Category Archives: Coptic persecution

Egyptian Coptic Youth Protect Cathedral During Pope’s Sermon

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(AINA) — Egyptian police and armed forces were heavily deployed around St, Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo yesterday as Coptic Pope Shenouda III delivered his weekly sermon to nearly 10,000 church members. The sermon was also attended by the media and Muslim journalists to show their opposition to the Salafis and the actions against the church. A large number of veiled Muslim women were also in attendance.

Hundreds of Coptic Christians also guarded the Cathedral. The Maspero Coptic Youth Federation announced they will guard the Cathedral until Friday because the Salafis warned they will stage this Friday another demonstration in front of it, to “free” the Christian converts to Islam whom the church detains.

Islamists websites had warned Copts not to attend today’s sermon and had called for retaliatory action against the Cathedral during the sermon in response to the church’s decision not to release Camellia Shehata, who Muslims believe has converted to Islam and is being held against her will.

The Pope’s sermon was titled “Forgive” and stressed the virtue of being good to the offenders. The Pope said every human being sins, even the saints, and “forgive the people so that you are forgiven.”

Thousands of Salafists staged a march to the cathedral last Friday to demand the appearance of Camellia Shehata and Wafaa Constantine, both wives of clergy, whom they claim converted to Islam. The church has denied they converted to Islam (AINA 4-30-2011). The prosecutor requested of the appearance of Camellia to investigate the claims that she was allegedly kidnapped and detained by the Church. She is expected to appear before them in the very near future.

“Camelia said she was 100% Christian, is proud of her religion, has not converted to Islam and never went to AlAzhar for conversion,” said Dr. Naguib Gobraeel, her attorney. “She confirmed that she had had a misunderstanding with her husband, Father Tedaos, and left their home and stayed a few days with some relations, until friends and relatives intervened and reconciled them.” Dr. Naguib Gobraeel said she now lives a quiet and happy life with her husband and her two and half year old son Anton in Cairo.

Gobraeel said he advised Camellia to appear in the media to refute the claims of her conversion to Islam and that she is being held by the church, but she refused. He added that Camellia told him that her biggest wish is to return to the simple life, like any normal Egyptian woman, away from the media and the dispute between Copts and Muslims regarding her.

By Mary Abdelmassih

© 2011, Assyrian International News Agency.  All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use.

More bad news from Egypt

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I am reproducing a thread from facebook here, from a Coptic site. I will try and update it as it comes in but for those interested, try and go over and subscribe to this fellows thread, as he seems to have some inside and it’s being updated rapidly.
Peter Tadros    3:57pm May 7
There is bad news filtering in from Egypt. Extremists have surrounded a church in the district of “Imbaba” near Cairo and this time there are reports of casualties.

Fady Nagy    4:11pm May 7
not only this they burned another church in the same district and now they are attacking houses now it is 1 am

Peter Tadros     7:15pm May 7
Egypt’s 12 Millions Copts need leave their houses and go out and defend their country..Otherwise they will be killed inside their houses. The Army needs to take us seriously.

Peter Tadros 9:35am May 8
To Eskarandarani Walahi. “good muslims” have done very little to stop attack on Christians in Egypt. It is true that not all Egyptian muslims agree with the actions of these extremists (and i have a few Muslims as friends who are totally against this)however the majority of Egyptian Muslims seems to support extremism and even Osama Bin Laden – this is true and this was proven last Friday in Cairo when they conducted prayers on Osama Bin Laden. He is a hero to many Egyptian Muslims. This is why Egyptian army and previously under Mubarak regime “Amn Dowla” and Police allow attacks on our people in Egypt because they it is their duty to treat “Kufar” or “Infidels” in such a manner. I just watched CTV channel and watched the footage of the burning church. Apparantly the terrified copts were forced into the church after being deceived only to be firebombed.

Muslims hold mass protests outside Coptic church. Demand Coptic women.

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(video of protests at bottom of post)

From AINA.ORG:

 

Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo, vowing not to leave until they know the whereabouts of Coptic women, especially Camilia Shehata (AINA 7-23-2010)) who allegedly converted to Islam but are held against their will by the Coptic Orthodox Church in monasteries and churches. The sit-in was called for by the newly-founded Coalition for the Support of New Muslims.

At the time of the Muslim demonstrations, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III was not present in his residence within the grounds of the Cathedral. The head of security at the Cathedral closed the gates and it was reported that Christians have been asked not to come to the Cathedral to avoid altercations with the protesting Muslims.

