Pressure Egypt to Protect the Copts and Prosecute Perpetrators of Violence
Your signature on this petition will ask your member of Congress to use his or her influencing power to pressure the Egyptian government to effectively protect the Copts in Egypt from violence and discrimination.
As your constituent, I write to you regarding a matter that has not only affected my family and me, but also millions of people around the world during this holiday season.
As you may have heard, on January 1, 2011, Coptic Orthodox Christian worshipers in Egypt were leaving a New Year?s Day mass just twenty minutes after midnight, when powerful explosives were detonated directly in front of the Two Saints Parish (Al-Qidiseen) in Alexandria, Egypt. The blast targeted Egyptian Christians, slaughtering over twenty-three people and injuring at least one hundred others, as reported by all major news agencies. Among the several videos taken of the attack is one from inside of the church taken by its CCTV cameras, showing the whole building quake. Fr. Maqar, the priest of the church, explained that the blast scattered blood reaching up to the third floor.
Unfortunately, this week's bombing was not the only attack Egyptian Christians have faced within the last year. On January 7, 2010, a drive-by shooting in Egyptian province Naga Hammadi killed six Copts after a Christmas Day mass. Since September 2010, every Friday for four months, thousands of protesters filled the streets of Alexandria with insults and accusations against the Coptic Church and its leader, Pope Shenouda III. There was no state security reaction to these protests, but on November 24, 2010, state security stormed Coptic Christians as they held vigil in a church in Giza, Cairo, firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, killing two Copts, injuring dozens of others and arresting 156 of them because of a building permit issue. It is a bitter fact that these are merely examples of the systemic discrimination and persecution non-Muslims face in Egypt today. You can read more about such violations of human rights from the International Religious Freedom Reports of 2009 and 2010, as published by the U.S. Department of State?s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
It is clear that Egypt is becoming an increasingly hostile environment for non-Muslims, especially Coptic Christians. If the Egyptian government is truly serious about protecting the Copts in Egypt and promoting national unity, it must immediately
? Implement and tighten safely measures around all churches in Egypt to hinder any future attack.
? Bring to justice the perpetrators and planners of the bombing in Al-Qidiseen Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria.
? Stop attacking and detaining Egyptian protesters who are expressing their anger and grief over the bombing in Alexandria.
? Release any protesters currently being detained.
? Sentence ALL the perpetrators of the Nag Hammadi killings.
? Prosecute Mohammed Selim el ?Awa, Dr. Mohamad Emera, Dr. Zaghlol El Nagar and all other ?intellectuals? and imams that have incited violence against the Copts on television, the radio, and during Friday prayers at mosques over the past four months.
As you may have also heard from the media, Coptic churches all over the world, including the United States, are on high alert due to online threats against them by Al Qaeda related groups. Therefore, it is of utmost urgency that you to put continuous pressure on the Egyptian government about the above points. As an American who enjoys freedom of speech and religion, I believe these freedoms are the rights of all human beings.
I thank you deeply for your attention to this matter.
As you may have heard, on January 1, 2011, Coptic Orthodox Christian worshipers in Egypt were leaving a New Year?s Day mass just twenty minutes after midnight, when powerful explosives were detonated directly in front of the Two Saints Parish (Al-Qidiseen) in Alexandria, Egypt. The blast targeted Egyptian Christians, slaughtering over twenty-three people and injuring at least one hundred others, as reported by all major news agencies. Among the several videos taken of the attack is one from inside of the church taken by its CCTV cameras, showing the whole building quake. Fr. Maqar, the priest of the church, explained that the blast scattered blood reaching up to the third floor.
Unfortunately, this week's bombing was not the only attack Egyptian Christians have faced within the last year. On January 7, 2010, a drive-by shooting in Egyptian province Naga Hammadi killed six Copts after a Christmas Day mass. Since September 2010, every Friday for four months, thousands of protesters filled the streets of Alexandria with insults and accusations against the Coptic Church and its leader, Pope Shenouda III. There was no state security reaction to these protests, but on November 24, 2010, state security stormed Coptic Christians as they held vigil in a church in Giza, Cairo, firing tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition, killing two Copts, injuring dozens of others and arresting 156 of them because of a building permit issue. It is a bitter fact that these are merely examples of the systemic discrimination and persecution non-Muslims face in Egypt today. You can read more about such violations of human rights from the International Religious Freedom Reports of 2009 and 2010, as published by the U.S. Department of State?s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
It is clear that Egypt is becoming an increasingly hostile environment for non-Muslims, especially Coptic Christians. If the Egyptian government is truly serious about protecting the Copts in Egypt and promoting national unity, it must immediately
? Implement and tighten safely measures around all churches in Egypt to hinder any future attack.
? Bring to justice the perpetrators and planners of the bombing in Al-Qidiseen Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria.
? Stop attacking and detaining Egyptian protesters who are expressing their anger and grief over the bombing in Alexandria.
? Release any protesters currently being detained.
? Sentence ALL the perpetrators of the Nag Hammadi killings.
? Prosecute Mohammed Selim el ?Awa, Dr. Mohamad Emera, Dr. Zaghlol El Nagar and all other ?intellectuals? and imams that have incited violence against the Copts on television, the radio, and during Friday prayers at mosques over the past four months.
As you may have also heard from the media, Coptic churches all over the world, including the United States, are on high alert due to online threats against them by Al Qaeda related groups. Therefore, it is of utmost urgency that you to put continuous pressure on the Egyptian government about the above points. As an American who enjoys freedom of speech and religion, I believe these freedoms are the rights of all human beings.
I thank you deeply for your attention to this matter.
View Comments