Voice of Copts report: “Egyptian Regime protecting drug dealers and abusers”
Category: Coptic Oppression
Egypt Muslim Council: Building of Churches is ‘Sin’ Against God
Egypt Muslim Council: Building of Churches is ‘Sin’ Against God
— Christian Post reports:
— “Egyptian Muslim leaders are caught in a storm of controversy after a human rights group confronted them about a fatwa (Islamic edict) that stated the building of a church is ‘a sin against God.'”
— “The controversy began when the president of the Egyptian Union Human Rights Organization, Dr. Naguib Gabraeel, asked the Fatwa Council about a statement found in a textbook at Cairo University on inheritance and execution of wills.”
— “Students, both Muslims and Christians, were taught ‘it is forbidden for a person to donate money for what would lead to sin, such as donating in his will money towards build[ing] a church, a nightclub, a gambling casino, towards promoting the alcohol industry or for building a barn for rearing pigs, cats or dogs.’
— AINA: “Building a Church is a ‘Sin’ Against God, Says Egyptian Muslim Council”
— “The Fatwa Council replied affirming the correctness of what came in the textbook and issued a Fatwa on September 10, 2008 (document number 1809), which is also published on its official website.”
— “Many Christians believe that this Fatwa has exposed the true stance of the religious authorities and the government towards churches, and the reason why it refrains from passing the long awaited bill on the ‘unified law for building places of worship,’ which would put an end to all problems related to building and restoring places of worship. It is also believed that since Islam views church building as a sin, passing this bill would therefore be in conflict with Shari’a Law — which is the main source of legislation as stipulated in the Constitution — and this would be something that the government would avoid at all costs.”
Egypt: Continuing Threats and Harrassment of Those Who Support Christianity
Egypt: Continuing Threats and Harrassment of Those Who Support Christianity
MNN News reports:
— “Egypt’s constitution gives preference to Muslims, and Christians are treated as second-class citizens.”
Egypt: Christian Convert and Daughter Fugitives from Wrath of Extremists
LA Times: “A Christian on the run in Egypt”
— LA Times reports: “Maher El Gohary is something his Muslim compatriots can’t fathom: a convert to Christianity. He and his daughter live like fugitives, moving frequently to avoid those who’d like to see him dead.”
— “It is a clear day along the coast, but in a bungalow off the beach, Maher El Gohary sits behind a locked door with an open Bible and a crystal cross, suspicious of every voice and sandal scraping past outside.”
— “He and his daughter, Dina, live like refugees, switching apartments every few months, not wanting to get close to neighbors. Gohary’s life has been threatened, his dogs have been killed, and it’s been suggested that he’s insane or possessed by spirits.”
— “He is a man this Muslim nation cannot fathom: a convert to Christianity.”
— “Islamists believe that Muslims who forsake their religion should be punished by death.”
Egyptian Coptic Priest Banned From Village, Under Death Threat — Rev. Estefanos Shehata
Egyptian Coptic Priest Banned From Village, Under Death Threat
AINA reports:
— “On August 14 Rev. Estefanos Shehata, a Coptic priest, sent a letter to the Middle East Christian Association (MECA) stating the Muslim elders of his village have issued a death Fatwa (religious edict) against him, and have banned him from entering his village because he wants to convert part of his family home into a hall where he can carry out funeral rites and marriage ceremonies. The village of Upper Ezbet Dawoud Yousef is 200 kilometers south of Cairo, in the Minya Governorate, and has no church; religious functions for the 800 Coptic Christians are performed on the street.”
— “Rev. Estefanos said that after converting the 100 square meter room in his family’s home in the village into a prayer hall two years ago, he went to the state security to get the necessary permit, but has not been given an answer nor the permit.”
— “‘I finally went to the state security to get a definite answer to the permit application. They told me I need to obtain ‘permission’ of the village Muslims, as they (state security) want no problems in the village,’ Father Estefanos told Waguih Yacoub of MECA, ‘I told them that I see no problems in getting this permission as we have always had good relations with the village Muslims and we love and consider them as our brothers.'”