The Cathedral was cordoned off by the military police and security forces. Cairo saw today three separate protests staged by Salafis against Pope Shenouda and the church, marching afterwards to the Coptic Cathedral in Abbasiya. The first demonstration was in front of El-Fatah mosque in Ramsis Square, the second in front of Al-Nour mosque Abbasiya Square, and the third came out of the Sharia Association mosque in Ramsis.

The protesters demanded the resolution of the “ten demands”, which they called for last Sunday, during their protest in front of the el-Kayed Ibrahim mosque in Alexandria, mainly the “trial of Pope Shenouda”, ” the release of Camelia Shehata and Wafaa Constantine” and “inspection of monasteries and churches to look for Muslim women held by the church.”

The Muslims chanted “Islamic, Islamic, against your will, Islamic” in front of the Cathedral and “They abducted Wafaa Constantine, By Allah we will not be silent” and “With our souls and blood, we will defend Islam.” They held banners and photos of the alleged Muslim converts who were allegedly abducted by the church, as well as banners calling for an Islamic State (video of demonstration).

At the time of their afternoon prayers, thousands of Muslims prayed with the organizers, who asked the demonstrators to turn their backs to the Cathedral.

Islamic lawyer Mamdouh Ismail gave a speech in which he called for the realization of human rights and the rule of law, pointing out that this sit-in is not directed against the cathedral as a house of worship for Christians, whom he described as partners in the homeland. He also asked the Christians “to participate in the demonstrations demanding the appearance of Camelia.” In the same context, Khalid Al Harbi, director of the “Islamic Observatory against Proselytizing,” said “we will not go and we will not plead with anyone, but we will take our rights with our own hands.”

A difference of opinion emerged between the organizers of the protest about when to end the protest. Renowned Muslim Salafi leaders Dr. Yasser Borhamy, from Alexandria, sent a message to the protesters asking them to disperse, saying the reason behind the protest was to deliver a message and so that no sectarian strife should occur because of the Salafis, while others like Abu Yehia, who claims he was with Camelia when she converted to Islam, wanted to break into the Cathedral. Continue Reading →

Muslims surround Christian buildings in Cairo, Alexandria

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This video was sent to me from the Copts of Australia facebook page…

The caption reads:

Subject: Egypt’s revolution hijacked by Islamists – Coptic Churches surrounded in Cairo and Alexandria after” Friday prayers

This just in from the person who sent me the video:

“they are surrounding our cathedrals in Cairo and Alexandria intimidating us and insulting our spiritual leader HH Pope Shenouda. They are insisting that we return a woman called “camilia shehata” who they are insisting is a Muslim when in actual fact she is a Christian who never converted to islam. IN the meantime up to 12 Coptic women have disappeared in recent weeks.”

Collective Punishment of Egyptian Christians For Death of Two Muslims

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The article below was sent to me both by the author, and by Asaad Elepty, a Copt who I believe lives in Australia now although I could be wrong about that. Asaad is a dedicated bell ringer for the Christians in Egypt and sends me a lot of good information about truly horrifying events as well as some videos some Copts manage to take of slaughter and carnage perpetated upon them by the Egyptian authorities.

I trust that at some point, the decent people of the world will remember what ‘victim’ and ‘refugee’ really mean and help the Copts and other persecuted minorities in Islamic nations and purge the totalitarian elements out of our own nations, Islamic and otherwise.

Eeyore or Vlad

The below article By Mary Abdelmassih of the AINA news agency is particularly disturbing. The thought of any individual or group of individuals “throwing a grandmother off a 2nd floor balcony” in the name of their Allah raises seriously concern about the entirety of the Islamic faith and the manner it may be interrupted and lived out.
Bear in mind this attack took place during the most sacred time of the christian calender.
Can you Imagine the Islamic reaction if the roles were reversed and such an attack took place during Ramadan?
Such actions are not only barbaric, they are void of any degree of decency or respect for humanity especially an elderly Lady. As the video clearly shows the Islamic vandals, thieves and arsonists are permitted to conduct the attack with no security police or law enforcement. The fire engine is prevented access despite repeatedly blowing its horn.
This is the Islamic treatment of Non Muslims, where is the peace and tolerance of Islam?
Field Marshall Tantawi, where is the justice and protection, SHAME ON YOU AND EGYPT.

I am at a total loss as to what the Islamic radicals have to do before western secular governments totally denounce the Barbarism of Islam.

