[ELSHIEKH]

American Coptic Association
Canadian Coptic Association




Press Release

February 2004

Open Letter to Our Fellow Americans, and Canadians
Time To Speak Up


Egypt, the country although receives annually over two Billion Dollars from United States taxpayers (the second largest Foreign Aid package in the world), and a good Canadian Foreign Aid package, the Egyptian authority or regime instead of arresting and punishing the Muslims extremists who attack the Churches and terrorize the Christian worshipers Country wide, orders the Churches to be closed indefinitely, and demolish Patmos Monastery Fence.

The Department of State 2002, 2003 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, submitted to the United States Congress by Secretary Colin L. Powell, stated the following regarding Egypt:

"The Government continued to prosecute personas. The approval process for church construction continued to be time-consuming and insufficiently responsive to the wishes of the Christian community. Christian representatives maintained that security forces have blocked them from utilizing permits that have been issued, and that local security officials at times blocked or delayed permits for repairs to church buildings. Government discrimination against non-Muslims exists in the public sector."

The State Department classified Egypt as a country that "neglects the problem of discrimination against, or persecution of, minority or non-approved religions."

The State Department placed Egypt among very few countries whose "governments have laws or policies to discourage religious discrimination and persecution but fail to act with sufficient consistency and vigor against violations of religious freedom by non-governmental entities or local law enforcement officials."

Furthermore, on September 30, 2002, Egypt was the first country to be named on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom created a "Watch List" which names countries where it found "grave violations of religious freedom have occurred."

In Egypt, President Mubarak delegated issuing Church permits to conduct Church services to the country's 26 governors (while virtually no permission at all is needed to build a mosque, Churches must go through a non-ending trail of bureaucratic paper trail which frequently ends in disappointment). As if that was not enough insult to Egypt's Christians, once the governors issue the permits, Muslim Fanatics order the Churches to be closed, or face bloody and brutal attacks on the worshipers. When priests complain to Egypt's Security agency (State Security Investigations Sector, SSIS), they are ordered to keep the Churches closed indefinitely.

In other words, instead of protecting the Churches and their members, the Egyptian government has decided to provide support to the Muslim fundamentalists who are aggressively pursuing the elimination of Christianity from all Egypt.

We Should Not Forget Recent And Past Incidents, The following are only few examples that will document this tragic trend. First two cases in 2002 Both took place in Alexandria, Egypt (the country's second largest city):

1) After obtaining the governor's permit on July 10, 2002, the Priest of an 800 families Church in Karmouz District, was ordered on Sunday, August 18, 2002, by a mob of 50 Muslim fanatics to close the Church. The mob warned the priest that if he dares to conduct the Sunday Mass, he should expect bloody attacks on the Church members. The Church hierarchy in Alexandria tried to get help from SSIS, but as expected, without any success.

2) Only few days after obtaining the governor's permit in December 2000, the 500 members Church located in the Kharwaga village, Rashid District, a mob of Muslim extremists attacked the Church, by falsely claiming that the Church members have kidnapped few Muslims and were holding them hostages inside the Church. The Muslim attackers destroyed the Church and brutally injured the innocent Coptic worshipers, eight of whom were rushed to the hospital in critical conditions.

In both cases, the SSIS ordered the Church to be closed indefinitely, leaving the Christians no place to worship at, while Muslim fanatics are left free to carry out more attacks on the Christians under the protection of the country's security agency.

Additionally, in Upper Egypt the newly renovated church of St. Mary's in Bani-Walmis, El-Minia, was attacked by a Muslim mob on Sunday February 10, 2002, as church leaders led a service celebrating the completion of renovations. The mob surrounded the church shouting and jeering at the Christians and throwing stones, Molotov cocktails bottles, balls, propane canisters, and tear gases. At least four people were injured in the riot, which lasted over three hours before police finally restored order. Parts of the church were badly burnt, windows were broken, and several nearby Christian homes and cars were burnt in the violence. Local Muslims attacked the church because it rang bells before the service, a very obvious reminder of Egypt's large Christian population, and something that angers many conservative Muslims in the country. Please note that Mosques use huge loudspeakers to call Muslims to pray five times a day, the first call is at dawn, Christians have never complained of such act! Local Christians in the village have been living in fear of further violence and many are too afraid to even venture out to tend the fields on which their livelihoods depends on.

It is crucial to note that Egypt's security forces (SSIS) reports directly to Mr. Mubarak's Presidential Palace. A recent State Department Human Rights report stated that "The security forces committed numerous, serious human rights violations and sever abuses." No cabinet member, not even Egypt's Prime Minister, or governor can dare to interfere between Mr. Mubarak and the SSIS”. The Muslim attackers are operating with the full knowledge and blessings of the President.



Several attacks on Coptic religious, worship buildings and Monasteries last year 2003 to-date just to mention:---

- St. John Monastery Patmos Muslim attackers tried to demolish fence January 04, 05, 2004, and for nine times in the last two years,

- St. Antoinious & St. Georges at Mankateen near Smalot The Church was closed for no apparent reason since 1978

- St. Antoine The Great Monastery the first pioneer of Christian monasticism in the whole world was attacked August 19, 2003

- St. Georges Church and Monastery in Assiout attacked September 19, 2003

Another premeditated criminally punishable by LAW the kidnapping of minor christen girls and force them into Islam or use them as “white sex slaves” to satisfy their wild urges (we recorded 121 cases) just to mention:---


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