— “When he informed the Muslim villagers of his plan, they called for a meeting with the elders of the neighboring villages. ‘They were extremely angry at my proposal and instead of giving their permission, they issued a Fatwa calling for my death. They told the Copts in the village that it takes just one bullet to get rid of me since there is no ‘blood money’ for killing a Christian. I have been banned from my village for over a month now, I cannot even go my mother.'”
— “In a video interview with Free Copts, a Coptic advocacy group, Rev. Estefanos said ‘Enough humiliation and persecution of the Copts, I do not fear death and issuing a Fatwa to spill my blood is an honor for me.’ The interview is available on” YouTube.com.
— “The International Organization for Human Rights, based in Frankfurt, Germany issued a press release condemning the fatwa.”
“Egypt – Two Copts Imprisoned after Reporting Attack”
Compass Direct News reports “Egypt – Two Copts Imprisoned after Reporting Attack”
— “Two Coptic Christians in Egypt have been arrested and are being held without charge after reporting to police they had been beaten by a mob, an attorney for the men said yesterday. On the evening of July 31, Reda Hnein, 35, his brother Nagi Hnein Fawzi, 27, and their uncle Youssef Fawzi Iskandar, 58, all Coptic farmers, were leading a cow down a road in the village of Al-Fashn when two Muslim men riding a motorbike crashed into the cow. An argument ensued, and a mob of about 10 other Muslim men joined into the disagreement and began beating the Copts with sticks, said attorney Ihab Ramzi. Reda Hnein and Iskandar received minor injuries. Fawzi, however, suffered a fractured skull and lacerations on his scalp. He was taken to Minya University Hospital, where he regained consciousness earlier this week but remains hospitalized. On the day of the incident, Hnein and Iskandar went to police to file a complaint. They were told to return the next day to file a report with an investigating attorney. But after they gave their report the next day, local police arrested the two men on orders of Egypt’s State Security Investigations. A cousin said she is ‘boiling’ with anger. ‘How can the police turn an innocent victim into a criminal?’ she said. ‘How can they treat a victim like a criminal?'”
Egypt: video links on online videos regarding persecution of Christian Copts in Egypt
Egypt: Video Links:
— video links on online videos regarding persecution of Christian Copts in Egypt
— Persecution of Coptic Christians Egypt
— Egypt: Muslim Persecution of Christians II
Egypt: Report on Christian Copt Churches Attacked
— WorldMag reports: “Churches attacked and Christians arrested? Egypt’s ancient church faces new levels of persecution”
— “As 30-year-old Fulla Asaad and her mother-in-law prepared a midday meal on July 11, they spied three Muslim men with cans of kerosene running through the home’s courtyard in their small, Egyptian town. Yelling for help, they did their best to stop them but the men poured fuel on the adjacent building — a small structure the Asaads had donated to their church. The men set it on fire — the only gathering place for the Coptic Christian community in Ezbet Basilious, a village in Upper Egypt south of Cairo.”
— “After questioning witnesses, local police arrested two Copts, Asaad and 35-year-old Reda Gamal Huzayin, and accused them of attacking their own church. Part of a growing trend throughout Egypt’s Coptic communities, local police and security forces are framing Christians while the perpetrators escape prosecution. And as Islamic radicalism spreads across a nation that plays a key role in the region, so have attacks against the region’s largest and oldest Christian community.”
DC: Egyptian Coptic Christians Protest for Human Rights, Equality, as President Obama Meets Mubarak
On August 18, 2009 in Washington DC, Egyptian Christian Copts and their supporters protested on Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street near the White House as President Barack Obama met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Protesters included Egyptian Coptic leaders representing the Coptic American organizations around the country. Responsible for Equality And Liberty’s Jeffrey Imm and other human rights supporters also joined this protest. The August 18 protest near the White House followed an August 17, 2009 press conference by Coptic leaders at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
During the protest, Coptic leaders called for President Obama to demand that Egyptian President Mubarak recognize the human rights and dignity of Egyptian Coptic Christians who are oppressed in Egyptian. Speakers pointed out the ongoing oppression of Egyptian Copts, who are treated as second-class citizens, how Egyptian Copts are pressured into accepting “Islam by force,” and how Egyptian Coptic girls are kidnapped and raped. Coptic leaders called upon Americans to contact President Obama and to contact their Congressional representatives and demand support for the human rights and freedom of religion of Christians Copts oppressed in Egypt.
