the Bar of Cairo, Egypt, D.C. Bar, and the American Bar Association. He has immigrated to the United States 12 years ago. Aware of the continuing persecution of the Copts in Egypt, he has continuously attacked the violations of Human Rights perpetrated by the authority in Egypt. Within his claims against the continuing persecution of the Christians, Mr. Sadek used to attack the regime. On several occasions he has requested the International interference to protect the Christians of Egypt. He further threatened that if such persecution is not stopped, he will claim the division of the country in order that the Copts have their own country and nation, or the International community mush interfere. Also, he has on several occasions, supported the peace treaty with Israel, a statement that was considered capital treason due to the public hostility of the extremist Egyptians against Israel.
As a result, some Islamists extremists have commenced a law suit against Mr. Sadek before the Administrative Court in Cairo accusing him of Capital Treason, and he has never been served with the complaint. On May 22, 2011 the Administrative Court issued its judgment declaring that Morris Sadek, Esq. is guilty of Capital Treason, and his Egyptian nationality must be withdrawn. Also he must be disbarred from the Egyptian Bar Association.
Mr. Sadek has never been served with the complaint, as stated earlier, and he has never been served with the judgment, and it would never be served on him.
Also, Mr. Sadek is entitled, according to the law of the Egyptian Bar Association, to pension. The judgment included that he would be deprived of that pension.
Further, since Mr. Sadek is deemed traitor, he would never be able to visit his country of birth. There is no reason for such deprivation except the aforementioned judgment. Such judgment was issued solely due to his human rights activity, and his religion.
Further, it is clear that the judgment was issued solely because Mr. Sadek is Christian.
Please note further, that Mr. Sadek would never be able to issue a power of attorney to an attorney in Egypt to appeal the judgment. Any attempt to do that, must be at any consulate. At this point the Egyptian passport would be withdrawn. Thus, he cannot appeal the judgment.
Also, the judgment involved that Mr. Sadek is barred from entering his country of birth "Egypt".
In sum, this is the attitude of the country due to Mr. Sadek's use of his freedom of speech.
In addition, this judgment was commenced by an uninterested party who has relied on what is called in Sharia Law (Hesba Lawsuit). In a similar case that was related to a famous activist called NAWAL SADAWI, the appellate court has decided that (Hesba Lawsuit) is not recognized in the Egyptian Civil Procedure, and the lower court's judgment was reversed.
Hence, this judgment must be declared null and void. However, Mr. Sadek has no means to appeal that judgment as explained above.

Destruction of the pyramids

2011-06-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Coptic Republic of Egypt

A government and Parliament in Exile865 Berg Ave.

Jersey City, NJ 07306

P.O. Box 11111

LA, CA 90295

Tel: 201-433-9895 Fax: 201-433-9896

Press Release June 1, 2011

Destruction of the pyramids

Egypt is known for its strong astounded principle of everlasting beliefs of eternal life symbolized in the pyramids with its top shooting for the sky. The Coptic Christian of Egypt are the ancestors of those pharos who built those pyramids standing up till this time. Copts believed in the eternal life and the same rituals and principals for centuries, until they have been invaded by Islamic imperialistic regime in year 641 AD. S`uch regime is so radical that it annihilates any other believers, enforcing their radical beliefs. They adopted burning churches, ethnic cleansing and abduction of minors and women and forcing them to convert to Islam.

Further, although Egypt has entered into Peace Treaty with Israel in 1977, the new government after the January 2011 revelation demonstrated signs of reneging on such agreement by marching to Israel through the Rafaa tunnel in an attempt to destroy Israel. A Coptic Christian attorney Morris Sadek had been denationalized and deprived of his Egyptian citizenship for speaking out about the U.S. protection of Israel, blight of the Christian in Egypt since has been an ex-chief of the Human Rights in Egypt in the past decade and about the naturalization of the two states (Egypt and Israel), which lasted for the past 30 years, and as a reward, Mr. Sadek received unjustifiable punishment for asking for international protection to the Coptic Christian in Egypt as announced by H.H. Benedict XVI Pope of Rome; which should be immediately enforced for the protection of the minority of Christian in Egypt by the United Nation, United States of America and European Union.

Wake up America and the Peace loving countries, before Moslem Brotherhood, in cahoots with the governing Egyptian Military Council, takes over Egypt and destroy Israel, American and foreign interests. In GOD we trust.

……………………………………………..

Esmat Zaklama, M.D.

Official Spokesman

Former Candidate, US Congress

CC. White House- President Obama 202-456-2461

Honorable Hillary Clinton 202- 647-1579

U.S. Senator 202-647-1579

CIA

FBI 973-792-3035

A.P. and all media

Copts Voice Their Anger and Sadness on Day Two of Protests

2011-05-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Exhausted from the latest sectarian attacks on two churches Saturday night that left 12 dead, Ahram Online witnesses bouts of fighting to sobbing and hears the demands and fears of Copts at their protest in the state media building

Sometimes it turns violent and other times it’s eerily quiet, giving an unhindered forum for the protesters to voice their anger and mourning. Outside the state TV building, known as Maspero, hundreds of heavy-hearted Egyptian Christians, many sobbing and garbed in black, staged a sit-in in against sectarian violence in the wake of ‎deadly attacks on two churches in Imbaba Saturday, killing 12 people, leaving hundreds more injured and raising fears of a follow-up attack.

A heavy army and police detail cordoned the area surrounding the building Egypt’s Radio and Television building, blocking all the side streets leading to the area while army staff checked IDs.

A line of riot police on walkie-talkies fanned out across the streets surrounding Maspero.

A few metres away from the checkpoint sits 21 year-old Michael Tadros, sobbing heavily and shouting “Isn’t it enough to kill our brothers, spoil our prayers and celebrations and leave us in fear and terror?”

His father, who was holding his hand said “Don’t worry! God is with us. He will help us” to which Tadros reacted to with great anger, shouting “We can’t keep silent and just keep praying. We should take revenge. We should protect ourselves… the army isn’t protecting us, not Pope Shenouda. No one.”

Banners read “Down down with Tantawi [the minister of defence and head of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces],” “Where’s the international community?” and “We won’t surrender our rights anymore.” Other placards were fixed on the tents surrounding the place, where angry Copts spent their night in fear of possible attacks from the army or from thugs, whom are commonly thought to be bought by the former regime in order to break up protests.

Fear, anger and little hope was the spirit today in Maspero. A group of protestors started chanting slogans such as “We’re all Egyptians, no matter if we’re Muslim or Christian,” “We’re all one against terrorism” and “Egypt for Egyptians.”

Mina Hanna, one of the young protestors who suggested some of the chants to “pacify the situation and unite protestors” said they won’t end their sit-in until all demands are met, which include the trial of all criminals who committed Saturday’s attack and the release of all Christians detained by the army since 9 March. The military is accused of arresting people for politically-motivated reasons or simply randomly when things get out of hand.

“Our problem is not the Muslims – many of them joined the protests as a show of solidarity. Our problem is with fanatic Salafists. God take them all and rid us of them and everything will be fine,” Hanna said before he suddenly vanished as a sudden fight erupted between two young men.

Maspero, which was already edgy suddenly turned into a war zone.

Spontaneous fighting exploded everywhere. Stones flew and other projectiles showered the whole area. Army officers started their random arrests. Some angry protestors started throwing stones at the army officers, who quickly stepped back behind the cordon, leaving people to fight each other.

Once the situation turned upside down all pacifist voices were shut off by the masses. No one wanted to hear anything about unity between Muslims and Christians or between Egyptians in this edgy situation.

“Call us unpatriotic, call us hypocrites: we seek international arbitration,” Youssef Abdullah, a Coptic lawyer told Ahram Online, having just ended an interview with a Canadian channel, one of several international and local press which came to capture the moment.

“We’re seeking one million signatures to get international arbitration,” says Abdullah “These are not spontaneous attacks, as some described it. These are planned serial attacks on Egypt’s Copts and with the chaos in the country it’s getting serious.”

During a New Year’s Eve celebration a massive explosion occurred outside the Two Saints Church in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria, leaving 23 dead and 79 injured.

“This time it’s different” says Coptic activist Rola Sobhy “Every time there’s an attack on Copts, they try to give us some ‘painkillers’ to calm the situation, and yet it happens again and again.”

“Structural changes need to take place” adds Sobhy “We don’t want them to rebuild the attacked churches: we know how to do that already. What we need is to try Salafist sheikhs who incite sectarian violence, including Sheikh Hassan, who is being treated like a hero.”

Salafist Sheikh Mohamed Hassan joined a delegation of army officers that went to Atfeeh, Helwan, where a church was burned on 4 March, reportedly as a result of a love affair between a young Muslim woman and a young Coptic man, leading to a mob attack on the church, as well as Coptic homes in the village.

Mohamed Hassan gave a speech, showing solidarity with Christians and denouncing all kinds of violence against Copts, however Copts seem uncomfortable with the idea of the army using a Muslim sheikh to address Christians.

“This is a clear political game between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood,” elaborates Rola “they incite people against each other, point fingers at Salafists, so that people say ‘oh yes, the Muslim Brotherhood is less harmful than Salafists’ and we vote for them in the elections.”

That way, Rola adds, Tantawi, who is part of the former regime, is no longer threatened by a new president who might put him on trial, considering he would have helped get the Muslim Brotherhood reach a parliamentary majority or even presidency.

One old woman, with a tattoo of a cross on her wrist, sitting on the pavement began sobbing hysterically and shouted “Enough discrimination, enough second-class treatment for my son – this time we’ll take our revenge.”

By Salma El-Wardani

http://english.ahram.org.eg

Egypt's Coptic Christians Protest Against Sectarian Attacks

2011-05-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

RTTNews) - Thousands of Egyptian Coptic Christians demonstrated in the country's capital city of Cairo on Monday to protest against the Muslim-Christian sectarian violence triggered by the attacks on two churches over the weekend.

Monday's demonstration was staged outside the building housing Egypt's state television in Cairo, marking the second day of such protests at the same venue. The protesting Christians are alleging that the army had failed to protect them from attacks by the Muslim majority.

They are also demanding the removal of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of Egypt's ruling military council which replaced the regime of ousted President Hosni Mubarak after the February uprising.

At least 12 people were killed on Saturday, after hundreds of conservative Muslims attacked and set fire to two churches in Cairo. Further clashes broke out on Sunday, with Christians and Muslims pelting each other with stones. More than 150 people from both sides were reported to be injured in the two days of fighting.

The violence erupted late Saturday after rumors spread that a Christian woman was being held in the Saint Mena Church in Cairo's Imbaba district against her will because she married a Muslim man and wanted to convert to Islam. The woman in question has since denied those claims in a TV interview.

The Egyptian military has since restored order in Cairo and arrested more than 190 people over their involvement in the sectarian clashes. The military also pledged to enforce new laws that forbids attacks on churches and other places of worship.

Egypt's Coptic Christians Protest Against Sectarian Attacks

"The Supreme Military Council decided to send all those who were arrested in yesterday's events, that is 190 people, to the Supreme Military Court," the army said in a statement, adding that the move would act as a "deterrent to all those who think of toying with the potential of this nation".

Official demographic figures indicate that most of Egypt's Christians, who constitute almost ten per cent of the north African country's 80-million population, are Copts. They are descendents of native Egyptians converted into Christianity in the first century AD.

The Copts still follow a calendar based on Ancient Egypt and celebrate Christmas on January 7. Despite being the largest Christian community in the Middle East, they regularly complain about discrimination, harassment and sectarian attacks in their home country.

The developments come just over a couple of months after Mubarak was forced to step down from office on February 11 following mass protests across the country against his 30-year rule and handing over of the control of the nation to the military
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/GeneralNews.aspx?Id=1618988&SM=1

The Triumph of Sectarianism in Upper Egypt

2011-05-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Written by Mary Abdelmassih
3 May 2011

(AINA) -- Between the April 14 appointment of the Christian Major General Emad Mikhail as governor of the southern province of Qena and the Prime Minister's decision on April 25 to suspend his appointment for a three months period, "Egypt lived through the biggest and most dangerous political and sectarian crisis in its modern history.

