Month: August 2009

Report by The Christian Post by Michelle Vu:
“Egyptian President’s Visit Magnifies Christian, Muslim Tension”

“WASHINGTON – What started off as a typical press conference turned into a heated exchange Monday when two Egyptian American Muslims challenged statements made by the Coptic Christian speakers.”

“At the press event, the Coptic panel, which included representatives from Voice of the Copts, National American Coptic Assembly, and Young People, decried Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over the grave human rights situation in the predominantly Muslim country and denounced his visit to the United States. Two Muslims who joined the audience, however, took offense to some of the comments.”

“Both sides criticized the Mubarak administration as corrupt and said they wanted greater respect for religious freedom in Egypt. But arguments began when one of the speakers linked sharia, or Islamic law, to the kidnapping of Coptic girls in Egypt.”

“As tempers flared, the Christian panelists and the Muslim audience members shouted at each other as non-involved attendees sat stunned by the fiery and loud (not to mention not entirely in English) verbal exchange.”

“The Muslim-Christian tension as seen at the press conference reflects the complicated political and social climate in Egypt.”

“During the event, the two sides mostly argued over sharia which is part of Egypt’s legal system. One of the Egyptian Muslims, Ibrahim Hussein, was offended that the Christians had criticized sharia and requested the panel to direct their attack against Mubarak and not sharia.”

“In response, Ashraf Famelah, president of Voice of the Copts, said that he organized Monday’s press conference not to attack Islam or sharia, but to call for human rights, including the rights of Coptic Christians, in Egypt.”

“‘We are talking about human rights,’ said Famelah, an architect by profession who studied and lived in Italy for many years.”

“‘You cannot come to me and tell me that you respect human rights when you have the second amendment in your constitution saying sharia law,” he argued firmly but with his emotions restrained, unlike other panelists.”

“Hussein, who spoke as an individual, and his fellow Egyptian Muslim Dr. Amin Mahmoud, the mid-Atlantic chapter coordinator of the Alliance of Egyptian Americans, informed the Coptic speakers that they were going to hold their own press conference next door the following hour to denounce President Mubarak’s visit and to advocate for human rights and democracy in Egypt.”

“They emphasized that their coalition, which accuses the U.S. of supporting “friendly dictators” such as Mubarak, includes Copts and Muslims alike. The two Muslims wanted to invite the Coptic Christians at the event to join their effort to oppose the Egyptian president, who has ruled the country for 28 years.”

“But the Coptic members firmly resisted the invitation because the Muslim men refused to talk about changing the country’s sharia law.”

“In Egypt, Christians live under extremely unjust laws in which they are treated as second class citizens. Up until a few years ago, Christians were not allowed to construct or fix churches unless they received a permit from the president. Even something as small as fixing the church’s faulty faucet or remodeling the bathroom would require presidential approval. The power to approve such requests was recently granted to governors, but the Coptic community has seen little improvement.”

“No such approval is needed for the construction or fixing of mosques in Egypt.”

“There has also been a rise in reports about the abduction of young Christian girls and their forced marriages to Islamic men in Egypt. The families of the kidnapped girls have filed reports with the police, but Coptic groups say security forces have ignored their requests for investigation or have even harassed the families to keep them quiet.”

“During the press event on Monday, Hussein said he didn’t hear of any kidnappings of Coptic girls when he was living in Egypt. Also, Amin Mahmoud noted that his childhood best friend in Egypt was Christian.”

“But that memory of peace and friendship has become just that – a memory.”

“A Washington Post story that ran last year noted the growing divide between the Christian and Muslim communities in Egypt in recent years. Muslims and Christians once lived side-by-side with few conflicts, and establishing lifelong friendships.”

“Now, the story highlighted, Christians and Muslims live in separate neighborhoods and send their children to separate religious schools.”

“‘We used to eat together, play together,’ said Abdul Aziz, an Egyptian Muslim, who fondly recalled memories of Christian childhood friends, to the Post. ‘Honestly, I don’t understand how it has come to this.'”

“The Coptic Christian population in Egypt consists of an estimated six to eight million and is the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Coptic Christians account for about 10 percent of Egypt’s population.”

“President Mubarak met with President Obama on Tuesday.”

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

Map of area:

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.