Written by John Malhotra
Christian Today
6 March 2010
Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini
Christians in the state of Orissa in India are among the millions of believers worldwide who have suffered persecution for their faith.
The European Union has reportedly formed an association to protect the rights of Christians in countries where they face persecution.
"We’ve set up a working group and are defining what bilateral action can be taken between Europe and the individual countries where Christians’ rights are in danger,” said Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
“We’re studying which international initiatives the EU can adopt to bring this problem more clearly into focus.”
In an interview with Italian daily Avvenire, Frattini further indicated that the European Union would draw up a manual for EU countries’ embassies in nations where persecution is present.
"By the end of April we’ll have a manual for European embassies in the rest of the world, focusing in particular on the treatment of Christian religious minorities," he said.
Such a "common protocol", he noted, was never before been implemented and if brought out will help "closely monitor the treatment of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, in the most sensitive countries."
He clarified that 'monitoring' would only be in regard to religious freedom. The EU intends to use a document published recently by Open Doors that contains detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide and identifies a list of countries where the situation regarding religious freedom ranges from “persecution”, “serious persecution”, “limitations” to “problematic”.
Ranked first in the list is North Korea, followed by Iran, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.
Keeping that in mind, Frattini stressed the need for a group of like-minded countries that could voice for the right of Christians to profess their faith anywhere in the world.
"You see, Christians have never had a political group offering them strong support through their governments. We discovered this when we found ourselves alone in contesting the ruling on crucifixes.
"We campaigned vigorously and succeeded in attracting the consensus of at least 15-16 countries which, formally or informally, came round to our position," he pointed.
Earlier this month, a delegation of the European Union visited Kandhamal - the scene of the 2008 riots - where they met government and police officials.
The 11-member delegation led by the EU's head of political affairs Christophe Manet reviewed the ground situation and met with victims of violence. The EU has strongly condemned the violence and called for protection of minorities
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Nina Shea: Egypt gov’t buried Coptic culture, promotes hatred of Christians
Written by Mohamed Abdel Salam
Bikya Masr
4 March 2010
CAIRO: American right-wing activist Nina Shea, a member of the US Committee for Religious Freedoms, accused the Egyptian government of “burying” the Coptic heritage of Egypt. She said the Cairo government supports the promotion of hatred against Copts in the Egyptian media and called on the US government to use American aid to Egypt in the support of the Coptic Christians of the country.
Shea criticized, in an interview with the American Christian Acton Institute, what she described as “the Egyptian government’s rejection of teaching the original Coptic Language in public schools … as it allows the study of English, French or German, but not Coptic.”
She also accused the Egyptian government of “burying the history and culture of the Copts in schools and the incitement of hatred against Christians in the media and mosques.”
She cited a speech made by Egyptian Bishop Thomas, the bishop of Qusiya, at the Hudson Institute two years ago. She said that Thomas spoke of “the continuing of the project of Arabization and Islamization of Egypt, which was not originally Arab or Islamic … before the Arab invasion, everyone was Copt in Egypt.”
The the US activist, director of the Center for Religious Freedom of the American right-wing Hudson Institute, criticized the American Administration for not exploiting the aid to Egypt in order to solve the Coptic problem.
She said that the United States provides annual aid to Egypt of about $2 billion “and we don’t influence through it at all to help Christians, and our ambassadors there are not effective in helping them.”
Shea said that “Copts are facing a huge problem in light of the rise of political Islam, a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam has been revived, which seeks the application through the state.”
Shea, who is also a member of the Inter-American Commission on International Religious Freedom, said that the Copts in Egypt “are not allowed to build or even renovate churches.”
She added: “Egypt has the largest Christian minority, but in fact the largest non-Muslim minority, among all countries in the Middle East, and that is the fate of the Coptic Church is very important for the experience of religious pluralism as well as for a Christian.”
Shea said that the number of Coptic Christians in Egypt amounts to 10 million people, in contrast to the Pew Center estimates that put them at less than 5 million people.
Shea said: “There are no Christian citizens in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia does not allow the construction of churches at all … and the Christians disappear quickly from Iraq, Turkey and Iran, and thus Egypt is very important.”
