DC: “Captive Nations 50th Anniversary Commemorated in Washington, DC”
— “Washington, DC (UNIS) – The yearly commemoration of Captive Nations Week began 50 years ago in 1959 with the passage of PL 86-90 which stated: ‘Whereas the enslavement of a substantial part of the world’s population by Communist imperialism makes a mockery of the idea of peaceful coexistence between nations and constitutes a detriment to the natural bonds of understanding between the people of the United States and other peoples.’ Such phrases, documented yearly by each President in his Executive Proclamations, instilled hope for the nations enslaved by this tyrannical form of government.
— “To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the original 1959 congressional resolution, the National Captive Nations Committee (NCNC) sponsored a daylong event dedicated to those countries that have freed themselves from communism, as well as to those still suffering the perils of dictatorship. On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, several dozen representatives of various ethnic communities and friends of freedom gathered at the Victims of Communism Memorial at the corner of New Jersey and Massachusetts Avenues, NW to pay tribute to those innocent victims of communism.”
— “The day’s events began with brief remarks from NCNC Director of Public Relations and Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOCMF), Dr. Lee Edwards, who characterized the fight against communism as an endless war. Rev. Robert Hitchens, Rector of St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary and Administrator of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family delivered a very inspiring invocation: ‘Hear us this day as we gather to commemorate 50 years of bearing witness to our sisters and brothers through out the world who suffer and endure tyranny and subjugation at the hands of totalitarian governments that seek to extinguish the living fire of human freedom and self-determination and to kill the human spirit.’ Various ethnic communities and their representatives placed wreaths or flowers at the base of the Memorial to remember those who have suffered under Communist oppression. Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) and also NCNC Executive Secretary, read President Barack Obama’s 2009 Captive Nations Week proclamation (proclamation enclosed). A moment of silence was offered for all who have fought against communism and continue to struggle against it.”
Day: August 17, 2009
DC: August 18 White House Protest by Coptic Organizations
Voice of the Copts, National American Coptic Assembly, and American Coptic Union plan to hold a peaceful demonstration at 9 AM on Tuesday August 18 “in front of the White House” — see more details below:
VOICE OF THE COPTS along with National American Coptic Assembly and American Coptic Union are to organize a peaceful demonstration, on the occasion of President Mubarak’s visit to Washington DC, in front of the White House.
The human rights organization, VOICE OF THE COPTS, with offices In Italy and USA, invites all human rights organizations, activists, and freedom loving citizens to join us in our demonstration to show support for the Christian Copts.
On Tuesday August 18, 2009 gathering at 9:00AM, at Pennsylvania and 17th Street – Washington DC, then would move towards the White House.
The objective of our peaceful demonstration is to protest and expose to the world the unprovoked, continuous and escalating criminal acts against the defenseless and peaceful Copts in Egypt, their families, their homes, their property and the defaming of their Christian religion by the extremists, encouraged by the policy adopted by the Egyptian regime.
The list of human rights violations against the Christian Copts is too long, as long as the 1429 years of suffering, discrimination and oppression since the Islamic invasion of Coptic Egypt.
-We want to reiterate our rightful demands to President Mubarak and his Regime.
– We seek the deletion of Islamic Laws from the Egyptian Constitution.
– The return of all abducted Coptic women to their families immediately.
– We want equal rights for the over than 15,000,000 Copts in their own homeland.
– We want protection of life and property for the Copts.
– We want freedom of faith.
– We want laws to be passed which guarantees freedom to build our places of worship equal to the rights given to Muslims, without having to beg for a permission every time renovations even to a Church’s lavatory is required.
– We want the Coptic file taken away from the hands of the radical Islamist State Security.
– We want a just and fair representation to the over than 15,000,000 Copts in public life, and their rights to organize themselves in civil non religious organizations.
– We want the immediate release of our innocent Coptic priest Father Metaos. The return of all exiled Coptic spiritual leaders such as, Bishops Amonious of Luxor, Taklah of Isna, Mitias of Al Mahalah, and all others to their followers and parishioners.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
– We say no more to attacks on our churches and monasteries without any protection from the authorities.