Although no blood was shed and no clashes between Muslims and Christians took place, the 'civil state' was put to a difficult test -- which it failed miserably," wrote journalist Mohamed Hamdy in an article for the daily newspaper Youm7.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi leaders managed to bring thousands of protesters from inside and outside Qena, who after Friday prayers on April 15 staged an 11-day sit-in in front of the governorate building, demanding the removal of the new governor. Muslim protesters vowed to bar Major General Mikhail, who replaced the former Christian governor Magdi Ayoub, not only from entering the governorate building to carry out his functions as Governor but from the whole province, with some vowing to kill him.
The Muslim protests against the new Christian governor escalated in time. At first, the Muslim Brotherhood announced the reason for refusing Gen. Mikhail was only because he was an ex-policeman who worked for the State Security and was involved in the killing of the demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Cairo during the January 25 Revolution. This was refuted by Major General elNomany, minister of local development. The Muslims said that Christians joined them in refusing the Christian governor. This was refuted by the church, stating that Christians did not participate in any protests.

The Salafis, who control the majority of mosques in Qena, recruited the Imams to preach and issue Fatwas (religious edicts) saying the rule of non-Muslims over Muslims in not admissible, as per 'Allah will not give access to the infidels (i.e. Christians) to have authority over believers (Muslims) [Koran 4:141].

The demonstrators openly demanded a "Muslim governor in a Muslim country," walking the streets chanting "Mikhail is an infidel pig,", "There is no god but Allah and Christians are the enemies of Allah" and "Muslim, Muslim, will govern us" (video of Muslims chanting "we will never be ruled by a Christian governor").

Protesters declared their rejection of any negotiation with the ruling military governor and commander of the southern region before the dismissal of governor Mikhail. The minister of interior and the minister of local development also failed in their mission to end the protests and open the railway routes, and went back to Cairo with the same message: "no negotiations before the dismissal of the Christian governor."

The protesters called for the establishment of an Islamic state under the slogan "No god but Allah -- Islamic - God willing," provoking a state of fear among many Christians. They waved the Saudi Arabian flag. The protesters then blocked the railroad track and highways between Cairo and Aswan for 8 consecutive days, completely paralyzing railway stations in Aswan, Luxor and Qena and causing the suspension of rail services for 8 days (video).

The armed forces did not intervene to stop the demonstrators from blocking the highway.

On April 21 27 renowned Egyptian human rights organizations sent a letter to Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and to the Prime Minsiter Dr. Essam Sharaf, expressing their deep concern over the events in Qena. The letter said "There were reports of raising the Saudi Arabian flag and the declaration of Qena as an 'Islamic Emirate,' and in this context, all roads leading to the province were cut off, including the railways." It went on to say that the Salafis removed students out of schools and shut them down, closed the Dandara Bridge which connects the west and east of the Nile, offloaded female passengers from busses to separate them from the male passengers in public transport, attempted to cut off the water supply from the province of the Red Sea, and prevented Christians from celebrating Palm Sunday.

The letter blamed the attitude of the military council and the government for the escalation of the objections posed by the Islamists groups to the appointment of governor Mikhail from being an ex-policemen to being a Christian. According to the letter, "They were encouraged because of the lenient attitude of the State represented by the military council and the government to past violations, such as the demolition of the church in Soul (AINA 3-5-2011) and the cutting off of the ear of citizen Ayman Anwar Mitry in Qena (AINA 3-26-2011), with the State only sponsoring reconciliation sessions between the two parties which are humiliating to the Christians and a way of trying to go around non-application of the law. "They even used at these meetings Salafi clergy who have always incited against the native Christians, which has encouraged these groups to ignite the fire of sectarian strife."

Egyptian Coptic female activist Hala el Masry, who lives in Qena, said the Salafis were the main players and when the Muslim Brotherhood saw matters got out of control, they pulled out of the protests. She stressed that the Salafis were collecting signatures for the appointment of one of the Salafi clerics as Amir (leader) of the faithful and governor of Qena. On April 28 the Salafis raised the Saudi Arabian flag for the second time, and staged a sit-in in front of the mosque of Sheikh Abdelrehim el-Qenawi, demanding the appointment of Sheikh el Qurashi as Amir of the faithful and governor of Qena, reported Coptic activist Mariam Ragi.

The position of the army was incomprehensible to many Egyptians and dozens of articles appeared criticizing the inaction of the military towards the radical Muslims in Qena in blocking off the railway connecting Qena with Cairo, as well as several other main highways. The articles called on the military to force the Salafis to respect the authority of the State.

When all efforts failed to dissuade the Muslims in Qena to end their protest and accept the new Christian governor, the government suspended the governor's appointment for three months, giving sectarianism the final word.

Mary Abdelmassih

Obama Oblivious to Religious Persecution of Christians

2011-05-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Written by Bruce Walker
The New American
1st May 2011

All over the world, Christians are persecuted for their faith. The murder of Coptic Christians in Egypt and the protests of radical Muslims against the appointment of a Christian Governor of an Egyptian province are recent examples of that oppression.

Native Christian Iraqis, in a nation where Obama still has American troops, have fled their ancestral homeland in droves to escape the brutal persecution of Muslims and the “blessings” of democracy without individual rights. Christians in China are arrested, their Bibles confiscated, and their churches ransacked — all for the state offense of practicing their faith as they wish. In fact, no communist regime allows the free practice of religion.
Nations such as India, with an unmerited reputation for tolerance, allows attacks on Christians as brutal as anything seen in the Islamic world — almost especially upon those Dalits, or “untouchables,” who have converted to Christianity.

Though America does not have an established state religion (despite the fretting of federal judges and the ACLU), there are plenty of other nations of the world that do: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sikkim, Bhutan, and a host of others. These countries with non-Christian state religions do not trouble the Obama administration at all. Though President Obama delivers serious messages to celebrate Ramadan, Kwanza, and just about every religious holiday except those of the Christian religion such as Easter, leaders of Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic nations would not dream of giving an official government Easter or Christmas message.

Many people in European nations such as England, Denmark, Scotland, and Norway — which still have established state churches — have a low view of Christianity, even as brutal Muslim religious law is being enforced in their countries by street thugs, as well as by anti-religious government offices and court systems.The definition of “hate crimes” in much of the West has come to mean any sincere profession of the ancient Christian faith.

So it should surprise no one that since President Obama took office, his administration has not designated a single “country of particular concern” (CPC) for religious freedom violations. The term CPC is grounded in the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, which was intended to tie America's foreign policy to the promotion of religious freedom. It identifies any country that is a "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violator of religious freedom. President Bill Clinton in 1999 designated Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, and Sudan as CPCs. President George W. Bush, on January 16, 2009, gave eight nations that designation — Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan.

Though it is highly doubtful that the Religious Freedom Act can do much to help persecuted Christians in other countries, President Obama's failure to even make a symbolic gesture to protect such people may violate this federal law, which requires him to take specific actions against any CPC, including sanctions and diplomatic protests.

The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in January 2010 urging her to take action on CPC designations, and repeated the exhortation last January. Nothing has happened. Leonard Leo, chairman of the USCIRF, observed:

The Obama administration continues to rely on the prior administration’s designations but hopefully will make new designations and apply meaningful actions very soon in order to underscore America’s resolve in bolstering the freedom of religion or belief around the world.

According to CNSNews.com,

Although Saudia Arabia is widely viewed as a particularly severe violator of religious freedom, an indefinite waiver prevents the imposition of sanctions ... as a consequence of its designation. Uzbekistan has also been covered by ... waivers.

Chairman Leonard Leo noted, "As a result of these waivers, the United States has not implemented any policy response to the particularly severe violations of religious freedom in either country."

The USCIRF also reported that:

The promotion and protection of religious freedom is underutilized in U.S. foreign policy. This has been the case in both Democratic and Republican administrations, which is unfortunate, as IRFA provides the U.S. government with unique capabilities to address some of the most pressing foreign policy challenges the United States faces today. The U.S. government is working to encourage respect for human rights around the world, while at the same time engaging in conflicts where actors are motivated by ideas advancing violent religious extremism. In light of this, promoting religious freedom can help policymakers achieve crucial foreign policy goals, given that many egregious limitations on freedom of religious practice not only constitute human rights abuses but also can impact national security.

None of this should be very surprising to Americans. President Obama has shown a profound, though often subtle, disdain for serious Christian faith, and has almost never condemned anti-Semitic comments from his friends in the radical Left. It should also come as no surprise that federal statutes and specially created federal commissions have failed woefully to protect liberties in America or to champion religious freedom abroad.

When Americans have acted effectively to protect Christians and Jews, it has almost always come from private, voluntary cooperation (such as the boycott of German goods in the 1930s to protest Nazi anti-Semitism, or the church protests against the imprisonment of prelates in the Soviet empire. Likewise, the promotion of faith and the dispelling of slanders of Judeo-Christian traditions comes most effectively from the private donations and missions of individual Americans and organizations, who go around the world with help, comfort, and love.

THE CAMILIA CRISIS: AN EXERCISE IN ISLAMIST INTIMIDATION AND TERROR

2011-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Written by Dioscorus Boles
30 April 2011

The Coptic Camilia Shehata, 25, exposed to intimidation
and terror by the Islamists in Egypt

Camilia Shehata Zakher [i] is an ordinary 25 year old Coptic school teacher from Deir Mawas, Minya in Upper Egypt, and wife of Father Tadros Samaan, the Coptic priest of Saint Mark’s Church in Mawas Cathedral, Minya, where there is a large concentration of Copts, but also a strong presence of the Islamists/Salafists, including Jama’a Islamiya, Jihad and Wahabists, who over the last months and years have been, together with their colleagues in other villages and towns of Egypt, stirring anti-Coptic sentiment; preaching hate; involved in intimidations against the peaceful Coptic communities; attacking their churches and properties; and injuring and killing some.

Even al-Qaeda, which is the central point for all these groups, has added its weight, and called its followers to attack Copts everywhere – the Alexandria Massacre on New Year Day 2011 being the latest, and which led to 23 Copts being dead.

Camilia inadvertently entered the annals of history when In July 2010 she disappeared from her home, but after a few days she reappeared in Cairo at the flat of one of her Coptic relatives. It was believed that her disappearance was due to a marital dispute with her husband. So far, it looked like any other regular incident, but the Islamists have chosen to make it a public matter, and complicated her case, converting it into an unnecessarily clash between the Muslims and the Coptic community. They alleged that Camilia, on disappearance, converted to Islam and that, upon reappearance, she was forced back to Christianity. Despite much evidence to the contrary, the Islamists would not listen. Such evidence included a statement by Dr. Saliem al-Awwa, himself an Islamist who is not known for his sympathies with the Copts, who said on TV that Camilia never converted to Islam – you can watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VOWfEh1w_w . Not only him, but even Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyib, the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar, denied in Egyptian press that Camilia ever converted to Islam in the presence of Azhari representatives.[ii] [iii] Moreover, Camilia herself appeared in video, published by the Egyptian daily, El-Youm7, and in which she denied the Islamists’ allegations, and confirmed that she was Christian, and that she never became Muslim – you can watch her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5csSijSaA8

In the video, during which shooting a reported from the daily was present, and who confirmed its authenticity, Camilia says:

Iam Christian with all my heart… I am talking to you in full freedom and without any pressure or intimidation. I am appearing to defend my husband, my child, my Church and my religion which is Christianity.

She then goes on to deny having been subject to torture, brainwashing or being detained in a monastery or church, as alleged by the Islamists, and then she adds:

This is illogical because the Church teaches us to love, but I assure you that I am in a safe and pleasant place.[iv]

But, not convinced of any evidence, and resolved to make it an issue with the Coptic Church, the Islamists declared that their top objective as a new political group in Egypt following the Revolution was “freeing Camilia from the grips of the Church”; and on 29 April 2011, around 5,000 of them, after Friday prayer, marched to the Coptic Patriarchate in Abbasiyya, Cairo, demanding Camilia’s “release”, the ouster of Pope Shenouda, and his trial for criminal offenses. To Copts and all independent observers, it is clear that the Islamists are using Camilia’s case as a rallying cry against the Copts, and to prove their existence on Egypt’s political theatre and justification as the staunchest defenders of Muhammadanism in a country that suffers from high rates of poverty and illiteracy.