Shea, is known for her stricter religious views, as she was behind a conference held in January 1996 that brought more than 100 Christian leaders, churches and Christian clergy to discuss the situation of Christianity in the world under the auspices of Freedom House.
Bikya Masr
4 March 2010
CAIRO: American right-wing activist Nina Shea, a member of the US Committee for Religious Freedoms, accused the Egyptian government of “burying” the Coptic heritage of Egypt. She said the Cairo government supports the promotion of hatred against Copts in the Egyptian media and called on the US government to use American aid to Egypt in the support of the Coptic Christians of the country.
Shea criticized, in an interview with the American Christian Acton Institute, what she described as “the Egyptian government’s rejection of teaching the original Coptic Language in public schools … as it allows the study of English, French or German, but not Coptic.”
She also accused the Egyptian government of “burying the history and culture of the Copts in schools and the incitement of hatred against Christians in the media and mosques.”
She cited a speech made by Egyptian Bishop Thomas, the bishop of Qusiya, at the Hudson Institute two years ago. She said that Thomas spoke of “the continuing of the project of Arabization and Islamization of Egypt, which was not originally Arab or Islamic … before the Arab invasion, everyone was Copt in Egypt.”
The the US activist, director of the Center for Religious Freedom of the American right-wing Hudson Institute, criticized the American Administration for not exploiting the aid to Egypt in order to solve the Coptic problem.
She said that the United States provides annual aid to Egypt of about $2 billion “and we don’t influence through it at all to help Christians, and our ambassadors there are not effective in helping them.”
Shea said that “Copts are facing a huge problem in light of the rise of political Islam, a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam has been revived, which seeks the application through the state.”
Shea, who is also a member of the Inter-American Commission on International Religious Freedom, said that the Copts in Egypt “are not allowed to build or even renovate churches.”
She added: “Egypt has the largest Christian minority, but in fact the largest non-Muslim minority, among all countries in the Middle East, and that is the fate of the Coptic Church is very important for the experience of religious pluralism as well as for a Christian.”
Shea said that the number of Coptic Christians in Egypt amounts to 10 million people, in contrast to the Pew Center estimates that put them at less than 5 million people.
Shea said: “There are no Christian citizens in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia does not allow the construction of churches at all … and the Christians disappear quickly from Iraq, Turkey and Iran, and thus Egypt is very important.”
Shea, is known for her stricter religious views, as she was behind a conference held in January 1996 that brought more than 100 Christian leaders, churches and Christian clergy to discuss the situation of Christianity in the world under the auspices of Freedom House.
European Union Growing Ally for Persecuted Christians?
European Union Growing Ally for Persecuted Christians?
Source: CBN
Mar 07, 2010
The religious rights group Open Doors reports that 100 million Christians worldwide are persecuted or discriminated against in their own countries.
Most of them live in nations where Islam is the dominant religion. Communist nations like China, cuba, and North Korea are also offenders.
In many of these nations, Christians aren't allowed to build churches, buy bibles, or find good jobs. In the worst cases, they are arrested, beaten, and sometimes murdered.
But the European Union is taking steps to help them. This week, Italy's foreign minister told an Italian newspaper the EU has set up a working group on religious freedom.
He said they're devising a set of protocols to quote "closely monitor the treatment of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, in the most sensitive countries.'
For more insight on the significance of this development, Christian World News spoke to Jordan Sekulow, director of international affairs for the American Center for Law and Justice. Click play for his comments.
He added that the EU will draw up a set of guidelines -- a manual -- for EI nation embassies in countries where persecution exists. The idea is to help those embassies evaluate religious freedom and possibly provide policy recommendations to encourage these countries to improve their treatment.
This is all in its early stages, but if it happens the way Italy's foreign minister says, it could mean persecuted Christians have a new and powerful ally.
Source: CBN
Mar 07, 2010
The religious rights group Open Doors reports that 100 million Christians worldwide are persecuted or discriminated against in their own countries.
Most of them live in nations where Islam is the dominant religion. Communist nations like China, cuba, and North Korea are also offenders.
In many of these nations, Christians aren't allowed to build churches, buy bibles, or find good jobs. In the worst cases, they are arrested, beaten, and sometimes murdered.
