Press Release

ACU and peace loving people, Human Right Activists, and freedom of religion supporters are shocked and disturb with the White House invitation to Mubarak and his son for the direct peace talks between Israel and Palestinians. It is obvious and clear that Mubarak has no interest in achieving a successful peace between the parties.

This invitation is a wrong message to all of us on the light of the presence of his son who is planning to inherits his father position as if it were a real estate issue. This invitation to both of them is a slap on the face for those who believe in your position on promoting democracy in Egypt. His participation with his son is truly the opposite rather that their presence is a real obstacles for the intended peace.

Mubarak, his son and others officials in the regime are partners in the Anti-Christians movement in the Middle East and in the USA. Their crimes against Humanity has been reported to the UN Human Rights in a complain submitted by ACU, on Aug, 18, 2010.

Hosting Gamal Mubarak in the White House is a clear message that United States of America is a clear support for his plan to steal the election which is already will be cheated for his favor. Other candidates, Dr. ElBaradie, and Dr. Ayman Nour should not be punished because they believe in democratic free election.

More, hosting Mubarak and his son is a clear negative message, at this particular time, that US is supporting the Anti-Christians of which Mubarak and his son are active member in that movement, in addition to their violating freedom of religion against Egyptian Coptic Christians, who are facing genocide and terror of that vicious regime.

Furthermore, they are violating and abusing the human rights of almost all Egyptians including Muslims. The list of crimes they have committed are:

• Ethnic cleansing against hundreds of thousands, displacing and forcing families to leave their homes, and lands. And Confiscations of private properties.

• Massacring of Egyptian Copts, terror attacks, and raids on Coptic Christian villages.

• Thousands killed in orchestrated attacks all over Egypt.

• Kidnapping, raping, more than 500,000 women, and underage girls, forcing them to convert, and marry of those who commit the crime against them.

• For millions of Coptic Christians to convert to Islam, by force, and distorting their civil records.

• Killing worshipers inside the Churches. Burning and destroying hundreds of worship places, and historical monasteries.

• Protecting terror secret organization to kill those Coptic Christians who convert back to Christianity.

• Destruction of Egyptian Coptic historical sites, such as Luxor, Akhmim, Al Giza area of the Pyramids, and religious sites.

• Severe economic strangulation. President Mubarak issued a presidential decree to kill and exterminate all Pigs owned by Egyptian Christian Copts and confiscate their Farms. As a result about 3 million lost their income, and become unemployed.
• Ten of thousands of Egyptian Copts victims illegally imprisoned with false and fabricated, or no allegation at all, and without any trial, or Court hearing.

Mr. President ACU is requesting you the following:

1. A White House statement expressing that USA doesn’t support hereditary rule in Egypt. If is it too late for the President Barack Obama cancel appearance with Gamal Mubarak, at least respecting the principal of “ Equality of Equal” by inviting Dr. El Baradie, and Dr. Aymen Nour to the White House.
2. We are sure the President Barack Obama is a real Christian man, even though, the distortion of the Media that suggest otherwise. Therefore we call you to support Coptic Christian legitimate and justifiable case before the US Human Rights Commission, OHCHR.

The American Coptic Union (ACU) Submits a Complaint to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

On August 17, 2010, the ACU issued a complaint on behalf of the oppressed Coptic Christians of Egypt to the OHCHR. This complaint was filed against President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt; Interior Minister Muhammed Habib AlAdley; Chairman of Committee of Policies of the NDP (ruling party) Gamal Mubarak; Speaker of Parliament Fat’hey Suror; and Speaker of Shura Council Safwat ElSherif. They are accused for their criminal policies and practice of crimes against humanity and genocide against Coptic Christians in Egypt. The crimes include:

• Ethnic cleansing against hundreds of thousands, displacing and forcing families to leave their homes, and lands. And Confiscations of private properties.

• Massacring of Egyptian Copts, terror attacks, and raids on Coptic Christian villages.