Islamists full of hate using Camilia’s case to press for their agenda
(here they use a re-worked picture showing her clad in an Islamic veil, which she never wore)

In their campaign to intimidate the Copts and the Coptic Church, the Islamists, in addition to their traditional methods, called for boycotting of Coptic businesses, and further marginalising the Copts. But maybe what could have been the most serious development, had it not been so laughable, is their claim that their agitation for Camilia’s “release” is for religious freedom and human rights’ sake: the Church, they say, has imprisoned her, and prevented her from converting to Islam. So they seem to have learned from their masters in subterfuge, the Muslim Brotherhood, to put a liberal-democratic cloak on their religionist and racist rhetoric, to cover it in order to deceive and to annoy at the same time.

The Copts must understand that this is not about Camilia, or any of what the Islamists call “her sisters” who they allege have been kidnapped by the Coptic Church to prevent their conversion to Islam. As with the Governor of Qena’s case, this is a battle for domination – and in this battle they use all sorts of intimidation and terrorism, not only against the Copts, but also against the Moderate Muslims, who look at these Islamists, and their claims, with disgust. If they win Camilia’s case, and manage to resist the appointment of a Coptic governor to Qena, they will spread their influence and authority over all Egypt. This, with the case of the Qena Governor, is the first of a series of battles in the process of Islamisation of Egypt[v] and the surrender of Egypt to the dark and intolerant forces of Islamic fanaticism.

Coptic Nationalism is, therefore, appalled to find that some Copts do not understand the symbolic importance of this battle. Some call for Camilia’s “release”, as if she is under arrest by the Church, and some unfairly criticise Pope Shenouda for “mishandling of the situation”, as they say. Fearing attacks against themselves, some see no moral problem in scarifying some of our girls to the whims of the Islamists. They forget in the process that Camilia is a Copt; that she is Christian by her own admission; that she is not imprisoned by the Church; that she is, in fact, hiding away from the Islamists who pose a real risk on her freedom and life. When the Sunni sources, in which these Islamists strongly believe, say that an apostate from Islam must be killed; when Muhammad’s Hadith, “Whoever changes his (Islamic) religion, kill him,”[vi] can be quoted, there is no chance that the Islamists can claim the moral superiority on this matter, or be able to present it as a battle for religious liberty on their part. The Copts, and with them the world, must know that Camilia is hiding from the Islamists because if she comes out, she will be killed unless she declares that she is Muslim. As we have seen in the video, she has said publicly that she is Christian, but the Islamists wouldn’t listen – they are convinced that she did convert to Islam. Now, getting the Islamists involved in her choice of Faith will end in one of two horrible outcomes for her: either she converts to Islam, against her wish, because of their threats and intimidation of herself, family and community, in order to avoid application of had al-ridda (the penalty for apostasy, which is execution) on her, and attacks on her family and Copts; or she stays put, and confirm her Faith in Christ, for which she will nevertheless be killed by the Islamists for apostasy as they are convinced that she did become Muslim last year when she left her home first time! You can see her dilemma, and hope you will understand then the concerns of our Church leadership for her safety.

Today, 30th April, news came that the Egyptian Public Prosecution ordered the Coptic Church to release Camilia so that she may appear before the law. This is insane: regardless of the dangers that her appearance publicly may put her in, Camilia’s faith is a private matter and is her own business alone–-it is none of the business of the Islamists, the Public Prosecution or the State. The Coptic Church cannot hand over one of her followers who is hiding from the intimidation and terrorism of the Islamists – if it did, it will lose credibility with many Copts, let alone betraying its spiritual duty. It is a relief that news followed suit rapidly that the Church refuses the Public Prosecution’s order.

The Camilia crisis is becoming intimidation of the Copts and the Coptic Church on a larger scale; but the Copts, and their Church, are accustomed to that. They will resist any order from Caesar that will not respect’s what is God’s. Copts everywhere must understand that this is not a simple individual’s case, important though as it is for Camila and her family, who must be languishing under tremendous stress and fear – it is a matter of collective significance: it will decide the legal status of the Copts in Egypt for the foreseeable future, if the Copts, or the Coptic Church, capitulate. This is a clash, which we didn’t want, didn’t create, didn’t invite; but it was planned, manufactured and pushed to the forefront of politics by the Islamists – it is a clash between the Egyptian forces of modernity, religious liberty and tolerance, and the forces of Islamic fundamentalism, religious despotism and intolerance.

To what camp will the Egyptian State lean, and with whom will it side? And what will the international community do? These are questions which we will have to wait to see the answers for. But the Egyptian authorities, as represented in the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Ministry, must know very well that they are playing with fire; that they are paving the way to lasting divisions in the Egyptian polity; that the international community know that they are dithering and wavering when they are expected not to; that they are failing in their duty to protect the Copts and their basic freedoms and human rights; that they cannot continue to do so for long, and that the world cannot afford to let them do so; that, due to their failures, coming on the heels of past failures by Mubarak and Sadat, Egypt has now been classified by the United States, Egypt’s foremost friend, as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) because of its serious violations of the Copts’ religious freedom; that soon economic sanctions may be imposed on Egypt; and that once economic sanctions are imposed, they should blame only themselves for their continuing negligence and incompetence in running the affairs of Egypt to international standards.

But, to solve the problem, the Coptic Nationalists propose a solution to this crisis: Camilia can be smuggled out of Egypt, where religious liberty does not exist, to a safe and free country where she can conduct her life in peace and in the way she chooses, away from the intimidation and terrorism of the Islamists. There she can freely decide whatever religion she wants to follow, or, indeed, no religion at all. We urge the Western powers, particularly the United States of America and the European Union, to help with this proposal, or indeed take complete ownership of it.

Dioscorus Boles
ON COPTIC NATIONALISM Blog
http://copticliterature.wordpress.com/

The White House/Israel___Cairo/Riyadh Axis. Hiding the Black Book

2011-05-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Written by Countbernadotte blogspot
30 April 2011

There are those who know that what is taking place in the wings is far, far greater than what is being promulgated to the public for consumption. Mubarak’s is a case for careful examination and should never be taken for granted.

Information coming from private sources inside the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces tells a story, part of which is now well known and the remaining is subject to many speculations. But Mubarak’s destiny had been discussed and concrete steps had been taken different from what the public have been told. Mubarak will not be tried. Mubarak’s investigation will be farcical in nature, and designed only to mollify and placate the angry public.

To understand how events have progressed, and for everything to make sense, a brief background may be necessary for anyone who had not been there in Tahrir physically or digitally.

In the early hours of the revolution, there were very few exchanges with the Americans, if any. But during the early days, most of the exchanges, were reciprocal information between the White House Specialists on the Middle East and Tantawi’s Office in Kobreyl Qubbah as well as Joint General Command in Madinet Nassr. Very few were fielded to O’roobah Palace in Heliopolis to Mubarak himself.

America had no precise information on the timing or scope of the event. Much like Mubarak's regime, the US embassy Cairo had heard rumors and read digital messages but that was it. The US embassy’s Maggie Scobey was taken by surprise and could not provide any intelligence to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The White House had no choice but to rely on Pentagon’s communication with Lt. General Sammy Annan, who, early on was at the Pentagon and had to cut his visit short when the temperature of Tahrir rose to a critical level.

The White House obtained a very solid promise from Lt. General Sammy Annan that he would dismiss any order to use the army against the civilian population. That promise was obtained from General Annan while he was in DC at the pentagon, and was confirmed several times after his return to his Office at Joint General Command in Madinet Nassr.

Lt. Genral Sammy Anan With US Counterpart

General Annan discussed this heatedly with Field Marshal Tantawi, who while had no objection to the principle, resented that his Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should have made that decision and given such promises without deferring the matter to him first.
US Zionist Jew Joe Lieberman
Eventually, however, they both put the matter behind them especially when the difference was one of order and chain of command as well as military decorum rather than disagreement on duty and strategy. Lt. General Annan, however, was not 100% certain of his Boss' absolute and incontrovertible stance on initial action.

After January 28th, both Tantawi and Annan, along with all senior members of the Brass had no squabble on what their action should be, and with Mubarak’s intransigence, leading to ordering the army to crush the uprising by any and all means necessary, a decision was made to isolate him and his Old Crone along with their son the minute they sensed that they did not have a president, but a family acting as if they were monarchs or the royal overlords of the land.

Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez; Commanding General of the Air force ordered Cairo-West air base’s commanding officer to dispatch a squadron from their fighter air wing to fly “greeting formation” passes over Tahrir Square to reassure the millions that Egypt’s armed forces were on their side. Unfortunately neither the protesters nor the press understood what “Greeting Formation” flights were and thought that the F-16 fighter jets screaming over their heads were exhibiting hostile intentions against the civilians and gave defying fist signs with roaring cries as if to say, “We’re not scared of you.” ... Even foreign media were confused and reported this as a warning of impending aerial bombardment or scare tactics.

All those events were taking place while intensive communication was underway between the Tantawi-Annan team and the White House through the Pentagon to ensure that the Military was standing by the people or at least standing neutral. It was. But the communication had delved into a different topic altogether. The US was scared out of its wits and worried about all the dirty secrets between the US-Israel and Cairo-Riyadh axis.

Once the regime had fallen and was out of all official channels of communication, the US turned its attention to ensuring its strategic interests were not being threatened. The US had full confidence in the military institution but had no idea what the popular uprising might draw into the theater of influence in Egypt. This prompted intensive direct talks between the parties.

High level Congressional envoys including the most ardent Zionists of them all arrived one after another for closed door talks with Tantawi. They discussed Israel, the treaties, The Muslim Groups and the Mubaraks.

Britain’s Prime minister came to talk with both Tantawi and Ahmad Shafiq (then acting prime minister) regarding Muslim groups, Israel, the Treaties and the Mubaraks & his money. They also discussed, apparently, the imperative for a European standard legal proceedings against convicted members of the ousted regime. Tantawi wasted no time allaying British concern regarding military tribunals. David Cameron was impressed by what he heard from Tantawi regardong the deeply rooted traditions of Egypt's Judiciary system which has direct roots in both French and British counterparts.

The EU sent its chief of parliament to discuss Muslim groups, election, and transfer of power. They also discussed Mubarak and the looted funds in EU banks as well as string attachments to EU financial assistance. But perhaps one of the more sensitive issues about which, the EU was concerned, had to do with the nature of future trials for members of the deposed regime and whether capital punishment would ever be considered especially when there were close to 1000 killed by police snipers and assault including children and infants.

French President Sarkozy dispatched both his Prime Minster and Foreign Minister to discuss Muslim Groups, Israel, the Treaties, and the Mubaraks. … At one time Tantawi thought that all those high level envoys were on Mubarak’s Death-Will, lining up to inherit his Loot! Tantawi was also dismayed by the incredible and hypocritical degree of paranoia regarding Muslim groups while Muslims were being persecuted and targeted by Christian Extremists everywhere in their countries

Tantawi had to give assurances that all national Security secrets would remain 100% protected and Mubarak himself would be protected by the army. Tantawi-Annan had to agree to provide the US with assurances that, in exchange for his resignation, Mubarak would not be subject to any uncontrolled proceedings such as public Kangaroo Trials where, he would have to blurt out all state secrets.

This explains the army’s frantic reaction once State Security Buildings were compromised by the revolution and revolutionary elements had invaded several buildings, and documents were grabbed.

The US was quick to immediately send extremely loud alarms to protect or destroy those documents and leave no paper trails. Digital files were rescued and the military kept them in highly secured archives. The US was very pleased with the military’s quick reaction.

All documents destructions were sanctioned and pre-approved by Tantawi or his assistants. All State Security officers who were arrested for documents destruction without specific orders were subsequently released. No action was taken against them nor were they subject to any investigation. The public was given various cover stories that had been pre-rehearsed.

Tantawi's policy with remnants of the old regime's police apparatus was pragmatic. The police is not the State Security, yet State Security is a crucial division of the police. All the police excesses which were unforgivable by the people were equally unforgivable by the military.

The dilemma resided in what to do with internal security should a decision for collective punishment be taken? Undoubtedly many police personnel acted in pure criminal fashion. They were arrested and are still in detention pending trials.