But the European Union is taking steps to help them. This week, Italy's foreign minister told an Italian newspaper the EU has set up a working group on religious freedom.
He said they're devising a set of protocols to quote "closely monitor the treatment of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, in the most sensitive countries.'
For more insight on the significance of this development, Christian World News spoke to Jordan Sekulow, director of international affairs for the American Center for Law and Justice. Click play for his comments.
He added that the EU will draw up a set of guidelines -- a manual -- for EI nation embassies in countries where persecution exists. The idea is to help those embassies evaluate religious freedom and possibly provide policy recommendations to encourage these countries to improve their treatment.
This is all in its early stages, but if it happens the way Italy's foreign minister says, it could mean persecuted Christians have a new and powerful ally.
Egyptian Court Acquits Muslim Who Beheaded a Christian
By Mary Abdelmassih AINA
Mar 07, 2010
An Egyptian court in the southern city of Assuit acquitted this week four Muslims accused of killing 61-year-old Farouk Attallah on October 19, 2009. In broad daylight and in full view of witnesses, the killers fired 31 bullets to his head before beheading him, in the busy village market place of Attaleen, near Dairout, 313 kilometers south of Cairo. The dead body was then dragged in the street, accompanied by shouts of victory. Free Copts website published a video of the disfigured body (warning, violent graphic content: video).
The judge presiding over the court on February 22, said that he was not satisfied that the testimony of the witnesses established that the imprisoned men were the killers. After the acquittal of Mohamad, Ashraf, Osama and Ahmad Hassouna, there was jubilation in the court room, with shouts of 'Allah is Great' and congratulations from all Muslims, including members of the state security forces who were present.
Christians were enraged over the acquittal, since similar cases would result in life imprisonment or execution for a Copt if the victim was a Muslim.
The verdict came as another wake-up call to many Copts, according to Peter Sarwat, the plaintiff's attorney. "It sends a clear message that Coptic blood is extremely cheap." he told Mariam Ragy of Katiba Tibia Coptic site. "This acquittal will make permanent the present culture of impunity enjoyed by Muslim aggressors against Copts.".
Sarwat said the ruling was inadequate, as it acquitted the accused but did not say who the perpetrators are. "If these men did not kill, so who killed? The ruling should have referred the case to the general prosecution to present the perpetrators."
The Court based its ruling on quasi non existent proof, as well as the absence of "positive evidence" testimony versus the presence of "negative evidence" testimony. "The judge refused to take into consideration the testimonies of the dead man's daughter who said she only saw one killer and not four, as well as the testimony of the Muslim man who was wounded in the shootings," said Sarwat. According to media reports, most people who witnessed the shootings in the market place refused to come forward for fear of vengeance from the assailants' family. There were false witnesses who confirmed that the killers were present at work.
"It is not enough to get a conviction based only on police reports which are full of legal loopholes and weak prosecution investigations," said Sarwat. Legal observers have always claimed that the police purposely deliver to prosecution reports full of inadequacies and loopholes, thereby getting from the courts acquittals for Muslims.
What prompted the killing of Farouk Attallah was an alleged illicit sexual relationship between his son Romany and a local Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna. A rumor that intimate photos of Hagger together with her lover Romany were circulating on cell phones in Dairout lead four members of the Hassona family to kill Romany's father, after failing to locate his son, who had fled.
Besides the killing of Farouk Attallah, the arrest of the Hassouna perpetrators sparked on October 24, 2009, Muslim riots and collective punishment against all Copts in Dairout. Christian-owned shops, pharmacies, and homes were looted and burned (AINA 10-27-2009).
Although several hundreds Muslims participated in those riots, the police only detained 19, and these were acquitted on December 13, 2009 because of the lack of eyewitnesses and conflicting statements between the accused and the victims.
The majority of Copts believe the reason for the acquittal of Muslims is that although Egypt claims to be a secular state, in reality it applies the Sharia law which dictates .that a Muslim who kills a non-Muslim must not be killed, because it is not reasonable to equate a Muslim with a "polytheist" (a Christian).