• Thousands killed in orchestrated attacks all over Egypt.

• Kidnapping, raping, more than 500,000 women, and underage girls, forcing them to convert, and marry of those who commit the crime against them.

• For millions of Coptic Christians to convert to Islam, by force, and distorting their civil records.

• Killing worshipers inside the Churches. Burning and destroying hundreds of worship places, and historical monasteries.

• Protecting terror secret organization to kill those Coptic Christians who convert back to Christianity.

• Destruction of Egyptian Coptic historical sites, such as Luxor, Akhmim, Al Giza area of the Pyramids, and religious sites.

* Severe economic strangulation. President Mubarak issued a presidential decree to kill and exterminate all Pigs owned by Egyptian Christian Copts and confiscate their Farms. As a result about 3 million lost their income, and become unemployed.

* Ten of thousands of Egyptian Copts victims illegally imprisoned with false and fabricated, or no allegation at all, and without any trial, or Court hearing.

The ACU and Coptic community are committed to bringing these criminals to justice. No more can the crimes of a cruel government against its people continue with impunity.

On behalf of American Coptic Union, and US Coptic Community, we call upon, President Barack Obama, US Congress, and Government, all leaders of New York City, and State, Democrats, and Republicans to show their vigor support to “Freedom of Religion “for Coptic Christian, in the US and Egypt as they support the freedom of religion for American Muslims to build Ground Zero’s Mosque.

Anti-Christian Movement is the Driving Force behind Islamization

The Ground

Zero Mosque Propaganda Portrays M

uslims as Persecuted Group

Islamization in America is a serious and dangerous matter, more so than the financial crisis America is facing right now. This is not to confuse Islamization with regular Muslims. Islamists spread along with anti-Christian ideology of hatred, racism, sexism, and encourage Sharia (Islamic) law in society. Muslims are just regular followers of the religion of Islam. There is no doubt that Muslims in America, like Christians and Jews, have the constitutional right to build a place of worship.

They still have the same right to build a Mosque in Ground Zero as long as

New York City’s Mayor and authority approve the project despite sensitivity and hurting Americans’ feeling. The question puzzling us as American Christians is why New York City Council, and Mayor were quick to approve immediately to build Cordoba mosque in Ground Zero location, while they suspiciously showed procrastination to permit re-building the Greek Orthodox Church that destroyed in 9/11 attacks and was already stand at that location, also they did not seriously investigate a fire in a Catholic church in the Bronx which served the people of this Community?

However, that Mosque was not built for the sole purpose of worship. No, it was built by Islamists to pursue an anti-Christian agenda in the United States. Even the name of the Mosque, Cordoba, is symbolic of historical anti-Christian sentiment. The name Cordoba indicates an anti-Christian alliance was formed in the Spanish province of Andalucía and was a main cause for the Crusades. This Andalucía alliance also burned numerous churches in Egypt and Palestine, including the Resurrection Church in Jerusalem, shortly after the Fatimid took control of Egypt.

Why there is such a fervent propaganda campaign against the Cordoba Mosque while the number of Mosques and Islamic centers has quadrupled since 9/11, while Muslim population did not increased at the same rate? And why Islamists picked that particular location?

Some numbers are helpful in answering this important question. The number of Mosques and Islamic centers in 2001 were about 1500. Now, there are more than 6000. While Catholic churches, schools, and hospitals are going bankrupt and closing down, Islamic places of worship increased tremendously in the last decade.

There are reasons why Islamists want to build the Cordoba Mosque in New York City. First, Islamists already acquitted before American’s public opinion from the 9/11 attacks. Second, since New York City is home to quite a number of Jews, the Cordoba Mosque is a gesture of peace from the Islamists. This is a reminder to them of their past cooperation in Andalucía during the Arab occupation of Spain.