The question remained, however, that despite the fact that the people's demands to dismantle the entire police apparatus are valid, no government, be it as it may, transitional, civilian or military could just dispense with the nation's police apparatus and replace it with a fresh replacement.

What Marshall Tantawi did was all he could do with what he had to maintain law and order, and even at that, law and order had either disintegrated or suffered severe blows in many parts of the country even with many units of the army acting as police to help in maintaining the security of the street.

The question of the family Loot was a very delicate matter and it was agreed that it would not be discussed until sufficient information was gathered and collected. Contrary to what the public and press had been told, The Old Crone and Her Two sons did travel abroad on the private jet several times, apparently, to take care of family Loot. Marshal Tantawi put an end to it once the Flight Crew complained that they were being coerced by the Old Crone to break the rules.

Meanwhile, across the ocean in the US, The Mubarak’s attorney in Washington DC, in what was described as one of the greatest blunders of US State Department's recent history of gaffes, was summoned by Hillary Clinton, and was designated her special envoy to Egypt. He arrived in Egypt, met the Mubaraks, and received instructions on what action to take regarding the family Loot. Nobody in Egypt was certain whether this was not on purpose. circumstances, however, do suggest that it was not just another gaffe.

Communication between Riyadh and Sharm el Sheikh continued, and representatives of the Fat, pot-bellied King in Riyadh came to meet Tantawi to ensure that all their state secrets would be protected and that Mubarak would not be subjected to humiliating public trials for fear of copy-cats in their own countries. Financial deals were struck contrary to what the public were told.

Many scenarios were discussed with the US and the Gulf States with regard to Mubarak. The general outlines were: public outrage would be contained with carefully orchestrated arrest and investigation proceedings giving the impression that there was no special considerations. Eventually, however, he would be exonerated of the most serious charges of murder and high treason. All other charges of corruption and profiteering would be dropped purely on humanitarian grounds provided the loot is returned to the public treasury.

Egypt’s external debt is $59 Billion Dollars. The financial deal had to do with assisting Egypt with addressing this insidious and horrific burden that was caused by none other than Mubarak himself, for whom many highly interested parties are, apparently, requesting special treatment. The Question of restitution came up.

Deals had to be struck, and while the details are national security secrets, the general outlines have to do with whatever assets smuggled to Gulf area banks. Those funds will be quietly returned to Egypt in any form Egypt may dictate while handling the matter delicately and with anonymity for all parties concerned.

All funds that Egypt could regain independently from outside the Gulf area shall be matched 1:1 until the entire amount of Egypt's external debt is settled. Financial arrangements, other than the returned looted money, shall take place in the form of treaties signed by future government to render all transactions legal and official; Meanwhile, Mubarak's case must be handled with extreme delicacy.

The US may have had good reasons to believe they owed Mubarak at least the semblance of dignity after 30 years of loyal service to his masters in Tel Aviv and the White House. This explains their repeated pleas to spare Mubarak the indignity of public humiliation. The Military had no quarrel with the concept, however, public outrage has compelled Tantawi to tell Hillary Clinton's envoys that Egypt has to do what it must ... Albeit, delicately.

The Arabians had all the good reasons (in their views) to treat Mubarak and his family with utmost decorum and honor. After all, they are all the same type of despotic and decrepit dictatorial heaps. And for considerations of national interests, Tantawi had to yield to diplomatic initiatives to satisfy both internal public demands and external interests, provided those interests were of benefit to national security.

Whether under arrest, prosecuted or pardoned, the military will remember the requests for special treatment and its own lack of desire to humiliate the former dictator, however, no promises were made for extending the special considerations to his family. If any, such considerations would be strictly stemming from the nature of the post-revolutionary political milieu, and evidence is already showing signs that, in Egypt, this is the norm.

http://www.copts.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3133&Itemid=1

Muslims Protest At Church in Cairo

2011-05-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Written by Mary Abdelmassih
30 April 2011

(AINA) -- Thousands of Muslim demonstrators gathered in front St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, vowing not to leave until they know the whereabouts of Coptic women, especially Camilia Shehata (AINA 7-23-2010) who allegedly converted to Islam but are held against their will by the Coptic Orthodox Church in monasteries and churches. The sit-in was called for by the newly-founded Coalition for the Support of New Muslims.

At the time of the Muslim demonstrations, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was not present in his residence within the grounds of the Cathedral. The head of security at the Cathedral closed the gates and it was reported that Christians have been asked not to come to the Cathedral to avoid altercations with the protesting Muslims.
The Cathedral was cordoned off by the military police and security forces. Cairo saw today three separate protests staged by Salafis against Pope Shenouda and the church, marching afterwards to the Coptic Cathedral in Abbasiya. The first demonstration was in front of El-Fatah mosque in Ramsis Square, the second in front of Al-Nour mosque Abbasiya Square, and the third came out of the Sharia Association mosque in Ramsis.

The protesters demanded the resolution of the "ten demands", which they called for last Sunday, during their protest in front of the el-Kayed Ibrahim mosque in Alexandria, mainly the "trial of Pope Shenouda", " the release of Camelia Shehata and Wafaa Constantine" and "inspection of monasteries and churches to look for Muslim women held by the church."

The Muslims chanted "Islamic, Islamic, against your will, Islamic" in front of the Cathedral and "They abducted Wafaa Constantine, By Allah we will not be silent" and "With our souls and blood, we will defend Islam." They held banners and photos of the alleged Muslim converts who were allegedly abducted by the church, as well as banners calling for an Islamic State (video of demonstration).

At the time of their afternoon prayers, thousands of Muslims prayed with the organizers, who asked the demonstrators to turn their backs to the Cathedral.

Islamic lawyer Mamdouh Ismail gave a speech in which he called for the realization of human rights and the rule of law, pointing out that this sit-in is not directed against the cathedral as a house of worship for Christians, whom he described as partners in the homeland. He also asked the Christians "to participate in the demonstrations demanding the appearance of Camelia." In the same context, Khalid Al Harbi, director of the "Islamic Observatory against Proselytizing," said "we will not go and we will not plead with anyone, but we will take our rights with our own hands."

A difference of opinion emerged between the organizers of the protest about when to end the protest. Renowned Muslim Salafi leaders Dr. Yasser Borhamy, from Alexandria, sent a message to the protesters asking them to disperse, saying the reason behind the protest was to deliver a message and so that no sectarian strife should occur because of the Salafis, while others like Abu Yehia, who claims he was with Camelia when she converted to Islam, wanted to break into the Cathedral.

Dr. Naguib Gabriel, head of the Egyptian Union of human rights organization, told Voice of the Free Copts that although demonstrations are legal, the Salafi demonstrations aim at incitement to sectarian strife in Egypt. "They call for the release of Camilia Shehata, who said she was a Christian and will live and die as a Christian," he said (video of Camilia). "Also, the authority who can say if she converted to Islam is Al-Azhar and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar confirmed two weeks ago that Camilia never set foot there. Do they want a confrontation with the Copts? Do they want bloodshed just because these people are making illegal demands?"

Gabriel said that the Supreme Council of the armed forces should put an end to these demands and the insults to Pope Shenouda and the church as they did last week and on April 25 in Alexandria. He pointed out the disgrace of Egypt being designated a "country of particular concern" by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. He added that the armed forces have to protect the Copts from the Muslims, otherwise he will go to the International institutions to do so.

Egypt receives $300 million from the U.S. every year to improve on human rights, "So where is this money?" Says Gabriel. "Do we take it to put it in our pockets? Where is this improvement?" He said that a Coptic conference will be held on May 8, to discuss the dire situation of the Copts after the January 25 Revolution.

Islamic lawyer Ismail said after the sit-in was called off , that he has reached an agreement with the army to solve the issue of Camellia Shehata by bringing her out on one of the satellite channels to declare whether she converted to Islam or not , and in exchange the Salafis are to suspend until such time all their demonstrations and sit-ins.

Mary Abdelmassih

Lara Logan speaks out about assault in Egypt

2011-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

Written by Bikya Masr
29 April 2011

CAIRO: For the first time since American reporter Lara Logan was attacked by a mob at Tahrir Square in February, the journalist is speaking out. In an interview with the American news program “60 Minutes,” the CBS correspondent says that during the attack she “thought she was going to die.”

On February 11, Logan was in Tahrir Square preparing for a live report for America’s CBS News, when the crowd turned violent and she was separated from her cameraman and crew. In an interview with the New York Times, which published on Thursday, Lara Logan says she was ripped away from her team, including an elite British bodyguard, by a group of men who tore away her clothes and beat her. To address the reports that she was raped, Logan told Brian Stelter of the New York Times, “for an extended period of time, they raped me with their hands.”
According to her interview in the Times, Ms Logan estimates that the attack lasted for about 40 minutes and involved between 200 and 300 men.

For about an hour, Logan says that she was able to interview participants in the crowd at Tahrir and the mood was one of celebration. Then her Egyptian interpreter said he heard conversations in the Arabic-speaking crowd which gave him reasons to believe something sinister was about to take place. The interpreter advised Lara and her team to immediately get out of the crowd and find a safe place, but before that could happen, the mob of several hundred surrounded Ms Logan, separating her from her entire crew, and encircled her.

Logan said in her interview with “60 Minutes,” that what happened next was a sexual assault and beating that she feared she would not survive. “There was no doubt in my mind that I was in the process of dying,” she said. “I thought not only am I going to die, but its going to be just a torturous death that’s going to go on forever…”

What kept Logan determined to survive her attack, she says, were the thoughts of her two young children. A group of Egyptian women and soldiers rescued Logan after they were able to break through the crowd and reach her. Egyptian soldiers drove Ms Logan and her team back to their hotel, where she received an examination and medical treatment. She returned to the United States the following morning where she entered hospital for four days.

The reaction in Egypt to Lara Logan’s assault was one of anger and shock. Many in Egypt’s pro-democracy community which supported the revolution, immediately spoke out against the attack on Ms Logan, and the issue of women’s rights finally came out from the shadows. There were others who would have preferred to silence those who spoke out about violence against women.

After the attack on Logan became news, Egyptian-American activist, Karim Mohy, took to Facebook to create a group in order to form a demonstration to put pressure on the new Egyptian government to bring Logan’s attackers to justice. According to Mohy, the response to his Facebook call to action was not met entirely with support. Some responded to the call to demonstrate with disappointment that an attack on a “foreign white woman” is gaining so much attention, while harassment against Egyptian women on a daily basis goes mostly ignored.

Dalia Ziada, who heads the American Islamic Congress in Cairo, and who frequently writes about Egyptian human rights, said after the incident that what occurred against Ms Logan is “an unusual occurrence” in Egypt. Ziada reported that during the overnight demonstrations to oust former President Mubarak, there were men and women both, “sleeping in Tahrir Square and yet there were almost no reports of abuse.”

This controversy highlighted the sensitivity in Egypt when it comes to openly discussing sexual harassment and assaults against women. Only in recent years have women’s rights groups been able to garner any government support in their fight for criminalizing such crimes on women and girls.

Another issue that came up after the attack on Ms Logan was timing. Several comments online by Egyptians involved in the revolution and expatriates living abroad, showed concern that the assault on Lara Logan and the sensationalized media reporting in the West would overshadow the victory at Tahrir Square. One woman who commented on Karim Mohy’s Facebook group gave caution that Mohy’s planned demonstration could be “misconstrued or misrepresented in the media, especially the Egyptian media,” and she disagreed that Karim Mohy was the appropriate leader for such a protest. The woman who called herself Kathy, said it would “be better if this effort were led by a respected Egyptian women’s organization, like ECWR [The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights], to avoid being misperceived as putting foreigners first, or even worse, as anti-Egyptian, anti-Egyptian revolution, or Islamophobic,” she wrote.

According to studies conducted by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Right (ECWR) in 2008, 98 percent of foreign women and 83 percent of Egyptian women surveyed had experienced sexual harassment in Egypt. Meanwhile, 62 percent of Egyptian men confessed to harassing women and 53 percent of Egyptian men faulted women for “bringing it on.”

Female activists in post-Mubarak Egypt say they are concerned that women’s rights are still being overlooked as people focus on several other issues in the “New Egypt.” “Harassment in Egypt has affected all women: Egyptian as well as foreign, young and old, Christian and Muslim, veiled and unveiled,” Nehad Abu Komsan, the chairwoman of the independent ECWR, said. “But for too long this has been a hidden issue.”