Commenting on the acquittal, Dr. Naguib Gobraeel, President of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights, said: "What is the solution? The same happened with regards to Al-Kosheh Massacre [21 Copts were slaughtered in 2000 and not one Muslim was indicted], the attack on the Copts in Alexandria were blamed on a mentally unstable person; even the assailant who beheaded Abdo Goerge Younan in Menoufiah is now in a mental hospital [AINA 9-21-2009]. Heavenly Justice is our last resourt." He stated that he will appeal this week's verdict.
The victim's family was greatly shocked and saddened by the acquittal. "In spite of the blood of their slain family head filling the street, the Muslim killers got away literally with murder," Sarwat said "It just shows how cheap Coptic blood can be."
Sarwat asserted that he will appeal the ruling. "We cannot remain silent over this verdict as it has very serious implications for all Copts in Egypt." He added: "It is not safe for Copts now, as any Muslims who wants to get rid of a Copt, would kill him, knowing well that in the end he will be acquitted."
Mar 07, 2010
An Egyptian court in the southern city of Assuit acquitted this week four Muslims accused of killing 61-year-old Farouk Attallah on October 19, 2009. In broad daylight and in full view of witnesses, the killers fired 31 bullets to his head before beheading him, in the busy village market place of Attaleen, near Dairout, 313 kilometers south of Cairo. The dead body was then dragged in the street, accompanied by shouts of victory. Free Copts website published a video of the disfigured body (warning, violent graphic content: video).
The judge presiding over the court on February 22, said that he was not satisfied that the testimony of the witnesses established that the imprisoned men were the killers. After the acquittal of Mohamad, Ashraf, Osama and Ahmad Hassouna, there was jubilation in the court room, with shouts of 'Allah is Great' and congratulations from all Muslims, including members of the state security forces who were present.
Christians were enraged over the acquittal, since similar cases would result in life imprisonment or execution for a Copt if the victim was a Muslim.
The verdict came as another wake-up call to many Copts, according to Peter Sarwat, the plaintiff's attorney. "It sends a clear message that Coptic blood is extremely cheap." he told Mariam Ragy of Katiba Tibia Coptic site. "This acquittal will make permanent the present culture of impunity enjoyed by Muslim aggressors against Copts.".
Sarwat said the ruling was inadequate, as it acquitted the accused but did not say who the perpetrators are. "If these men did not kill, so who killed? The ruling should have referred the case to the general prosecution to present the perpetrators."
The Court based its ruling on quasi non existent proof, as well as the absence of "positive evidence" testimony versus the presence of "negative evidence" testimony. "The judge refused to take into consideration the testimonies of the dead man's daughter who said she only saw one killer and not four, as well as the testimony of the Muslim man who was wounded in the shootings," said Sarwat. According to media reports, most people who witnessed the shootings in the market place refused to come forward for fear of vengeance from the assailants' family. There were false witnesses who confirmed that the killers were present at work.
"It is not enough to get a conviction based only on police reports which are full of legal loopholes and weak prosecution investigations," said Sarwat. Legal observers have always claimed that the police purposely deliver to prosecution reports full of inadequacies and loopholes, thereby getting from the courts acquittals for Muslims.
What prompted the killing of Farouk Attallah was an alleged illicit sexual relationship between his son Romany and a local Muslim girl, Hagger Hassouna. A rumor that intimate photos of Hagger together with her lover Romany were circulating on cell phones in Dairout lead four members of the Hassona family to kill Romany's father, after failing to locate his son, who had fled.
Besides the killing of Farouk Attallah, the arrest of the Hassouna perpetrators sparked on October 24, 2009, Muslim riots and collective punishment against all Copts in Dairout. Christian-owned shops, pharmacies, and homes were looted and burned (AINA 10-27-2009).
Although several hundreds Muslims participated in those riots, the police only detained 19, and these were acquitted on December 13, 2009 because of the lack of eyewitnesses and conflicting statements between the accused and the victims.
The majority of Copts believe the reason for the acquittal of Muslims is that although Egypt claims to be a secular state, in reality it applies the Sharia law which dictates .that a Muslim who kills a non-Muslim must not be killed, because it is not reasonable to equate a Muslim with a "polytheist" (a Christian).