This reckless resolution taken by the authorities of New York City, that we all love, and our hearts go out to those who lost loved on the attack. The resolution is a reward and sanitization for the Islamists that committed this heinous crime against 3000 Americans -- mostly Christians. It also represents a victory for Osama bin Laden, the most wanted terrorist in the world; he is still out of the hands of American justice. Also, the permit at this particular place would save and clean the image of Islamists and Jihadists.

As American Christians, we welcome peace between Muslims and Jews. However, our main concern is a religious-based alliance and ideology. The current situation of Middle Eastern Christians made us alert the American people of this legitimate concern.

Allowing political Islamization and anti-Christian policy to spread in the United States would result in religious and cultural wars that would destroy the Western world and culture.

We have no intention of hurting the feelings of Muslims. Our main concern is politicizing Islam in a way that divides American society by creating religious alliances. Studying the Islamization of the Middle East over the last 30 years is a must and a national security issue for the United States. Christian communities in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia face their worst period in history because of political Islamization and anti-Christian agendas. There is an anti-Christian crusade on Christians and Western culture.

The anti-Christian movement is gaining more influence every day, helping Islamists at the expense of Christianity. In Europe, numerous incidents show Muslims being “persecuted” by depriving them from building Minarets in Switzerland and wearing the Burqa (veil) in France. At the same time, Mosques are being built and Islamic centers are expanding services to convert Christians. Legislation and court orders are issues to limit Christian culture and practices in Christian countries in order to avoid hurting the feelings of Islamists.

In England, for instance, the Bishop of Canterbury, the origin of British and American Christianity, supports Sharia law for Muslims instead of British common law. Despite hundreds of Mosques across England, the Bishop allows Muslims to use churches for prayer. In Italy, the crucifix is now banned in Italian schools to destroy Catholic Christianity.

In America, anti-Christian sentiment is booming. The Catholic Church is facing an existential threat. The Coptic Orthodox church is under severe pressure from the Mubarak regime’s intelligence agency, a main partner in the anti-Christian alliance. Other Christian denominations are infiltrated by anti-Christians as well.

Even some churches are helping the anti-Christian movement by generating sympathy for Islamists. They depict Muslims as being deprived from freedom of religion and persecuted. This is designed to fool the American people into sympathizing with Islamists. For instance, a church in Gainesville, Florida decided to burn the Quran, the book of Islam. This is not Christian practice to burn any book. Churches during the pagan and heretic periods of history did not even do this. The Gainesville church also gave the al-Azhar institute a chance to condemn Christians and show that Muslims are persecuted. The church in Gainesville must cancel its plan immediately.

Anti-Christian policy is evident even in domestic issues such as immigration. The anti-Christian movement in America is targeting Catholic immigrants from Central and South America trying to escape the capitalist-imposed poverty in their respective countries. According to the 2004 Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill, approximately 700,000 illegal immigrants enter the United States annually. On the other hand, thousands of international flights land every day with people from the Middle East and Asia staying illegally in the US after their Visas expire.

Anti-Christians have had tremendous success in helping Islamization destroy Christianity in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Although it is widely known and documented that Saudi Arabia and Egypt perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, US foreign policy considers these countries to be “strong allies” and “close friends.” They allow them to expand Islam but hurt Christianity under the banner of “peace in the Middle East.” No one seems to hold 9/11 against these countries. Instead, they are rewarded without impunity. September 11 conspiracy is not over yet.

Letter to UNESCO

May 27, 2010

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France

UNESCO General Director

Mrs. POKOVA, Irina

Mubarak’s Regime Continues to Raid and Loot the Tombs of the ancient Egyptians, the ancestors of the Copts.

Dear Madam,

The recent events directed at the Coptic Christians of Egypt are not only despicable, but contribute to the cultural genocide of Egypt and its sons. The Copts face genocide, ethnic cleansing, rape, and kidnapping on a daily basis. Hundreds of Coptic businesses and churches are also destroyed every year, further condemning the Copts to dictatorship and leaving them defenseless against oppression. Since the Copts cannot defend their rights, the government under President Hosni Mubarak continues to raid and loot the tombs of the ancient Egyptians, the ancestors of the Copts.