“Women’s rights are not about any one individual,” Komsan said. “If we hold protests exclusively for Lara Logan, the government would just say ‘this is one incident; we’re sorry’ and award compensation. Case closed… We want to preserve the interests not just of Lara Logan, but of women in general.”

To date there have been no identifications made of the alleged attackers of Lara Logan and no arrests in the incident have been made. Nehad Abu Komsan says that some of the frustration by women’s rights activists have been removed in light of new government cooperation in combating assaults against women, but she said social attitudes cannot be changed overnight. “Women have been given confidence by this revolution – we now need them to speak out more loudly against harassment,” said Komsan.

Logan began her first day back to work at CBS this Wednesday, and says she is healing. “I am so much stronger now,” she said in the “60 Minutes” interview. Logan hopes that by speaking out she will encourage other women who are victims of sexual assault, especially female journalists, to also report incidents against them. Logan says that her interviews with “60 Minutes” and the New York Times are the only interviews she will be giving regarding the attack and that she is now focused on getting back to work reporting on foreign affairs for CBS News.

ON HOW ANY NEWS OF REJECTION OF THE USCIRF REPORT 2011 BY THE COPTIC CHURCH SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD

2011-05-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Written by Dioscorus Boles
29 April 2011

ALMASRY ALYOUM English Edition has published today (Fri 29 APR 2011, 16:39) that the Coptic Church has rejected the Annual Report, 2011, by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) ,[i] under the heading: Coptic Church rejects US commission report, which you can find here: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/417302?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The paper does no back its claim with any evidence. It opens its article with the words:

The Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt rejected the US Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (CIRF) annual report, which condemned Egypt’s lack of religious freedom. The church called on the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) and the government to solve Copts’ problems internally without regard to the content of the American report.

The report released Thursday accused Egypt of not protecting religious minorities or prosecuting crimes against them.

Then it quotes a Coptic priest, Father Abdel-Masih Basit , who is a much loved priest in the Coptic Church but does not represent it. But even with him, there is nothing to point to a rejection by him of the USCIRF Report. Read what the paper’s article says about him:

Father Abdel-Masih Basit, a clerical professor and pastor in Mostorod, called on the SCAF and Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s government to solve Copts’ problems, which have been aggravated after the revolution due to attacks from extremist groups. He stressed that the solution must free from foreign intervention.

Basit cited attacks on Christians in Moqattam and on a man in Qena whose ear was cut off as crimes the government has not prosecuted.

It is clear there is no condemnation whatsoever by Father Abdel-Masih Basit of the Report, but Egyptian papers are not known for their accuracy, competency or credibility. Indeed, they are known for leading campaigns of intimidation to coerce the Coptic lay and ecclesiastical leaders to deny the existence of religious persecution in Egypt, and to reject international reports or intervention to solve its religious souring problem.

Of course the Coptic Church may reject the USCIRF Annual Report under intimidation. Sometimes it does that in the hope of keeping internal tranquillity and warding off attacks against its people and worshiping places. The Copts understand that. But, most importantly, the world has grown to understand the hostage situation of the Coptic Church; and so it takes any public denial by the Church of persecution, or rejection of an international report on the violations against the religious rights of the Copts, with a pinch of salt.

As for the Copts, and the Coptic Nationalists, we know that the findings of the Report are entirely accurate; and we do welcome it wholeheartedly, and support the designation of Egypt as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). It is a move by the US, a friend of Egypt’s leadership, which was long overdue. Since 1971, when ex-President Anwar al-Sadat introduced Sharia into the Egyptian Constitution, he gave the signal to the Islamists to up their pressure on the Copts. He, followed by his successor, Muhammad Husni Mubarak, sponsored a hate-mongering ideology towards the Copts, and fostered a hostile environment towards them that culminated in attacks, the worst of them we witnessed lately in New Year 2011, when 23 Copts, getting out of church in Alexandria, were massacred by Muslim extremists.

The Copts were hopeful that the slogans of the 25 January Revolution, ‘Dignity, Equality, Social Justice’ will lead to an improvement in the Coptic situation, but, alas, to their disappointment, things continued as bad as they were before, and on top of that the Islamists’ power has been rising, threatening Egypt’s future, progress and unity. The USCIRF Report talks about the continuing violations, and holds Egypt’s leadership responsible – and so they should. The conclusion which the Copts and the international community have come up with is that the Egyptian political leadership has failed in its duty of protecting the human rights of the Copts and their religious freedom. Only the Egyptian leaders, past and present, should be blamed for the grave situation that led to Egypt being blacklisted, and put in the same basket with other countries notorious for their religious-hatred and exclusionism, such as Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Now it is time for Egypt’s present leadership, Muhammad Hussain Tantawi and Dr. Essam Sharaf, to do something to prevent the inevitable sanctions, including economic, that will follow through if their failures continue. And a passing remark to our Egyptian papers, if you want to be considered credible and respectable papers by the Copts, Moderate Muslims, and the international community at large, you must prove it.

[i] For the Report, go to: http://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/the-united-states-designates-egypt-for-the-first-time-as-a-country-of-particular-concern-cpc-because-of-its-failure-to-protect-the-religious-freedom-of-the-copts/

ON COPTIC NATIONALISM Blog
http://copticliterature.wordpress.com/

THE UNITED STATES DESIGNATES EGYPT FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN (CPC) BECAUSE OF ITS FAILURE TO PROTECT THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

2011-05-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Written by Dioscorus Boles
28 April 2011

The USCIRF Annual Report, 2011, in which Egypt is designated CPC for the first time

COPTIC NATIONALISM welcomes the classification of Egypt as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in its Annual Report that has been published today, 28 April 2011. Egypt has failed before the 25 January 2011 Revolution, and after it, in its national and international commitments to protect the natural rights of its Copts, who amount to over 10 million of its citizens.

In its Press Release (28 April 2011) the USCIRF explains what is a CPC and why Egypt has been designated for the first time a CPC:

CPCs are nations whose conduct marks them as the world’s worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers…In the case of Egypt, instances of severe religious freedom violations engaged in or tolerated by the government have increased dramatically since the release of last year’s report, with violence, including murder, escalating against Coptic Christians and other religious minorities. Since President Mubarak’s resignation from office in February, such violence continues unabated without the government’s bringing the perpetrators to justice. Consequently, USCIRF recommends CPC designation for Egypt.

The Report is not an activity in academia – it is a Report designed to help the US policy makers identify those countries that have the worst religious freedom record. Where non-economic policy options designed to bring about cessation of the particularly severe violations of religious freedom have reasonably been exhausted, an economic measure generally must be imposed, according to the US Department of State.

The Coptic Nationalists support the addition of Egypt to the list of CPCs. Since 1971 Copts have experienced a series of repeated violations of their religious liberty, and despite many deputations, and requests to the political leadership of Egypt – whether ex-presidents Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat and Muhammad Husni Mubarak, or its post-25 January Revolution government, represented in Muhammad Hussain Tantawi, Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), and Dr. Essam Sharaf, the Prime Minister – all have fallen on deaf ears. It is clear that these failed leaders have the interests of the Islamists first. The Coptic Nationalists regret that Egypt has joined notorious countries for their religious freedom record, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran and Iraq. We have, together with many Moderate Muslims in Egypt, tried to avoid Egypt being added to such a list, and had hoped that Egypt’s political leadership would act on its own to improve the plight of the Copts, but, alas, no one heeded the message.

Now it is the time for Tantawi and Sharaf to act, and to act NOW.

Leonard Leo, Chairman of USCIRF

Leonard Leo, Chairman of USCIRF, in his Opening Remarks, talks about the three kinds of violations, or themes, that his Commission has observed in the 2011 Annual Report:

When it comes to religious freedom, there are three main kinds of violations our Commission has observed and documented in this Report.

First, there is state hostility toward religion, religious communities and/or religious leadership.

Second, there is state sponsorship of extremist ideology and education.

And third, there is state failure to prevent and punish religious freedom violations.

State hostility involves active persecution of dissenting religious believers. State sponsorship involves active promotion, including exportation, of radical ideas and propaganda against these or other believers. State failure involves neglecting to take action necessary to protect them against other citizens who threaten them because of their differing beliefs.

Another word for a state’s failure to protect is impunity. It is impunity that especially concerns this Commission, because it receives the least attention at precisely the time that it is growing tremendously.

Coptic Nationalism can cite plenty of examples to show that Egypt has failed miserably on the three counts - the Egyptian State has shown hostility towards the Copts; sponsored extreme ideology and education; failed to prevent and punish religious freedom violations.

On Egypt, Leonard Leo says in his Opening Remarks:

It is partly because of our concern about impunity that today, for the first time, we are recommending that Egypt be designated a CPC. We are acutely aware that the success of Egypt’s current political transition depends on its full respect for the rule of law, including respect for fundamental human rights, of which religious freedom is critical.

According to our findings, the Egyptian government engaged in and tolerated religious freedom violations both before and after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11 of this year. In his waning months, religious freedom conditions were rapidly deteriorating, and since his departure, we’ve seen nothing to indicate that these conditions have improved.

This is especially true on the impunity front, where attacks on religious minorities, particularly Coptic Christians, but also disfavored Muslims, have risen. The severe level of violence and the failure to convict those responsible – including two of the three alleged perpetrators in last year’s Naga Hammadi murders – continued to foster a climate of impunity, making more violence likely.

Despite the transitional government’s initial efforts to dismantle the repressive state security apparatus, Egypt’s state of emergency remains and laws and practices that discriminate continue to hinder religious freedom. Since February 11, military and security forces have allegedly used excessive force, including live ammunition, against Christian demonstrators and churches.

Then he advises the US government on how to pressurise Egypt to improve the Coptic situation:

As part of a CPC designation, USCIRF recommends that the U.S. use some of the money it gives Egypt for military assistance to enhance physical protection for Copts and other religious minorities and their places of worship. The U.S government should also provide more aid to organizations promoting democracy and governance training, as well as for civil society groups promoting human rights and religious freedom reforms.

These recommendations are particularly welcomed by Coptic Nationalism. We must not hide the fact that this is political pressure imposed on Egypt’s political leadership: it is meant to induce Egypt, which is considered a friend of the US, to abide by international standards in human rights, and to earn its position in the civilised international community. And the Copts cannot be blamed for seeking international intervention to improve their plight – the people who shoulder the blame, fairly and squarely, are Egypt’s failed political leadership, which could have protected the Copts’ natural rights and saved Egypt’s reputation, but have chosen not to. History will judge these politicians severely as miserable failures – but the present leadership has still some opportunity to reverse its previous policies, and save Egypt from the grasp of the Islamists and the Islamist ideology that threatens Egypt’s Copts and Moderate Muslims alike.

Nina Shea, one of USCIRF Commissioners. Has worked hard for the Copts. This is a special expression of gratitude

For more on this, go to:

The Website of USCIRF

http://www.uscirf.gov/home.html

USCIRF Press Release (28 April 2011)

http://www.uscirf.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3595

Opening Remarks by the Chairman of USCIRF, Leonard Leo

http://www.uscirf.gov/images/opening%20remarks%202011%203.pdf

The USCIRF full Annual Report 2011

http://www.uscirf.gov/images/book%20with%20cover%20for%20web.pdf

Media coverage of the USCIRF Report by the end of 28 April 2011

“Panel blacklists Egypt for religious oppression” (Washignton Times)
“US board faults Egypt on religious freedom” (Agence France Presse)
“Türkiye dini özgürlüklerde izleme listesinde” (CNN Turkey)
“Country of concern” (World Magazine)
“Recurrent attacks on Copts has Egypt slated for US religious freedom blacklist” (Ahram Online)
“Egypt Named to US List of 14 Religious Freedom Violators” (Voice of America)
“Ai Cập có tên trong danh sách 14 nước vi phạm quyền tự do tôn giáo” (Voice of America Vietnam)
‎
“Religious freedom report criticizes Egypt and Obama” (Deseret News)
“Despite own poor record, US faults Egypt on religious freedom” (Press TV)

ON COPTIC NATIONALISM Blog
http://copticliterature.wordpress.com/

Copts Demand Return of Missing Christian Girls

2011-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Written by Emad Khalil
Almasry Alyoum
28 April 2011

Dozens of Copts staged a protest on Thursday in front of Egypt's High Court, demanding the return of a number of Christian girls they describe as "disappeared".