Commenting on the acquittal, Dr. Naguib Gobraeel, President of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights, said: "What is the solution? The same happened with regards to Al-Kosheh Massacre [21 Copts were slaughtered in 2000 and not one Muslim was indicted], the attack on the Copts in Alexandria were blamed on a mentally unstable person; even the assailant who beheaded Abdo Goerge Younan in Menoufiah is now in a mental hospital [AINA 9-21-2009]. Heavenly Justice is our last resourt." He stated that he will appeal this week's verdict.
The victim's family was greatly shocked and saddened by the acquittal. "In spite of the blood of their slain family head filling the street, the Muslim killers got away literally with murder," Sarwat said "It just shows how cheap Coptic blood can be."
Sarwat asserted that he will appeal the ruling. "We cannot remain silent over this verdict as it has very serious implications for all Copts in Egypt." He added: "It is not safe for Copts now, as any Muslims who wants to get rid of a Copt, would kill him, knowing well that in the end he will be acquitted."
Muslims in AMerica
Barack OBAMA, in his Cairo speech, said:
"I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America's story."
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RESPONSE:
Dear Mr. Obama:
Where were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed? Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.
Where were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day? Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.
Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?
Declaration of Independence?
Bill of Rights?
Didn't think so.
Did Muslims fight for this country's freedom from England? No.
Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves in America?
No, they did not. In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery. Your own half brother, a devout Muslim, still advocates slavery himself, even though Muslims of Arabic descent refer to black Muslims as "pug nosed slaves." Says a lot of what the muslim world really thinks of your family's "rich Islamic heritage," Doesn't it Obama?
Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country?
Not Present.
There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side With Martin Luther King, Jr. or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.
Where were Muslims during this country's Woman's Suffrage era? Again, Not present. In fact, devout Muslims demand that women are subservient to men in the Islamic culture. So much so, that often they are beaten for not wearing the 'hajib' or for talking to a man who is not a direct family member or their husband. Yep, the Muslims are all for women's rights, aren't they?
Where were Muslims during World War II? They were aligned with Adolf Hitler. The Muslim Grand Mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops and accepted support from the Nazi's in killing Jews.
Finally, Mr. Obama, where were Muslims on Sept.11th, 2001? If they weren't flying planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people on our own soil, they were rejoicing in the Middle East. No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other cable news networks that day. Strangely, the very "moderate" Muslims who's asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo, Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent post 9-11. To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.
And THAT, Mr. Obama, is the "rich heritage" Muslims have here in America.
Oh, I forgot to mention the Barbary Pirates. They were Muslim.
And now we can add November 5, 2009 - the slaughter of American soldiers at Fort Hood by a Muslim major who is a doctor and a Psychiatrist who was supposed to be counseling soldiers returning from Battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America's story."
AN AMERICAN CITIZEN'S RESPONSE:
Dear Mr. Obama:
Where were those Muslims that were in America when the Pilgrims first landed? Funny, I thought they were Native American Indians.
Where were those Muslims that celebrated the first Thanksgiving day? Sorry again, those were Pilgrims and Native American Indians.
Can you show me one Muslim signature on the United States Constitution?
Declaration of Independence?
Bill of Rights?
Didn't think so.
Did Muslims fight for this country's freedom from England? No.
Did Muslims fight during the Civil War to free the slaves in America?
No, they did not. In fact, Muslims to this day are still the largest traffickers in human slavery. Your own half brother, a devout Muslim, still advocates slavery himself, even though Muslims of Arabic descent refer to black Muslims as "pug nosed slaves." Says a lot of what the muslim world really thinks of your family's "rich Islamic heritage," Doesn't it Obama?
Where were Muslims during the Civil Rights era of this country?
Not Present.
There are no pictures or media accounts of Muslims walking side by side With Martin Luther King, Jr. or helping to advance the cause of Civil Rights.
Where were Muslims during this country's Woman's Suffrage era? Again, Not present. In fact, devout Muslims demand that women are subservient to men in the Islamic culture. So much so, that often they are beaten for not wearing the 'hajib' or for talking to a man who is not a direct family member or their husband. Yep, the Muslims are all for women's rights, aren't they?