Recent months featured the unearthing of dozens of tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, including 57 burial places discovered in Al-Fayoum. But what is to say that these archaeologists are not hired by the Mubarak regime rather than an independent organization? Reports from the New York Sun and Huffington Post indicate that several ancient Egyptian artifacts and art were stolen from tombs. The Mubarak regime continues to excavate in upper Egypt and refuses to explain the sudden disappearance of these ancient artifacts. Yet, the international community continues to ignore these cultural crimes because they have regional and political interests with Egypt.

The following link goes into much more detail regarding the catastrophic of secret excavations of the Pyramids of Giza: www. gizamap.com/

The Mubarak regime also employs the policy of eminent domain, or the taking of private property, for its own use. The government seizes Coptic graveyards in one of the oldest cemeteries in Akhmim, and Luxor in Upper Egypt, They remove tombs and caskets without regard for the Copts’ rights to property. The graveyards are then sold to foreign investors and corporations.

The American Coptic Union (ACU) asks UNESCO to do the following:

1. Condemn the actions of the Mubarak regime regarding ancient artifacts and property owned by the Copts.
2. Demand the return of the stolen artifacts and property back to the Coptic people.
3. Implement policies and regulations designed to prevent further looting and corruption by the government in the ancient tombs.

Thanks and God bless.

Sincerely,

Rafique Iscandar

American Coptic Union –President

Email: americancu@hotmail.com

CC: Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, UN (Fax)

Reply to Ms. Kosa, United States Department of State

Lauren S. Kosa
Egypt Desk Officer
Office of Egypt and Levant Affairs
U.S. Department of State

Dear Madam;

Thank you for your reply to our remarks and concern regarding Ms. Chapman’s statement to the Egyptian Al Masry Alyoum newspaper.

First, we apologize for our error in Ms. Nicole’s name and title. We have corrected our records.

Secondly, despite the welcome comment that US is not against ElBaradei, it unfortunately continues, by omission, to imply US support for Mubarak. Further, we wish to point out that a vague support for “reform” is seriously inadequate in addressing the outrages and human rights violations that continue under his regime against an innocent population who’s only “offense” is their Christian faith.

Silence is complicity. Mubarak understands that what you do not oppose, you accept; what you do not criticize, you approve. You owe the Egyptian people, more than your tacit approval.

Thirdly, your most recent reply ignored the crisis of Egyptian Copts. Ms. Chapman minimized the officially sanctioned attacks on them as “intimidating.” That would be an appropriate word for a threat. But the crimes against innocent people are reality. There is a physical, religious and cultural genocide underway.

In 1938, at the Evian Conference, the US walked away from the impending holocaust with the same complicit attitudes that now abandon Egyptian Copts. Recently, the US condemned atrocities 95 years ago in another middle-eastern country that are all too similar to those now underway in Egypt.

We strongly suggest that a position more worthy of the United States of America would be proactive public and private objection specific to the crimes and unequivocal in its aversion to the perpetrators. That alone will avoid the need for another too-late apology decades after the complicity.

We respectfully urge the USA to openly acknowledge the plain fact of the Mubarak regime’s anti-Christian policy and actions. We ask that your office issue a public statement condemning the genocide of Egyptian Copts. Finally, we ask that a corrective statement be made that clarifies that the US neither opposes El Baradei’s presidential candidacy nor does it support the candidacy of Mubarak.

Thank you,,
American Coptic Union

Rafique Iscandar, president

ElBaradei’s Policy Is Right To Engage Muslim Brotherhood

In recent months, many newspapers and members of the US media showed no sympathy for the people of Egypt, who desperately seek freedom and dignity. Some of these newspapers insulted and falsely accused Dr. Ayman Nour, former Egyptian presidential candidate, of being anti-Semitic. A recent report by Foreign Policy Magazine expressed support for the Mubarak regime despite the regime’s crimes against humanity and anti-Christian sentiment. They also criticize ElBaradei for his campaign of freedom and dignity for all Egyptians.