A number of Coptic lawyers have submitted a report to the attorney general requesting that the minister of interior, Mansour al-Essawy, establish the location of eleven Christian girls who they say have disappeared since the 25 January revolution.

Demonstrators, including the families of the missing girls, also demanded that the head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, help locate the girls.

A statement by a Coptic group called the Maspero Youth Union denounced the "kidnapping" of Christian girls, giving the names of some of the lost females.

According to the statement, they include Heba Iskandar, who disappeared from Maadi along with her children, Heba Adel, who has been lost since 6 April after driving her son to school, and Maryam George Boqtor, who was lost with her children while buying them clothes before Easter celebrations.

Feuds have been raging between Egypt's Muslims and Copts over the past few years concerning converts on both sides, with each camp accusing the other of forcing people, particularly females, to change their faith.

The latest case of this type was that of Kamilia Shehata, the wife of a priest in Minya, Upper Egypt, whose disappearance in July 2010 enraged the Coptic community. Many Copts believe that she was kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam.

Many Muslims, meanwhile, believe that Shehata is now being held against her will by the Coptic Church as a punishment for converting, and have staged several protests demanding her release.

Emad Khalil
www.almasryalyoum.com

Recurrent attacks on Copts has Egypt slated for US religious freedom blacklist

2011-05-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

Written by Ahram Online
28 April 2011

An advisory body to the US State Department has called for Egypt, among other countries, to put on a blacklist for curtailing religious freedoms

A US commission called Thursday for Egypt to be put on a blacklist for lack of religious freedom, saying attacks on Coptic Christians and other minorities have worsened despite political changes.

In its annual report, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom voiced concern about what it saw as serious violations in a number of countries, including China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

The commission, an autonomous advisory board, added Egypt to its recommended list of "countries of particular concern" on matters of religious freedom, a designation that can carry economic sanctions unless governments address US concerns.

But the US State Department has ultimate authority to put or leave off nations on the list and, to the commission's chagrin, President Barack Obama has not designated any additional countries of particular concern since taking office in 2009.

Leonard Leo, the chair of the commission, said that Egypt experienced "severe religious freedom violations" both before and after the mass protests that forced out longtime president Hosni Mubarak in February.

"Not everything in Egypt has changed. Violence against Coptic Christians and other religious minorities continues unabated without the government bringing the perpetrators to justice," Leo said.

Christians, who make up 10 per cent of Egypt's population of 80 million, have been the target of several recent attacks and repeatedly accused authorities of systematic discrimination. In Alexandria, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a church as worshippers emerged from a New York's Eve mass, killing 23 people.

The State Department lists eight countries of particular concern on religious freedom matters: China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan. Most have rocky ties with the United States.

The commission again asked the State Department to add Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam to the list. Besides Egypt, the recommendations were the same as the last annual report in 2010.

In China, the commission said that authorities severely curtailed the freedoms of Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims and stepped up efforts to discredit and imprison leaders of various faiths.

In the past year, China detained more than 500 Protestants and kept in custody dozens of Catholic clergy for not registering with the government, the commission said, adding that China had also destroyed Christian meeting points.

The board reported severe mistreatment of the Falungong, a spiritual movement banned by China in 1999, saying that practitioners were "tortured and mistreated in detention".

The commission said that religious freedom was also deteriorating in Iran, especially for minorities such as the Bahai — a faith founded in the country in the 19th century that is considered heretical by the Shia clerical regime.

Recognised minorities — Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians — also suffered worsening treatment, and even members of the Shia majority came under pressure if they dissented from the official line, the commission said.

The report said Saudi Arabia's record improved slightly but it still committed "systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom".

Among countries recommended to be put on the blacklist, the commission voiced deep concern about Pakistan, where Punjab's governor Salman Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated this year.

The two had advocated reforms to Pakistan's blasphemy laws. The commission said the laws had contributed to an "atmosphere of violent extremism and vigilantism" against minorities, including the Ahmadiya Muslim sect.

alboum

2011-05-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

photo pastor Terry jones

2011-04-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

PROTEST AGAINST THE DENIAL OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

2011-04-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

National American coptic Assembly- USA
Washington DC
Mr. Morris Sadek-ESQ President
watch our website
http://www. nationalamericancopticassembly .webs.com/ http://nacopticas1.blogspot. com/
http://nacopts1.blogspot.com/

PROTEST AGAINST THE DENIAL OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Time Friday, April 29 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Location Dearborn City Hall
13615 Michigan Ave

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Created By Stand Up America with Dr. Terry Jones

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Stand Up America Now! with Dr. Terry Jones ,Wayne Sapp &Truth Tv , Mr Ahmed ABaza , and National American Coptic Assembly Mr Morris Sadek Esq , will protest on the steps of the City Hall in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 5pm.

We invite every American who still believes in the freedom and rights that our Constitution guarantees to come and stand with us.

Video: VIOLENT JIHAD TO CONQUER THE WORLD (61:9) | newstime.co.nz
newstime.co.nz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFojCrji4E&feature=player_embedded

"The Quran itself and the hadith teaches violence" (04:00)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC9MzmyvI9Q&feature=player_embedded

We invite every American who still believes in the freedom and rights that our Constitution guarantees to come and stand with us.

We will be addressing the issues of Jihad and Sharia, our First Amendment Rights, Unconstitutional “Free Speech Zones,” and the Peace Bond. We will be calling for the ban of Sharia Law in America.
We will reiterate our message to the Moslem community of welcome and warning.

The Arab Upheaval: Egypt's Islamist Shadow

2011-04-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Written by Cynthia Farahat
Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2011

Will the Muslim Brotherhood seize power in Egypt? This often repeated question, or rather fear, assumes that the Islamist organization does not already wield power yet may be able to hijack the largely secular revolution owing to its superior organization, tight discipline, and ideological single mindedness.[1]

In fact, this situation already exists. For while the Muslim Brotherhood does not formally or organizationally rule Egypt, it has ideologically controlled the country for nearly sixty years since the overthrow of the monarchy by the July 1952 coup d'état (euphemized as the "July Revolution"). The real question, then, is not whether the Muslim Brotherhood will seize power but whether it will continue to hold it, either directly or by proxy.

The Free Officers' Islamist-Fascist Streak
Since it is exceptionally difficult to define ideological differences and allegiances in Egypt's Islamic politics, a simple rule of thumb will suffice: Politicians or institutions bent on implementing the Shari'a (Islamic law), or some elements of it, qualify as Islamists; Egypt's ruling military oligarchy clearly falls into this category.

Not only does the Egyptian constitution make the Shari'a "the principal source of legislation," but the Free Officers, as the perpetrators of the 1952 putsch called themselves, were closely associated with both the Muslim Brotherhood's military wing and the Young Egypt Society (Misr al-Fatat), a nationalist-fascist militia established in 1929 by Ahmad Hussein, a religiously educated lawyer. Both Egyptian presidents hailing from the Free Officers—Gamal Abdel Nasser (1956-70) and Anwar Sadat (1970-81)—received their early political schooling in al-Fatat, which in 1940 transformed into the National Islamic Party.[2]

The group spread its xenophobic and militant ideas through its magazine, Scream (al-Sarkh'a),which combined vicious attacks on Western democracy with praise for Fascism and Nazism and advocacy of the implementation of Shari'a rule. In a famous letter, Hussein invited Hitler "to convert to Islam."[3] This outlook was shared by the Muslim Brotherhood's publication, al-Nazir, which referred to the Nazi tyrant as "Hajj Hitler," and by the society's founding father, Hasan al-Banna—an unabashed admirer of Hitler and Mussolini who "guided their peoples to unity, order, regeneration, power, and glory."[4] (As late as 1953, Anwar Sadat, whose staunch pro-Nazi sympathies landed him in prison during World War II, wrote an "open letter" to Hitler in a leading Egyptian newspaper, in which he applauded the tyrant and pronounced him the real victor of the war.) [5]

Misr al-Fatat's attempted assassination in 1937 of Egypt's democratically elected liberal prime minister, Mustafa Nahhas, got the organization banned, and in the 1940s, the officers took their radicalism a step further by collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood's military wing. Some of them even joined the latter organization, notably Nasser, who reportedly did so in 1944. In his memoirs, Khaled Mohieddin, a fellow Free Officer, claimed that Banna had personally asked Nasser to join the Brotherhood, recounting how he and Nasser swore allegiance on a gun and a Qur'an.[6]

This background has continuing relevance because it informs the Free Officers' DNA: The leaders of Egypt since 1952 have pursued means and goals that originated in the Muslim Brotherhood. Moreover, Misr al-Fatat's Islamic-socialist and fascistic ideas are very much alive and well, and in 1990, the party was re-founded and granted a license to work as a legal entity by Mubarak's regime.

From Nasser to Mubarak
Following Banna's murder on February 12, 1949, by government agents in retaliation for the assassination of Prime Minister Nuqrashi Pasha a few weeks earlier, the military and civilian wings of the Muslim Brotherhood split. Nasser proceeded to form the Free Officers movement, which mounted the 1952 coup. In the coming decades, the military regime and the Brotherhood would maintain a strenuous relationship interrupted by occasional outbursts of violence and terrorism—notably a 1954 attempt by the Brotherhood on Nasser's life—and repressive countermeasures by the regime including mass arrests and sporadic executions. But this should be understood not as a struggle between an autocratic, secular dictatorship and a would-be Islamist one but a struggle between two ideologically similar, if not identical, rival groups, hailing from the same source.

In these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that in the past, some elements within the younger generations in the military would collaborate with Islamists groups or devise their own jihadist plots, notably Sadat's October 1981 assassination by Lt. Khaled Islambouli. A military court sentenced Islambouli to death in 1982, but speculations that the death sentence was never carried out continue to circulate, especially after Sadat's daughter Roukaya made that claim on Egyptian television on March 17, 2011, saying that she saw him with her own eyes at a Saudi hotel in 1996 and that the murderer panicked upon seeing her. Roukaya recently filed a complaint with the attorney general in which she accused Mubarak of complicity in Sadat's assassination and asked for the reopening of the investigation into her father's murder.[7] Some other members of Sadat's family have similarly implied that the military was involved in his assassination. One such accusation, by Talaat Sadat, Anwar's nephew and a former member of parliament, led to his incarceration for a year in military prison in 2006 for defaming the military.[8]

Such accusations must have been particularly galling to Mubarak, who was groomed by Sadat as his successor. Mubarak also narrowly escaped an Islamist attempt on his own life while on an official visit to Ethiopia in June 1995, and portrayed himself to the West as a relentless fighter of Islamist radicalism.

To be sure, the Ethiopia incident set in motion a repressive campaign that saw the incarceration of thousands of Islamists and the execution of some. Yet this was aimed at the more militant Salafi groups, such as al-Takfir wa-l-Hijra (Excommunication and Hijra), al-Gama'at al-Islamiya (the Muslim Associations), and Tanzim al-Jihad (Organization of the Jihad), rather than the Muslim Brotherhood, which had transformed during the Sadat years into a parliamentary opposition party.

If Mubarak did indeed ban, threaten, and terrorize some Egyptians, it was the secularists rather than the Brotherhood. As cofounder of a secular political party, the Liberal Egyptian Party, whose political program calls for secularism, human rights, capitalism, the rule of law, and rejection of pan-Arabism and Islamic imperialism, this author saw it rebuffed as a legal entity by court order for being opposed to Shari'a law, which indeed it was. By contrast, not only did Mubarak allow eighty-eight Muslim Brotherhood members into parliament in 2005—as a useful tool for scaring the Western governments into thinking that democracy in Egypt would inevitably bring the Islamists to power—but his regime subtly colluded with Islamists against their more democratically inclined compatriots and religious minorities, notably the Copts.[9]

Current Realties
This background explains why the Muslim Brotherhood initially declared its opposition to the street protests in January 2011, refused to demonstrate against the regime, and issued a formal statement almost a week prior to the mass protests in which it stated that the organization "will not take part in the street protests against Mubarak's regime as a political force or a political entity."[10] Only on realizing the inevitability of Mubarak's fall did it change tack and joined the protest in strength.