Due to construction in front of the White House, the Coptic protesters gathered nearby at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue marching in the nearby area and standing on street corners to protest the continuing oppression of the Copts, which has mostly been ignored by the American news media.
Protesters included people of all ages chanting and marching together for the human rights for the Copts, including a number of girls, boys, and small children who bravely held signs and stood responsible for Copts inalienable human rights.
Protesters chanted for freedom, equality, and justice for the Christians in Egypt, stating that “Christian blood is not cheap,” demanding an end to kidnapping and raping of Christian girls, and calling for equality for Christians in Egypt as citizens.
The Coptic protesters passed out the following flier:
“An Urgent Message to President Obama:
“Under President Mubarak The Copts, The First Egyptians, Are Treated As Last and Least”
“20 Attacks on Copts took place since Mr. Obama’s June 4th speech in Cairo”
“Mr. Mubarak is on a visit to the USA. At the top of his agenda is promoting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We wholeheartedly support his noble mission. However, we wish to remind him that charity starts at home: The Coptic minority in his country badly needs equality, justice, and peace.”
“The Copts are the indigenous inhabitants of Egypt. Their roots entrench as far back as the country’s recorded history. Their number, according to church sources, is approximately 12 millions; about 15% of Egypt’s population. However, discrimination against them is systemic and systematic.”
– “They are deliberately excluded and marginalized. There is one Copt among the 444 elected paramilitary representatives. They are kept below a 2% cap in posts of all State organisms (judiciary, military, police, local governance, diplomatic missions, universities, etc.). Many posts are off-limits altogether.”
– “Freedom of belief is strictly a one-way street, favoring Islam. A presidential decree is required to build any church and more than 100 applications to build new churches await President Mubarak’s decision. Coptic children are indoctrinated in Islam in the Arabic language curricula, obligatory in all schools. State-owned media promote Islam and often disparage Christianity and Judaism as ‘falsified’ religions. Young Coptic girls legally under-age, are lured to leave their families, convert to Islam and marry Muslim men. Muslims, who dare embrace Christianity, are denied recognition by the State (for ‘apostasy from the final and most complete belief’) and treated cruelly by the authorities.”
– “Under Mr. Mubarak’s watch, there have been over 200 documented major attacks on the Copts that resulted in loss of lives, injuries, and destruction of churches and property. Complacent authorities often blame the victims and blackmail them to drop their complaints. Attacks have increased in frequency and severity, as perpetrators enjoy impunity and are never punished: in fact, since President Obama’s June 4th groundbreaking speech in Cairo, at least twenty major attacks took place – including burning one church and the closure of four prayer houses.”
“The list of greivances is long. The bottom line is that one fifth of the Copts have fled Egypt to seek a normal life elsewhere. The remainder must be content with a second-class status. Islam being the the official state religion, and Shari’a (Islamic law) the primary source of legislation, no wonder that citizenship is viewed through a narrow Islamic prism.”
“The Annual Report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom of May 2009, states: ‘Serious problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities (…) remain widespread in Egypt. The government has not taken sufficient steps to halt the repression of and discrimination against religious believers, including indigenous Coptic Orthodox Christians, or, in many cases, to punish those responsible for violence or other severe violations of religious freedom.’ The Commission also recommends that ‘the U.S. government urge the Egyptian government to remove de facto responsibility for religious affairs from the state security services (…)’.”
“The Copts are not seeking special privileges or compensations for centuries of discrimination and persecution. They only demand internationally established human rights guarantees to live in their homeland as full-fledged citizens.”
“President Mubarak has, personally, a legal, political, and historical responsibility to act upon these flagrant wrongs.”
“We urge President Obama to raise this important issue with Mr. Mubarak.”
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