Foreign Policy’s statement of ElBaradei joining main stream Islamists is not true. He reached out to opposition groups, activists, and the Coptic community in Egypt and abroad. He is a supporter of Coptic human rights in Egypt and calls for an end to the genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Copts.

ElBaradei’s primary goal is to change the Egyptian Constitution that favors Mubarak and his son’s desire to continue that dictatorship.

It is strange and hypocritical for a respected foreign policy publication to recognize, but without critical comment, a despotic constitution such as Mubarak’s that denies basic human rights according to international law.

The magazine disparages ElBaradei, claiming he lacks a constituency. Such statements by their editors merely parrot the official line of the regime, designed to lower his appeal to the people of Egypt and make the American people reluctant to support him. The lack of a past incumbency and the lack of a constituency are not the same thing at all. Despite blatant repression, a great many Egyptians are widely known to support the democratic policies that ElBaradei proposes.

Although the American Coptic Union (ACU) disagrees with the Muslim Brotherhood on many issues, comparing them to the Mubarak regime is unfair. The ACU supports ElBaradei’s policy of inclusion. He knows they cannot be ignored. They are a political force in Egypt. The US government has held negotiations with the Brotherhood and supports their 20% role in the People’s Council (Parliament). ElBaradei wants the Brotherhood to work within the public spectrum, not as an underground movement. Some of the effective governments in the world are based on a live and functioning coalition such as ElBaradei proposes. In fact, it might be said that many of the political stagnation in the USA today is the lack of functioning bipartisanship that has effectively suffocated balanced governance.

It cannot be denied or ignored that the Mubarak regime, not the Muslim Brotherhood, is responsible for deliberate crimes in Egypt against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide, kidnapping and raping of the Copts. The Mubarak regime is, on the face of it, far more dangerous to Egyptians of all religious and political persuasions than the Brotherhood.

While US Department of State Egyptian Desk Director Nicole Chapman acknowledged anti-Christian sentiment in Egypt, the Foreign Policy overlooks it. While US media criticize Iran for its harsh treatment, and poor record in Human Rights, FP Magazine, and others are continue to praise and support the Mubarak regime, despite their obvious but undeclared agenda, which is in most cases against US interest in the Middle East. Some media outlets cry for women’s rights in Afghanistan. While that is wholly justified and laudable, it is careless and irresponsible to ignore the crimes against 500,000 Coptic women who have been kidnapped, raped and forced to convert and marry with Muslim perpetrators.

We call on the American people, the America Media and the American Government, through the US State Department, to support ElBaradei’s freedom movement in Egypt. We ask that all media, print and electronic, demand just for all Egyptians. American Coptic Union speaks again, responsibly and forthrightly, demanding justice for all Egyptians, as well as for Egyptian Copts.

American Coptic Union Calls for Equal US Respect for Egyptian Presidential Candidates

The American Coptic Union (ACU) protests the recent statement by US Department of State Egyptian Desk Director Nicole Chapman regarding the current Egyptian political spectrum. Chapman said, “[her] country would not support Mohamed ElBaradei if he decided to run in Egyptian presidential elections slated for next year.”

This apparent washing of the hands in the name of dubious impartiality is actually an endorsement of a regime that maintains its power through intimidation, violence, and genocide. A claim of “non-interference”, when the issue is justice and human rights, should be exposed as the endorsement of repression that it really is.

Chapman also told US reporters that the US was not concerned with “specific personalities.” However, she singles out ElBaradei, but does not say the same about Mubarak.

At the same time Chapman stated that the US would not support ElBaradei, she failed to say that the US would not support Mubarak in the presidential election. This clearly demonstrates US hypocrisy and favoritism regarding Mubarak and the Coptic genocide in Egypt.

Coptic Christians, as well as Muslims, see ElBaradei as the only hope to end Mubarak’s “reign of terror” for crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide against the Copts.