Likewise, a statement by the leader of al-Gamaat al-Islamiya, Nageh Ibrahim, urged all members of Islamist groups to shun street protests as these were against the Islamic da'wa (call to join Islam)[11] whereas another group, The Salafi Da'wa in Egypt, rejected the protests as opposed to the interests of Salafis.[12]

For its part, the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has taken several actions after Mubarak's resignation that ensure continuity with past conduct of the regime. These include:

Freeing Col. Aboud al-Zomor, the mastermind behind the Sadat assassination, from prison[13] while arresting a secular classic liberal Egyptian blogger. Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested on March 28, 2011, and faced trial in a military court for criticizing the ruling military council and the Egyptian army in his latest article. After announcing that they would issue a ruling on April 12, the military authorities almost secretly sentenced him to three years in military prison for practicing his basic right to free speech on April 10, two days before the date they announced in court to his lawyers.

Issued a constitutional declaration on March 30, 2011 and changed articles that were not voted on or mentioned in the referendum while adding the second article in the constitution - making the Shari'a "the principal source of legislation" - to the declaration, so as to combat free speech, suppress secular dissent, and persecute non-Muslims and women.

Consulting with Sheikh Muhammad Hassan before issuing a statement on the rebuilding of a church near Cairo, destroyed by a Muslim mob on March 5, 2011. Hassan is a jihadist known for his radicalism and online incitement of suicide bombings as well as for his support of the Mubarak regime and opposition to the street protests. Hassan and the military have agreed to rebuild the church in accordance with the Shari'a concept of diyah, in which a Muslim is not punished for vandalizing the property of an infidel but can pay a financial compensation.[14]

Not arresting or persecuting any of the Muslims responsible for hate crimes against Christians. In March 2011, for example, a group of Salafi thugs attacked and brutally tortured a Christian man, cutting off his ears, for renting one of his apartments to a single Muslim woman. This suggests that the military plans to continue governing Egypt in accordance to Shari'a law and practice whereby Muslims are not punished for committing any crime against a non-Muslim.[15]

Appointing Tareq al-Bishri, a retired judge, to head a committee for constitutional reform. Bishri has expressed approval of and fondness for the Brotherhood, saying that he personally appreciated the organization; he is also known for radicalism expressed in his book The Secular-Islamic Dialogue in which he stated that a secular-Islamic dialogue was completely pointless.[16]

Fighting the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
All this means that, at the governmental level, the Egyptian revolution has thus far failed for the Mubarak regime, albeit without the person himself, remains very much in place. The constitutional changes approved by the March 19 referendum, aimed at paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections in the early summer, are not conducive to real democratic reform but pander to those groups opposed to democracy. The changes put the nascent secularist and liberal parties in marked disadvantage vis-à-vis their well organized Islamist counterparts, on the one hand, and the ruling establishment, on the other.

The majority of the fourteen million voters who approved the changes (or 77.2 percent of the total vote) came from the government's six million employees and their families—a massive voting bloc rejecting the revolution and opposed to real change, which sought to preserve the status quo from which it has profited. But the fact that the Islamists cast their vote the same way provides further proof of the communality of goals and interests of the two camps and their eagerness to secure the status quo as the next parliament will write the new Egyptian constitution in the absence of classic liberals and secularists and leave the real reformers out in the cold.

Then there is the Saudi government, whose relations with the Brotherhood date back to the 1930s, which views the protests as a potential threat—not only to its influence in Egypt, currently a major breeding ground of Salafism, but also to the future stability of the Saudi monarchy itself. Small wonder, therefore, that Riyadh rejected Cairo's possible drift toward democracy and criticized Washington's cold shouldering of Mubarak. It also had a leading mufti issue a fatwa (religious edict) against the protest movement, calling this nonviolent dissent "an act of war on Islam, and the collective Islamic nation."[17] It even threatened to cut all diplomatic ties with Cairo, should Mubarak be prosecuted.

Undoing the Totalitarian Mentality
Islamists have long controlled the educational system and mass media in Egypt. As a child in a private Cairo school, I was personally taught intolerance and militancy through my Arabic language textbooks. We were taught, for instance, that hacking necks and limbs was good if done for the "right reasons" and urged to follow the example of Uqba ibn Nafi (622–83), a militant, Arab Muslim hero known for his cruelty, from an Arabic school textbook that carried his name. Later, when I joined other secular Egyptians in publishing a newspaper, al-Insan (The human), the Mubarak government denied us permission—even as it allowed Salafi jihadists daily access to television and other state-sponsored media.

The Egyptian government was not unusual in this regard: Regimes in Arab countries have been united by common crimes, not by common interests or goals. The dismantling of the collective, totalitarian psyche threatens the so-called "moderate Arab regimes," those that justify their existence by systematically inflating the Islamist threat, which they pretend to suppress, while effectively collaborating with Islamists.

Now suddenly, the long subdued, subject populations are uniting to overthrow these regimes—not in the name of Shari'a or pan-Arabism but under the banner of freedom and prosperity. The Tunisian revolution was the first step in dismantling the old repressive, regional order; the Egyptian revolution was the second.

Even if the near future belongs to the enemies of freedom, something profound has changed among Egyptians; none of them will be the same again. Freedom may look like a distant dream, but it is still closer than ever imagined prior to 2011.

Tahrir Square has proven even to sworn skeptics that countries are not inherently Salafist, xenophobic, fascist, suicidal, and intolerant; it takes a ruthless and well organized system of governance to shape them this way; and yet this system never succeeds in killing the natural human yearning for liberty. That is why the Salafi, jihadist line of thought did not exist in Tahrir Square. Disowning Mubarak brought out the best of Egyptians. As Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona) aptly noted: "This revolution is a repudiation of al-Qaeda."[18]

Cynthia Farahat is an Egyptian political activist and writer.

[1] See, for example, The Washington Times, Mar. 27, 2011.
[2] Anwar Sadat, Asrar at-Thawra al-Misriya (Cairo: Dar al-Hilal, 1957), pp. 44-53, 60-7, 90-2; P. J. Vatikiotis, Nasser and His Generation (London: Croom Helm, 1978), pp. 54, 60, 73.
[3] Al-Masry al-Youm (Cairo), Oct. 8, 2009.
[4] Robert St. John, The Boss: The Story of Gamal Abdel Nasser (New York: McGraw Hill, 1960), pp. 41-2.
[5] Open letter from Anwar Sadat to Adolf Hitler, al-Musawwar (Cairo), Sept. 18, 1953.
[6] Khaled Mohieddin, Memories of a Revolution (Cairo: American University of Cairo Press, 1995), p. 45.
[7] Al-Youm al-Sabe'a (Cairo), Mar. 18, 2011; Misr News (Cairo), Mar. 21, 2011.
[8] The New York Times, Nov. 1, 2006.
[9] Daniel Pipes, "Copts Pay the Price," DanielPipes.org, Jan. 12, 2011.
[10] Al-Dustur (Cairo), Jan. 19, 2011.
[11]Al-Ahram (Cairo), Jan. 24, 2011.
[12] Mawqi as-Salafi, accessed Mar. 30, 2011.
[13] Ahram Online (Cairo), Mar. 11, 2011.
[14] Assyrian International News Agency, Mar. 16, 2011; YouTube, Feb. 26, 2003, Jan. 16, 2009.
[15] Akhbar Misr (Cairo), Mar. 26, 2011.
[16] Al-Jazeera TV (Doha), Feb. 15, 2011; al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun, Feb. 15, 2011.
[17] Nabanews (Sanaa), Feb. 5, 2011; goodnews4me (Cairo), Mar. 17, 2011.
[18] Agence France-Presse, Feb. 27, 2011.

Were Conquered Christians Really Liberated Muslims

2011-04-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

Written by Raymond Ibrahim
Frontpage Magazine
26 April 2011

Imagine if a top American historian appeared on the MSM insisting that the only reason Europeans conquered the Americas was to "defend" the Native Americans--who somehow had adopted Christianity centuries before Jesus was born--from being persecuted by heathen tribes.

While that would create a maelstrom of outrage and derision in the West, in the Arab world--where some think bewitched animals work as infidel operatives--such absurdities regularly pass for "truth."

Copts: Muslims Before Muhammad

Consider the case of Fadel Soliman, a celebrated Sharia expert and Arab media darling, who regularly appears on al-Jazeera. Director of the Bridges Foundation--which teaches Muslims "how to present Islam" to non-Muslims--Soliman also lectures at Western universities, churches, and governmental agencies, including the U.S. Dept. of Defense.

His new Arabic book, Copts: Muslims Before Muhammad, asserts that, at the time of the Muslim conquest of Egypt (c. 640), the vast majority of Egyptians were not, as history has long taught, Christians, but rather prototypical Muslims, or muwahidin, who were actually being oppressed by Christians: hence, the Muslim conquest of Egypt was really about "liberating" fellow Muslims. Soliman's evidence is that the Arian sect, which rejected the claim that Jesus was coequal with God, was present in 4th century Egypt. Therefore, according to Soliman, the indigenous Egyptians were practicing Islam hundreds of years before it was founded in the 7th century.

As with much of modern academia's approach to Islam, this thesis is based on pure fiction. While the Arians were pronounced heretics at the Council of Nicea (325) for their interpretation of the Trinity, they nonetheless accepted all of Christianity's core tenets--including original sin, crucifixion, resurrection, and salvation--all of which directly contradict Islam's teachings. What an imaginative stretch, then, for Soliman to portray the Arians as prototypical Muslims, simply because they did not believe Jesus was coequal with God (a standard that would make many people today "Muslims").

Needless to say, no historian has ever suggested that Muslims invaded Egypt to liberate "proto-Muslims." Rather, the Muslim historians who wrote our primary sources on Islam, candidly and refreshingly present the conquests as they were--conquests, for the glory and empowerment of Islam and its followers at the expense of unbelieving infidels.

Of course, with the weakening of Islam in the modern era, embarrassed Muslims began to euphemize their imperialistic history, portraying jihad as "defensive," "spiritual," etc.--culminating with Soliman's fairy tale. Even the unapologetic Sayyid Qutb, the sheikh of "radical Islam," interpreted jihad and the conquests as "altruistic" endeavors to "liberate" mankind.

Such sophistry is inevitable; for the Muslim conquests pose a thorny problem for Muslims. As David Cook writes in Understanding Jihad, p.167:

[T]he conquests were seen from the beginning as one of the incontrovertible proofs of Islam. To disavow them or to examine them critically--which has yet to happen in the Muslim world--will be very painful for Muslims especially Arabic-speaking Muslims. At every point… when Muslims have tried to abandon militant jihad for the internal, spiritual jihad… the memory of the conquests and the need to rationalize them have defeated this effort. The problem may lie in the unwillingness to confront the fact that the conquests were basically unjustified. They were not a "liberation" and they were not desired by the non-Muslim peoples; they were endured and finally accepted.

Fadel Soliman, Islam expert and "bridge-builder

The question remains: Are Islam's apologists disingenuous or deluded? When it comes to "bridge-building" Soliman--who provides "sensitivity training" to the FBI and Pentagon--one is inclined to answer in the former: his book contains academic crimes, including flagrant mistranslations to support his thesis and wild, but undocumented, assertions (for example, that the Arians, like the Muslims, used to proclaim "There is no god but Allah and Jesus is his prophet").

That said, Muslim self-deception--typified by the impulsive need to always exonerate Islam--is a very real and widespread phenomenon. I am reminded of an Arabic op-ed I read last year in Al-Masry Al-Youm, which opened bluntly by saying: "We Muslims have an inferiority complex…and feel that our Islamic religion needs constant, daily affirmation from Europeans and Americans… What rapturous joy takes us when one of them converts--as if to reassure us that our religion is 'okay.'" Discussing how the Arab world exulted when it erroneously thought that Muslim critic Henryk Broder had accepted Islam--based on sarcastic remarks he had made--the author wrote "but we are a people who do not understand sarcasm, since it is subtle and requires a bit of thinking and intellectualizing; rather, we read quickly, with a hopeful eye, not an eye for truth and reality."