Where were Muslims during World War II? They were aligned with Adolf Hitler. The Muslim Grand Mufti himself met with Adolf Hitler, reviewed the troops and accepted support from the Nazi's in killing Jews.
Finally, Mr. Obama, where were Muslims on Sept.11th, 2001? If they weren't flying planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon or a field in Pennsylvania killing nearly 3,000 people on our own soil, they were rejoicing in the Middle East. No one can dispute the pictures shown from all parts of the Muslim world celebrating on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other cable news networks that day. Strangely, the very "moderate" Muslims who's asses you bent over backwards to kiss in Cairo, Egypt on June 4th were stone cold silent post 9-11. To many Americans, their silence has meant approval for the acts of that day.
And THAT, Mr. Obama, is the "rich heritage" Muslims have here in America.
Oh, I forgot to mention the Barbary Pirates. They were Muslim.
And now we can add November 5, 2009 - the slaughter of American soldiers at Fort Hood by a Muslim major who is a doctor and a Psychiatrist who was supposed to be counseling soldiers returning from Battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Obama-Eibner Copts
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20500
November 10, 2009
Dear President Obama,
Today, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is releasing a pioneering report entitled The Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Christian Coptic Women in Egypt.
The report’s findings are deeply disturbing. Interviews with victims, lawyers, priests, nuns and relatives confirm a widespread phenomenon that corresponds to international definitions of human trafficking – a crime defined by the UN as a “crime against humanity”. The pattern involves deception, sexual violence, denial of freedom of movement and compulsion to covert to Islam.
Trafficking of non-Muslim women and girls in Egypt is not simply an underworld criminal activity. This powerful report demonstrates that such violations of fundamental human rights are encouraged by the prevalence of cultural norms in Egypt - often rooted in Islamic traditions – that legitimize violence against women and non-Muslims. They furthermore appear to be abetted by the tacit complicity of the government as evidenced by its lack of willingness to adequately investigate allegations of rape, abduction and abuse or to reinstate crucial policies designed to protect Egyptians from coerced conversion by educating potential converts of the full implications of conversion.
Trafficking of Christian women in Egypt is not a new phenomenon. Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church publicly protested against it in 1976, when he declared: "There is pressure being practiced to convert Coptic girls to Islam and marry them under terror to Muslim husbands.” But this problem has now reached boiling point within Egypt’s Coptic community, which views it as symptomatic of a much broader pattern of religious persecution. (see the 2009 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.) As the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly noted at the beginning of September:
“It is the question of the alleged conversion and forced marriage of Coptic girls to Muslim men that elicits the greatest passions. In July [2009] alone three separate incidents received much publicity in the press. Pharmaceuticals student Rania Tawfik Asaad was ostensibly abducted in Giza and forced to marry a Muslim. [Several] other cases, those of Marian Bishai, Amira Morgan and Injy Basta, also hit the headlines.”
You delivered last June in Cairo an inspiring address to the Muslim world. It called for a new beginning in relations with the United States, and the need to uphold the rights of religious minorities and of women. Failure, as your message implied, would have dire consequences for the individual victims and for the broader strategic vision of improved relations between the West and the Islamic world.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI-USA)
870 Hampshire Road, Suite T, Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 777 7107 – tel; (805) 777 7508 – fax; csi@csi-usa.org
Christian Solidarity International stands together with the victimized Egyptian Christians and implores you, Mr. President, to encourage Egypt’s President, Hosni Mubarak to take credible measures to combat the trafficking of Christian women and girls, and the culture of Muslim supremacism that fosters a climate for their victimization. I also urge you to ask Secretary Clinton to place this important issue - which has grave human rights and strategic dimensions – high on the agenda of our country’s diplomatic relations with Egypt. The unhindered and unpunished trafficking of Christian women and girls in Egypt is a litmus test for the true state of relations between Muslims and non-Muslim minorities.
In Cairo you boldly declared: “I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.” Our hope, and that of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others of good will throughout the world, is that such honest, open, self-critical dialogue will challenge the culture of religious bigotry that blights the lives of so many non-Muslims in Egypt and works against fulfillment of the lofty hopes expressed in your Cairo address.