The Egyptian people see the United States of America as the last great hope of the world, the symbol of freedom, liberty, and democracy. However, with the current statement, the US has narrowed its interests to fit the interests of Mubarak’s despotic regime and his family, while the needs of the Egyptian people are ignored.

We would like to offer Ms. Chapman a small thanks for acknowledging anti-Christian sentiment in Egypt. However, she then went on to say, “What happens to the Copts is intimidating.”

That is very soft language for an outrageous and violent repression of human rights. The Mubarak regime kidnapped and raped Coptic girls, raided villages, killed innocent Copts, and burned Coptic homes, businesses, and churches. Her mild criticism is not even a slap on the wrist and that actually facilitates Mubarak’s campaign of terror and genocide.

Coptic Christians wish to hear the US Department of State speak on behalf of releasing the Coptic blogger, Hany Nazeir, who has been imprisoned for more than three years and is being tortured in attempts to convert him to Islam. Mr. Nazeir’s ominous fate has never been mentioned in any official US statements. How is such repression in Egypt any different from the often protested repressions of similar individuals in China, Russia, Myanmar and other dictatorships?

The ACU is looking for Ms. Chapman and the US Department of State to correct her recent statements and to fairly readdress the election issues by affirming that the US will treat all presidential candidates equally. Furthermore, the ACU and the Coptic Community in the US, Egypt, and abroad hope that the US Department of State will demand an immediate end to genocide against the Copts and end its own policy of silence that tacitly approves continued human rights violations in Egypt.

Source(s): Al-Masry A l-Youm

Urgent Letter to White House, Department of State, and Congress

The American Coptic Union (ACU) and the Coptic community in the United States of America demand the expulsion of Sameh Fahmy, Egypt’s ambassador to the United States.

Mr. Fahmy’s recent incendiary comments and involvement in controversial activities would result in retaliation by Islamists and terrorists against the defenseless Coptic Christians of Egypt. More massacres, rape, and kidnappings will surely follow.

On Saturday, March 13, 2010, he informed an Arabic newspaper, Alquds, of his discussion of some Egyptian dissidents without any pretexts. This will inflame and intensify the genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity against the Copts.

The Ambassador expressed undesired and unrequested issues regarding the Copts, such as “autonomy separation” and the hiring of Blackwater Security forces for protection. Blackwater, notorious for its war crimes in Iraq, is hated in the Middle East. If they “protect” the Copts, terrorists will surely target more Coptic people and villages. The Copts cannot even pray in their own homes, let alone ask for security. Mr. Fahmy wants to portray the Copts as traitors and separatists.

The issues of autonomy and protection are excuses for the Mubarak regime to continue committing crimes against Copts. They will incite Islamists and terrorists to kill more Copts, raid more villages, and kidnap and rape more women. The regime’s survival is based on Coptic genocide to distract the general public from government actions, or lack thereof.

The regime is also using the Coptic situation to take attention away from independent presidential candidate Dr. Mohamed El Baradei. He is set to challenge widely unpopular incumbent President Mubarak, or his son, Gamal Mubarak.

The regime is painting Dr. Baradei as a Coptic sympathizer in order to stump his popularity. Last week, Islamists and Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) sabotaged a rally in Al Fayum City, accusing Dr. Baradei of supporting Copts instead of his own country.

The United States’ interests in the Middle East are already in jeopardy. Continuing to deal with Mr. Fahmy, and Mubarak regime will result in more instability in Egypt and would further jeopardize US interests.

Therefore, the American Coptic Union is seeking the following:

1. The immediate expulsion of Mr. Fahmy from United States.
2. Despite our repeated request for the US Congress to take serious actions against the regime for its violations of human rights, our calls are go unheard. Therefore, we request the US Congress to reconsider relations with the Mubarak regime and put US interests first. The US Coptic community is frustrated because of US foreign policies of “Anti-Christianity” and “Anti-Copts,” and seeks the reversal of treating Copts as if they were “Al-Qaeda”.
3. We still see President Obama as the most serious defender of human rights. Thus, we call upon him to interfere on our behalf and put an end to the violation of human rights by the Mubarak regime.