Considering Islam's lax views on deception, this comes as no surprise. After all, whether Muslims consciously deceive infidels or unconsciously deceive themselves, the goal has long been one: empowering Islam and its adherents--reality be damned.

Raymond Ibrahim
Frontpage Magazine

Collective Punishment of Egyptian Christians For Death of Two Muslims

2011-04-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Written by Mary Abdelmassih
26 April 2011

(AINA) -- After the death of two Muslims on April 18 sectarian violence broke out in the southern Egyptian town of Abu Qurqas El Balad, in Minya Governorate, 260 KM south of Cairo. One Christian Copt was killed, an old woman was thrown out of her second floor balcony and ten Copts were hospitalized.

Coptic homes, shops, businesses, fields and livestock were plundered and torched.
Christians lived in terror, anticipating a blood bath on Friday, April 22 because Muslims as announced their intention to avenge the death of the two Muslims. Rumors spread throughout Abu Qurqas of many strangers and of trucks loaded with weapons coming into the village to carry out the threats during the Easter week. The terrorized Christian villagers sent pleas everywhere, asking for protection, even to Coptic groups in Europe and the U.S.

"Muslims threw my old mother out of the second floor balcony and torched my home," said Adel Abdulllah to Hazem Refaat of Free Copts advocacy. His business and home were torched and his father and three brothers were arrested on suspicion of killing the two Muslims.

Copt Eid Roshdy, was stabbed during the violence and later died in hospital.

According to Bishop Makarious twenty Coptic families had their homes and businesses looted by Muslims then torched, and their livestock was stolen. "One shop was only 50 meters away from the police station," he said. He also confirmed the story of the mother of Adel Abdullah who was thrown out of the second floor balcony.

Curfew was imposed in the village on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, from 7 PM until 6 AM to control the violence but various sources reported that looting and destruction of Coptic property continued after the curfew, even in the presence of the army and police.

According to the villagers a fight broke out on Monday, April 18 between the two Muslim families, Abdel-Kader and el-Gazzar which resulted in the death of two Muslims. Meanwhile an altercation took place in front of the villa of Coptic attorney Alaa Reda Roushdy between a minibus driver and passengers and the guards of the villa over a speed hump built in front of the residence, which the driver claimed was damaging busses. People congregated and the villa guards shot into the air to disperse the crowd. The Copts were accused of killing the two Muslims.

Bishop Makarious of Minya and Abu Qurqas said the first version of the story was the Muslims were killed during the fight between two Muslim families, then the story changed to accuse the Copts.

Ayad Shaban, a local villager told Al Karma TV the two Muslims were killed in the Eastern side of village where the majority of the Muslims live. "Then the story of the speed hump came and Muslims connected the two together and accused the Christians of the killing. There is no proof the Christians killed the Muslims." He added that relationship between Muslims and Christians are usually good and believes whoever created this story came from outside the village and incited the Muslims.

In retaliation, Muslims attacked and looted two tourist coffee shops belonging to attorney Roushdy. One coffee shop was turned into a mosque called the "Martyrs" and the second one was destroyed.

Next day during the funeral of the Muslims hundreds of Muslims from neighboring villages joined and notes were distributed among them saying the Christians were the culprit. After burying the dead the Muslim mob shouted for revenge for their two "martyrs" and attacked Christian homes while shouting "Allahu Akbar." (video shows Muslims looting Coptic property before torching it while chanting "Allahu Akbar." Army soldiers are seen passing through the looters).

Father Rofail of the Saints Church in Abu Qorqas said "It was terrible, the people who were in the funeral left and started shooting in the air and throwing Molotov cocktails at homes and fields belonging to Copts; some homes were demolished. Anything belonging to Christians was destroyed."

According to Coptic activist Nader Shoukry, fifteen Copts and eight Muslims have been detained for the murder of the two Muslims. No one has been detained for the attacks against the Copts. "None of the Muslims who looted and destroyed Coptic property was questioned," said Bishop Makarious. He added it was a miracle that the Copts were not harmed when their homes were torched. "They had to jump over the roofs of the neighboring houses to escape the flames. In one instance a wall had to be broken between two houses to get the people out as they could not escape otherwise." He criticized the police and the army for not bringing the situation under control. "We expected more from the police and army, but they were not impartial."

The new Governor of Minya appeared on Egyptian Hayat TV and said the incidents in Abu Qurqas El Balad was not sectarian but a fight over a speed hump which escalated, and denied the loss of property.

Security forces prevented TV stations from filming inside the village and Muslims also attempted to prevent Christians from filming, but many video clips have been uploaded to youtube (video showing Coptic homes after looting).

Coptic attorney Dr. Ihab Ramzy called on Copts who have had their property damaged or lost to file a complaint with the police in order for him to represents them for compensation. He said they had to name the assailants in their report, but this may be not be possible because the victims were threatened by Muslims not to mention their names.

Attorney Roushdy was arrested by the military two days ago and accused of provoking riots which led to the death and injury of citizens. Today the military ordered him to be detained for 15 days pending investigations.

Mary Abdelmassih

Egypt's Liberals are losing the battle

2011-04-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Egypt's Liberals are losing the battle. (Gideon Rachman) (Financial Times)
by Fredy Benyamin on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 4:26a
All sorts of contending forces rub shoulders in Egypt these days. Last week, I found myself in the lobby of a Cairo hotel, chatting to a square-bearded, pot-bellied, fundamentalist preacher who is eager to see all women in Egypt wear the niqab – the all-encompassing veil that leaves only a slit for the eyes. Just behind him, French tourists ambled around in bathing suits. Then the hotel crooner began belting out “My Way”. I suggested we move to a quieter spot and the preacher agreed, pointing out that, as a Salafi, he objected to all forms of music – and not just Frank Sinatra.

Eventually, after further discussion of the merits of hand-chopping and the possibility of a return to Islam as practised in the seventh century, the sheikh got into his car and drove back to his job as a computer technician.

Egypt’s young liberal middle-classes are discovering that they were not the only forces set free by the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak. One leading liberal politician told me last week that he had been barely aware of Salafism until after the revolution. Suddenly, Salafi spokesmen are all over the media and are organising politically. By some reckonings they could get 5 per cent to 10 per cent of the vote in parliamentary elections planned for September.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the more established and less fundamentalist Islamist organisation, is generally reckoned to be good for at least a third of the vote. Add in a couple of fringe Islamist parties and you could be looking at an Islamist majority in Egypt’s first parliament. “Entirely plausible,” says a western diplomat in Cairo, as he sips his coffee.

The stakes in the coming elections are very high, since the new parliament will have the power to rewrite Egypt’s constitution and so shape the country for decades. But Egypt’s liberals face formidable odds. They are operating in a country where 40 per cent of the total population live on less than $2 a day. Some 30m Egyptians are illiterate. The Muslim Brotherhood is by far the most organised non-state organisation in the country, while the liberal forces are fragmented and disorganised.

Realising this, most liberals opposed the constitutional changes that laid the groundwork for parliamentary and presidential elections this year, arguing that more time was needed to establish a proper constitutional order and to allow new political forces to organise. The Muslim Brotherhood, who know that they are well placed to profit from swift elections, campaigned for a Yes vote – and were delighted to see a 77 per cent vote in favour.

The crushing defeat of the liberal camp in the referendum came as a bad shock to them, since it was the first political trial of strength between Islamists and liberals since the revolution. It should serve as a wake-up call, galvanising liberals to unify and organise.

Unfortunately, much of the energy of liberal Egypt seems to be focused on pursuing the old regime rather than preparing for the future. Earlier this month crowds reoccupied Tahrir Square in central Cairo to demand that Mr Mubarak be put on trial. Now that the demand has been granted, corruption allegations are being pursued against businesses that did well under the old regime.

Some liberals argue that the pursuit of justice and the exposure of the crimes of the old regime are crucial to the establishment of a new Egypt. They also fear that the “deep state” of the Mubarak era will re-emerge and thwart change, unless it is exposed and pursued through the courts. These are legitimate arguments. But an overconcentration on the past risks losing the future. The political dangers are heightened by a serious deterioration in the economy. Tourism is a crucial industry, but many tourists seem too frightened to go to Egypt at the moment. Visiting the Pyramids in Giza last week I virtually had the place to myself.

A lot of foreign and domestic investment is also on hold. Inflation is running at 18 per cent and food price inflation is over 50 per cent. In an effort to maintain stability, the government is pouring money into subsidies for food and energy. But the budget deficit is now about 12 per cent of GDP and foreign reserves are falling, as the central bank struggles to support the currency. Some fear that Egypt is heading for a balance-of-payments crisis. An International Monetary Fund-style austerity regime in an already poor country will not be a great advert for the post-Mubarak order.

Despite all this, there is still plenty of post-revolutionary euphoria in Cairo. People who demonstrated in Tahrir Square are still exhilarated by what has been achieved – and by a new sense of dignity and hope for the future. But the risks of political and economic chaos are rising. Egypt’s liberals need to organise fast in response and to prepare for elections.

As for the west, it cannot afford to let the dramas in Libya, Syria and Yemen lead to the neglect of Egypt. For the fate of the Arab Spring still hangs most of all on what happens in the most populous and culturally powerful country in the Arab world.

Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the frontrunners to be Egypt’s next president and a leading liberal voice, told me last week: “If we succeed here, then the march towards democracy in the Arab world is unstoppable.” On the other hand, if Egypt fails, then the blue skies and optimism of the Arab Spring may swiftly give way to something a lot stormier and darker.

Dearborn Plans to Deny Pastor Terry Jones' Permit Request for Protest

2011-04-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

By RONNIE DAHL
WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WJBK) - Security will be tight when Pastor Terry Jones arrives in Dearborn, and it's not going to come cheap. The Koran burning pastor is planning a controversial visit in two days on Good Friday.

FOX 2 has learned the City of Dearborn will most likely deny his permit to hold a demonstration near the Islamic Center of America, but he can still rally at what they are calling free speech zones. If Jones insists on holding it near the Islamic Center, he risks being arrested.

"We are definitely going to go through with our protest, that nothing will stop that," said Jones.

Grey skies loomed Wednesday over the Islamic Center, a peaceful place of worship that Florida pastor Terry Jones wants to use as a backdrop. He's requested a permit to hold a demonstration Good Friday at the city owned lot across the street.

Despite outrage over the Koran burning pastor's visit, Jones says he's coming.

FOX 2's Ronnie Dahl asked him whether he's ready to go to jail for that.

"Yes, of course. We are prepared for whatever consequences they feel are necessary," Jones said.

Dearborn's mayor wrote an open letter to Pastor Jones urging him to cancel. Police claim the visit will put a dent in the city's coffers, estimating security will cost around $46,000.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is asking a judge to halt the protest to prevent crime. She also thinks Jones should be held accountable for the cost and is requesting that he pay a $100,000 bond.

"It is (an) infringement on our constitutional rights, First Amendment rights," Jones told FOX 2.

"We think what the prosecutor did by ordering him or requesting that he pay a $100,000 bond, we think that's the worst possible thing she could've possibly done for our community. This is America. In America, we're entitled to free speech," said attorney Majed Moughni.

He is supporting Pastor Jones' right to free speech, even if he doesn't like what he has to say. The Dearborn attorney wanted to hold a "Stop the Hate" rally near Jones' protest, but his permit was denied. The event is being moved to the Civic Center, a move he supports after learning Pastor Jones' plans on bringing his gun.

"We're telling our people to stay away from him. He's a violent man. He's a crazy man, and we want to stay away from crazy people," Moughni said.

"If we are, of course, attacked or shot at, then, of course, we would be forced to defend ourselves. That it is definitely, definitely, definitely not our intention to come there in any type of … provocative way," said Jones.

Once again, Jones is not being told, at this point in time, that he can't hold his demonstration. What they're concerned about is just where he wants to hold it. Those free speech zones are at the City Hall, as well as the Civic Center.

The court hearing is still scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Thursday. FOX 2 will, of course, be there and bring you all the latest developments.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/ronnie_dahl/dearborn-may-deny-pastor-terry-jones-demonstration-permit-20110420-wpms

فديو فى طريق الجلجثه انجليزى عربى-via dolorsa english arabic with lyrics

2011-04-20T21:04:00.000-07:00