CSI wishes you well Mr. President as you keep human rights at the center of American foreign policy and strive to improve relations with the Islamic world on the basis of mutual respect and full civil rights for religious minorities.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Eibner
CEO
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20500
November 10, 2009
Dear President Obama,
Today, Christian Solidarity International (CSI) is releasing a pioneering report entitled The Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Christian Coptic Women in Egypt.
The report’s findings are deeply disturbing. Interviews with victims, lawyers, priests, nuns and relatives confirm a widespread phenomenon that corresponds to international definitions of human trafficking – a crime defined by the UN as a “crime against humanity”. The pattern involves deception, sexual violence, denial of freedom of movement and compulsion to covert to Islam.
Trafficking of non-Muslim women and girls in Egypt is not simply an underworld criminal activity. This powerful report demonstrates that such violations of fundamental human rights are encouraged by the prevalence of cultural norms in Egypt - often rooted in Islamic traditions – that legitimize violence against women and non-Muslims. They furthermore appear to be abetted by the tacit complicity of the government as evidenced by its lack of willingness to adequately investigate allegations of rape, abduction and abuse or to reinstate crucial policies designed to protect Egyptians from coerced conversion by educating potential converts of the full implications of conversion.
Trafficking of Christian women in Egypt is not a new phenomenon. Pope Shenouda III of the Coptic Orthodox Church publicly protested against it in 1976, when he declared: "There is pressure being practiced to convert Coptic girls to Islam and marry them under terror to Muslim husbands.” But this problem has now reached boiling point within Egypt’s Coptic community, which views it as symptomatic of a much broader pattern of religious persecution. (see the 2009 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.) As the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly noted at the beginning of September:
“It is the question of the alleged conversion and forced marriage of Coptic girls to Muslim men that elicits the greatest passions. In July [2009] alone three separate incidents received much publicity in the press. Pharmaceuticals student Rania Tawfik Asaad was ostensibly abducted in Giza and forced to marry a Muslim. [Several] other cases, those of Marian Bishai, Amira Morgan and Injy Basta, also hit the headlines.”
You delivered last June in Cairo an inspiring address to the Muslim world. It called for a new beginning in relations with the United States, and the need to uphold the rights of religious minorities and of women. Failure, as your message implied, would have dire consequences for the individual victims and for the broader strategic vision of improved relations between the West and the Islamic world.
Christian Solidarity International (CSI-USA)
870 Hampshire Road, Suite T, Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 777 7107 – tel; (805) 777 7508 – fax; csi@csi-usa.org
Christian Solidarity International stands together with the victimized Egyptian Christians and implores you, Mr. President, to encourage Egypt’s President, Hosni Mubarak to take credible measures to combat the trafficking of Christian women and girls, and the culture of Muslim supremacism that fosters a climate for their victimization. I also urge you to ask Secretary Clinton to place this important issue - which has grave human rights and strategic dimensions – high on the agenda of our country’s diplomatic relations with Egypt. The unhindered and unpunished trafficking of Christian women and girls in Egypt is a litmus test for the true state of relations between Muslims and non-Muslim minorities.
In Cairo you boldly declared: “I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.” Our hope, and that of millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims and others of good will throughout the world, is that such honest, open, self-critical dialogue will challenge the culture of religious bigotry that blights the lives of so many non-Muslims in Egypt and works against fulfillment of the lofty hopes expressed in your Cairo address.
CSI wishes you well Mr. President as you keep human rights at the center of American foreign policy and strive to improve relations with the Islamic world on the basis of mutual respect and full civil rights for religious minorities.
Sincerely,
Dr. John Eibner
CEO
Pioneering Report on Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Egyptian Christian Women Released
Pioneering Report on Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Egyptian Christian Women Released
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt – a pioneering report on human trafficking - was released today by Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and the Coptic Foundation for Human Rights.
Researched in Egypt by American anti-trafficking specialist Michele Clark and Egyptian women's rights activist Nadia Ghaly, the report documents a criminal pattern involving deception, sexual violence, captivity, compulsion to convert to Islam and forced marriage. This disturbing phenomenon corresponds to internationally recognized definitions of human trafficking.