Egypt: "The Disappearance, Forced Conversions, and Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt"

The American Coptic Union (ACU), since 1997, has called for a UN investigation regarding crimes against humanity against Coptic women committed by the Mubarak regime and its terrorist militants. The ACU calls upon the UN Human Rights Council to adopt this report and send it to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute the perpetrators, including Egyptian Interior Ministers, SSI directors, officers, and the head of the regime.

A link to the full article can be found here: The Disappearance, Forced Conversions, and Forced Marriages of Coptic Christian Women in Egypt.

Preface:

"Reports of Muslim men abducting and forcibly marrying and converting Coptic Christian women and girls have filtered out of Egypt with increasing frequency over the past decade. The emergingpatterns of force, fraud and coercion correspond to definitions of human trafficking used by the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State., with the UN identifying it as a 'crime against humanity'.1  These violations of fundamental human rights appear to be encouraged by the prevalence of cultural norms in Egypt - often rooted in Islamic traditions – that legitimize violence against women and non-Muslims. They appear to be further abetted by the tacit complicity of the government as evidenced by its lack of willingness to thoroughly investigate allegations of rape, abduction and abuse or to reinstate policies designed to protect Egyptians from coerced conversion by educating potential converts of the full implications of conversion."

"Details of trafficking cases involving Copts often reach the West through desperately worried relatives of victims. When the Egyptian police fail to find and return (or often even search for) victims of abduction, forced marriage and conversion, some relatives summon the courage to release information and photos to Coptic human rights organizations in the diaspora."

"The violent abuse of Coptic women and girls in connection with forced marriage and conversion is not altogether new. The Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, protested against this phenomenon in 1976, declaring: 'There is pressure being practiced to convert Coptic girls to Islam and marry them under terror to Muslim husbands.'2   But the issue has now reached boiling point within Egypt's Coptic community."

"As the prestigious Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Weekly recently noted:

'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. Two other cases, those of Marian Bishai, Amira Morgan and Injy Basta, also hit the headlines.'3 "

"Despite the accumulation of substantial evidence and the expressions of concern by the most senior leader of the Coptic community, this aspect of human trafficking has scarcely been acknowledged by the world’s most powerful human rights institutions, including those dedicated to the issue of trafficking in persons. The Coptic Foundation for Human Rights and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) therefore commissioned an anti-trafficking specialist, Michele Clark, and a Coptic women's rights advocate, Nadia Ghaly, to undertake an investigation of allegations surrounding the abductions and forced marriages and conversions to Islam in Egypt. They performed outstanding pioneering work, interviewing victims, their relatives, lawyers, priests and other Coptic community leaders."

"This report documents dozens of specific cases and demonstrates consistent patterns used by the perpetrators, their victims, government and law enforcement, and members of Egypt's faith communities. The report concludes with a valuable set of practical and critical recommendations for the Coptic community, the Government of Egypt and the international community. The findings of Ms. Ghaly and Ms. Clark are deeply disturbing, and should challenge human rights activists and institutions, especially those whose mandate includes women’s rights and trafficking in persons, to undertake, as a matter of urgency, further research into this form of gender and religious based violence against Coptic women and girls in Egypt."

Source(s): Christian Solidarity International

Mubarak Regime Prohibits Opposition Leader from Traveling

On November 3, 2009, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt issued an executive order banning Dr. Ayman Nour from traveling. Nour, the opposition leader to the Mubarak regime running in the presidential election in 2011, was put on the regime’s watch list. Nour is scheduled to come to the United States on November 21, 2009 to meet with a coalition of Egyptian organizations to discuss the cruxes of his campaign: freedom of religion, human rights, an end to oppression, and anti-succession. While Gamal Mubarak and Fat’hi Suror, the speaker of Parliament, will visit the United States on November 8, 2009, Nour is banned because he shows opposition to the status quo.