– We say no more to Muslims killing Copts without being convicted, following Sharia law of the non-conviction of any Muslim for a crime committed against a Christian. Coptic blood is equal to Muslim blood.
– We say no more to the regime’s plan of systematic abduction, rape and forced Islamization of Coptic teenage girls, in conspiracy with the extremists and the security forces.
– We say no more to the enforced Islamization of Christians in Egypt. Even our monks have been subjected to torture to renounce their faith.
– We say no more to the marginalization of Copts.
– We say no to the government’s plan for the Islamization of Egypt.
– We say no to the government’s plan to eradicate the Coptic Identity.
– We say no to any disrespect to our Christian faith.
We appeal to President Obama to stand by his election promises concerning countries which do not respect human rights and freedom of religion.
Let us together send a strong message to Mr. Mubarak and his Regime that such policies will not be tolerated by the free and civilized world. We ask you as a believer in freedom and human rights to help us defend the rights of the Copts in Egypt, for freedom and security.
Support us to obtain justice and stop the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of the Copts.
For any information please contact us on the following e-mail address:
mubarak_18@voiceofthecopts.org
If you are taking the Washington DC subway (Metro), you should exit at the Farragut West (Orange/Blue Lines), Farragut North (Red Line), or McPherson Square (Orange/Blue Lines) metro stops.
FARRAGUT WEST METRO STATION to WHITE HOUSE Walking Directions:
1. Exit station through 18TH & I (EYE) ST NW entrance.
2. Walk approx. 1 block S on 18th St NW.
3. Turn left on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
4. Walk approx. 3 blocks SE on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
FARRAGUT NORTH METRO STATION to WHITE HOUSE Walking Directions:
1. Exit station through CONNETICUT AVE & K ST NW entrance.
2. Walk a short distance S on Connecticut Ave NW.
3. Walk straight on 17th St NW.
4. Walk approx. 1 block S on 17th St NW.
5. Turn left on I St NW.
6. Walk a short distance E on I St NW.
7. Turn right on Connecticut Ave NW.
8. Walk approx. 1 block S on Connecticut Ave NW.
9. Bear right on Jackson Pl NW.
10. Walk approx. 1 block S on Jackson Pl NW.
11. Turn left on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
12. Walk approx. 1 block E on Pennsylvania Ave NW.
Pakistan: Islamic Televangelist blames Gojra massacre of Christians on “Western conspiracy”
— Dawn reports:
— “Hardly a week had passed after the shameful attacks on the lives and livelihood of the besieged Christian community of Gojra, that a well-known Islamic televangelist appeared on his show on a local TV channel and freely exhibited the audacity to explain this attack by vicious Islamic sectarian organisations as a conspiracy by the West to make Pakistanis question the contentious Blasphemy Laws.”
— “First of all, as usual, before spouting this claptrap, such TV hosts have absolutely no substantive proofs ever to back their demagogic finger-pointing rituals.”
— “But utmost is the fact that the tongue-wagging gentleman had himself been embroiled last year in a stunning controversy where he was directly accused by his former party, the MQM, and some bold journalists, for initiating and encouraging attacks against Punjab’s Ahmadiyya community through his show.”
— “Thus, what moral right does this highly animated fellow has to even address the issue of the attacks in Gojra, let alone offer bizarre and thoroughly unreasonable theories, pointing fingers at the usually elusive and unsubstantiated conglomerate of conspirators?”
— “His self-righteous and delusional take on the said issue must have come as a hurtful bolt of insensitivity to those who lost their loved ones in the insane fires of fanaticism that almost completely burned down the Christian community in Gojra.”