Among the documented cases are:
R. 17-year-old Christian from Al-Fayoum: Drugged, kidnapped, raped, coerced into conversion to Islam, forcibly married.
J. 19-year-old Christian from Cairo: Abducted, raped, incarcerated, forcibly married, converted to Islam.
M. 15-year-old Christian from El Menya: raped, gave birth, converted to Islam, physically scarred, forcibly married, drugged, and prostituted.
The report demonstrates these violations of fundamental human rights are encouraged by the prevalence of cultural norms in Egypt - often rooted in religious tradition - that legitimize violence against women and non-Muslims. The report furthermore finds the Egyptian authorities tacitly complicit by consistently demonstrating a lack of will to adequately investigate allegations of rape, abduction and abuse.
Egypt's prestigious Al-Ahram Weekly recently broke a longstanding taboo by acknowledging that allegations of widespread conversion and forced marriage of Coptic girls to Muslim men have brought relations between the country's Christian community and the Islamic authorities to a boiling point. (Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 3-9 September 2009, no. 963)
Writing today to President Barack Obama, Dr. John Eibner of CSI urged the U.S. government "to encourage Egyptian President Mubarak to take credible measures to combat the trafficking of Christian women and girls." Eibner furthermore stated "the unhindered and unpunished trafficking of Christian women and girls in Egypt is a litmus test for the true state of relations between Muslims and non-Muslim minorities."
Last June in Cairo, President Obama addressed the Muslim world, calling for a new beginning in relations with the United States, and the need to uphold the rights of religious minorities and the rights of women.
The Clark-Ghaly report concludes by urging human rights institutions to undertake further research on this largely unexplored facet of human trafficking in Egypt.
Contact Elliott Daniels, (202) 544 7778 or (919) 440 9729, elliott.daniels@csi-usa.org.
To view or download the full report visit www.csi-int.org.
SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Disappearance, Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt – a pioneering report on human trafficking - was released today by Christian Solidarity International (CSI) and the Coptic Foundation for Human Rights.
Researched in Egypt by American anti-trafficking specialist Michele Clark and Egyptian women's rights activist Nadia Ghaly, the report documents a criminal pattern involving deception, sexual violence, captivity, compulsion to convert to Islam and forced marriage. This disturbing phenomenon corresponds to internationally recognized definitions of human trafficking.
Among the documented cases are:
R. 17-year-old Christian from Al-Fayoum: Drugged, kidnapped, raped, coerced into conversion to Islam, forcibly married.
J. 19-year-old Christian from Cairo: Abducted, raped, incarcerated, forcibly married, converted to Islam.
M. 15-year-old Christian from El Menya: raped, gave birth, converted to Islam, physically scarred, forcibly married, drugged, and prostituted.
The report demonstrates these violations of fundamental human rights are encouraged by the prevalence of cultural norms in Egypt - often rooted in religious tradition - that legitimize violence against women and non-Muslims. The report furthermore finds the Egyptian authorities tacitly complicit by consistently demonstrating a lack of will to adequately investigate allegations of rape, abduction and abuse.
Egypt's prestigious Al-Ahram Weekly recently broke a longstanding taboo by acknowledging that allegations of widespread conversion and forced marriage of Coptic girls to Muslim men have brought relations between the country's Christian community and the Islamic authorities to a boiling point. (Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 3-9 September 2009, no. 963)
Writing today to President Barack Obama, Dr. John Eibner of CSI urged the U.S. government "to encourage Egyptian President Mubarak to take credible measures to combat the trafficking of Christian women and girls." Eibner furthermore stated "the unhindered and unpunished trafficking of Christian women and girls in Egypt is a litmus test for the true state of relations between Muslims and non-Muslim minorities."
Last June in Cairo, President Obama addressed the Muslim world, calling for a new beginning in relations with the United States, and the need to uphold the rights of religious minorities and the rights of women.
The Clark-Ghaly report concludes by urging human rights institutions to undertake further research on this largely unexplored facet of human trafficking in Egypt.
Contact Elliott Daniels, (202) 544 7778 or (919) 440 9729, elliott.daniels@csi-usa.org.
To view or download the full report visit www.csi-int.org.
SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)
© Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
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