The American Coptic Union asks the White House and President Barack Obama to strongly condemn and denounce this illegal executive action against the civil rights of Dr. Nour. We seek President Obama’s help and intervention in cancelling this order so Dr. Nour can visit the United States as planned.  We also request that the President not meet with Gamal Mubarak and Fat’hi Suror.

Economic Strangulation Against the Copts must stop Immediately

Economic barriers placed in front of the Copts are the main reason for forced conversion to Islam. It is very difficult for Copts to run businesses in Egypt for fear of pressure from the Mubarak regime. Those who do have businesses, however, face severe government pressure and lose their businesses because of their religion. Many Copts are forced to convert to Islam to save their businesses and support their families.

The recent decision by the Mubarak regime to kill all the pigs in Egypt to prevent the H1N1 flu has crippled many Coptic farmers who depend on the pigs for their farms. It has been proven that the pigs are not the cause of the H1N1 flu; the government decided to kill the pigs to economically decimate the Copts. Many Coptic families now are not able to support themselves and have resorted to prostitution and conversion to Islam.

This treatment is unacceptable and against international law. The Mubarak regime is discriminating against the Copts because they are Christian. This economic strangulation must be halted immediately. The United States must pressure Egypt to halt all economic strangulation and cut off all economic aid if this persists.

Exclusive Report and Pictures on the Coptic Protest in Washington, DC on August 18, 2009

Read the report from the Coptic Protest in Washington, DC. Click Here.* (Arabic only, English version coming soon).

More pictures from the protest. Click here to view.

*Adobe Reader required to view report. Download here.

All Kidnapped Coptic Women Must be Returned to their Families Immediately

Ever since Hosni Mubarak became President of Egypt in 1981, over 500,000 Coptic girls and women have been kidnapped, drugged, and raped by their Muslim captors. A large portion of those kidnapped women were stripped of their kidneys and other internal organs. Those organs were then used to treat Muslim patients.

Economic strangulation placed upon the Copts by the Mubarak Regime has forced many women to become prostitutes or convert to Islam to support their families. Many who refuse are kidnapped, raped, drugged, and murdered. The Mubarak Regime continues to downplay these claims as “false.”

Many of the churches attended by the kidnapped women are attacked and burned to the ground. The churches of those who speak out against the oppression of the Copts are also destroyed.

The American Coptic Union demands that all kidnapped Coptic women must be returned to their respective families immediately. We call upon the United States and the Obama Administration to also demand the release of the kidnapped women.

Photos from the Coptic Protest in Washington, DC on August 18, 2009

View Full Album

Source(s): Flickr user Bullneck

Copts, in a show of strength, reject Shenouda’s call to cancel Protest

Dr. Ashraf Ramllah, leader of the Coptic organization Voice of the Copts, has rejected Pope Shenouda’s call to cancel the protest against President Hosni Mubarak.

Led by the Coptic Coalition and other Coptic Organizations, the protest lands on the day President Mubarak is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama. The Copts are protesting the Mubarak Regime’s raping and kidnapping of women, economic strangulation placed upon the Copts, killing of pigs, burning of churches, raids on Coptic villages, and massacres of the Coptic population.

Shenouda, Mubarak’s “greatest ally,” has called on the Copts to cancel the protest and “welcome” Mubarak to the United States. Why should the Copts welcome a man who has oppressed them for 28 years?

Shenouda’s call to cancel the protest is entirely against the interests of the Copts. The Copts are protesting to defend their rights as the native people of Egypt. Shenouda, the “supposed” leader of the Copts, rejects the protest. This protest will help raise awareness about the situation of the Copts and will allow the Obama Administration to take action against the Mubarak Regime. Shenouda, by rejecting the protest, does have the interests of the Copts at heart.

Source(s): Assyrian International News Agency