Pakistan – ICC Report: “Pregnant Christian Dragged Naked through Pakistani Police Station”
ICC Report: “Pregnant Christian Dragged Naked through Pakistani Police Station”
— “Miscarries after Police Arrest Her for Theft without Evidence, Hold Her Three Days”
— “Washington, D.C. (August 17, 2009) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that a pregnant Christian woman miscarried on July 26 after police beat her and dragged her naked through their police station in the Gujrat District of Punjab, Pakistan. Police had arrested her and a Muslim woman after their employer accused them of theft, but police did not even touch the Muslim woman.”
— “The woman, Farzana Bibi, worked as a maid in the house of a wealthy Muslim. During a wedding held at the house, some jewelry was stolen from some of the landlord’s female relatives. The police were called, and when they arrived at the scene they arrested two maids: Farzana and a Muslim woman named Rehana. Nazir Masih, Farzana’s husband, said, ‘Police registered a fake theft case against my wife and Rehana without any proof.'”
— “Nazir went on to say that the police tortured his wife even though she told them she was pregnant. He told ICC, ‘Sub-Inspector Zulfiqar and Assistant Sub-Inspector Akhter subjected her to intense torture. They stripped off her clothes and dragged her naked around the compound of Cantonment Area Police Station in Kharian. They humiliated and tortured my wife, but did not do anything to Rehana.'”
— “Although Farzana complained of severe pain, the police ignored her pleas and detained her for another two days. When her condition became critical, the police finally transferred her to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Kharian, where she miscarried.”
— “Nazir filed a report with the District Police Officer in Gujrat, detailing the abuse his wife received and her miscarriage. The District Office initiated an investigation after receiving the report, withdrawing the false accusations and suspending officers Zulfiqar and Akhter.”
— “The authorities have pledged to punish all those responsible. Please pray that God would comfort Farzana and Nazir and that justice would be carried out. Please also call your Pakistani embassy and ask them to defend the rights of Christians.”
— “Jeremy Sewall, ICC’s Advocacy Director, said, ‘While we were not able to confirm whether Farzana was innocent of robbing her employers, it is absolutely unacceptable for police to humiliate her and abuse her so severely that she lost her child. The fact that the Muslim woman accused of the same thing was at least treated like a human being just proves again that if you are not a Muslim in Pakistan, you have no rights. The government should go beyond suspending the two officers guilty of this crime and try them for manslaughter.'”
Iraq: “Honor Killings” and Attacks on Gays Continue to Rise
— BBC: Anti-gay attacks on rise in Iraq
— “So-called honour killings also account for deaths where families punish their own kin in order to avoid public shame.”
— “Witnesses say vigilante groups break into homes and pick people up in the street, interrogating them to extract the names of other potential victims, before murdering them.”
— “Recently, posters appeared in Sadr City – a conservative, Shia area of Baghdad – calling on people to watch out for gay men and listing not only their names but also their addresses.”
— “One gay man in Baghdad described the killing campaign as a witch-hunt.”
— “Nearly 90 gay men have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of January and many more are missing, local gay rights campaigners say.”
— “The report, called They want us exterminated: Murder, Torture, Sexual Orientation and Gender in Iraq, says horrifically mutilated bodies of gay men have been left on rubbish tips.”
— “Sometimes their bodies are daubed with offensive terms such as ‘pervert,’ or ‘puppy’ which is a hate word for gay men in Iraq.”
— “The report contains detailed testimonies of a range of brutal treatment of gay Iraqi men.”
— “‘We’ve heard stories confirmed by doctors of men having their anuses glued and then being force-fed laxatives which leads to a very painful death,’ says Ms Moumneh told the BBC.”
— AFP: Torture and execution of Iraqi gays on rise
Additional reports:
Turkey: Young Iraqi gays find safe haven in Turkey
Iraq: LGBT group claims Iraq is waging a ‘campaign of violence and murder’ against gays
Iraq: “a program of ‘sexual cleansing’ is being perpetrated against homosexuals in Iraq”
Iraq: Radical Iraq cleric orders ‘depraved’ homosexuality to be eradicated
Iraq: Extremists Kill 25 Gay Men and Boys in Recent Weeks
Iraq: Gay Men Murdered by Extremists in So-Called “Honor Killing”