[honeyweill]

Looking for Justice for the blood of our martyrs in Al-Kosheh

by: Michael Meunier



On the eve of the new millennium, close to two years ago, hundreds of Muslims attacked the village of Al-Kosheh, a predominantly Christian village in Upper Egypt. The attacks continued for 3 days with no intervention from the Egyptian police. The attackers slaughtered 21 Christians, including women and children and had ample time to burn and decapitate many of the bodies. Hundreds of Christians were injured and their homes destroyed and shops vandalized.



After overwhelming local and international pressure, the Egyptian government arrested 58 Muslim and 38 Copts and charged them with various charges, including murder, rioting and destruction of property.

On 2/5/2001, the criminal court of Sohag, Egypt acquitted 92 of the total 96 defendants. The court handed in lenient sentences to 4 criminals for crimes other than murder, a decision that flabbergasted the world and left us wondering whom then killed the 21 Christians in Egypt? The court’s decision underscores the great leverage and controls the Muslim fundamentalist have over the judiciary system in Egypt. It also highlighted the well-known fact that the Egyptian government has sacrificed the Christians of Egypt to appease the Muslim fanatics within its ranks.

After yet another protest from Christians in Egypt over the court verdict as well as protests from world leaders and lawmakers, the appeal court rejected the criminal court’s decision and had agreed to hear a retrial of the case.

On November 3, 2001 the appeal court will begin hearing the case all over again, all while the killers were set free by the first court decision.

For decades now, the Copts all over the world, especially those in Egypt, have been asking for justice. From Ottawa to Cairo, Washington to Sydney, and Melbourne to Assiut, millions of Copts have been demanding justice and equality in Egypt, a country which severely discriminates its Coptic Christians minority.

It is time now for all of the Copts to raise their voices and make the Egyptian government aware that we are watching and waiting for the new verdict. The blood of our martyrs is ing for justice and it is our duty to see to it.

Please take the time to write to call or write to your local Egyptian Embassy informing them of your interest in the case. Write a letter to President Mubarak demanding an end to the abuses that he has encouraged for over twenty years and has promoted through little or no action to protect the Copts or bring their attackers to justice. Finally, make sure you inform the world of these atrocities committed against our people. Write to your local politicians and human rights organizations. Try to visit your nearest Christian Church and talk to its members about the suffering of Christians in Egypt and the little or no action taken by the Egyptian government to stop its own discriminatory polices against the Christians of Egypt.

In the upcoming days, the Coptic Digest will lead the campaign on “Justice in Al-Kosheh”. Please make sure to participate.
http://www.copts.net/print.asp?id=210