Lord Jesus have Mercy upon us.

Assad elepty

(AINA) — After the death of two Muslims on April 18 sectarian violence broke out in the southern Egyptian town of Abu Qurqas El Balad, in Minya Governorate, 260 KM south of Cairo. One Christian Copt was killed, an old woman was thrown out of her second floor balcony and ten Copts were hospitalized. Coptic homes, shops, businesses, fields and livestock were plundered and torche

Christians lived in terror, anticipating a blood bath on Friday, April 22 because Muslims as announced their intention to avenge the death of the two Muslims. Rumors spread throughout Abu Qurqas of many strangers and of trucks loaded with weapons coming into the village to carry out the threats during the Easter week. The terrorized Christian villagers sent pleas everywhere, asking for protection, even to Coptic groups in Europe and the U.S.

“Muslims threw my old mother out of the second floor balcony and torched my home,” said Adel Abdulllah to Hazem Refaat of Free Copts advocacy. His business and home were torched and his father and three brothers were arrested on suspicion of killing the two Muslims.

Copt Eid Roshdy, was stabbed during the violence and later died in hospital.

According to Bishop Makarious twenty Coptic families had their homes and businesses looted by Muslims then torched, and their livestock was stolen. “One shop was only 50 meters away from the police station,” he said. He also confirmed the story of the mother of Adel Abdullah who was thrown out of the second floor balcony.

Curfew was imposed in the village on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, from 7 PM until 6 AM to control the violence but various sources reported that looting and destruction of Coptic property continued after the curfew, even in the presence of the army and police.

According to the villagers a fight broke out on Monday, April 18 between the two Muslim families, Abdel-Kader and el-Gazzar which resulted in the death of two Muslims. Meanwhile an altercation took place in front of the villa of Coptic attorney Alaa Reda Roushdy between a minibus driver and passengers and the guards of the villa over a speed hump built in front of the residence, which the driver claimed was damaging busses. People congregated and the villa guards shot into the air to disperse the crowd. The Copts were accused of killing the two Muslims.

Bishop Makarious of Minya and Abu Qurqas said the first version of the story was the Muslims were killed during the fight between two Muslim families, then the story changed to accuse the Copts.

Ayad Shaban, a local villager told Al Karma TV the two Muslims were killed in the Eastern side of village where the majority of the Muslims live. “Then the story of the speed hump came and Muslims connected the two together and accused the Christians of the killing. There is no proof the Christians killed the Muslims.” He added that relationship between Muslims and Christians are usually good and believes whoever created this story came from outside the village and incited the Muslims.

In retaliation, Muslims attacked and looted two tourist coffee shops belonging to attorney Roushdy. One coffee shop was turned into a mosque called the “Martyrs” and the second one was destroyed.

Next day during the funeral of the Muslims hundreds of Muslims from neighboring villages joined and notes were distributed among them saying the Christians were the culprit. After burying the dead the Muslim mob shouted for revenge for their two “martyrs” and attacked Christian homes while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” (video shows Muslims looting Coptic property before torching it while chanting “Allahu Akbar.” Army soldiers are seen passing through the looters).

Father Rofail of the Saints Church in Abu Qorqas said “It was terrible, the people who were in the funeral left and started shooting in the air and throwing Molotov cocktails at homes and fields belonging to Copts; some homes were demolished. Anything belonging to Christians was destroyed.”

According to Coptic activist Nader Shoukry, fifteen Copts and eight Muslims have been detained for the murder of the two Muslims. No one has been detained for the attacks against the Copts. “None of the Muslims who looted and destroyed Coptic property was questioned,” said Bishop Makarious. He added it was a miracle that the Copts were not harmed when their homes were torched. “They had to jump over the roofs of the neighboring houses to escape the flames. In one instance a wall had to be broken between two houses to get the people out as they could not escape otherwise.” He criticized the police and the army for not bringing the situation under control. “We expected more from the police and army, but they were not impartial.”

The new Governor of Minya appeared on Egyptian Hayat TV and said the incidents in Abu Qurqas El Balad was not sectarian but a fight over a speed hump which escalated, and denied the loss of property.

Security forces prevented TV stations from filming inside the village and Muslims also attempted to prevent Christians from filming, but many video clips have been uploaded to youtube (video showing Coptic homes after looting).

Coptic attorney Dr. Ihab Ramzy called on Copts who have had their property damaged or lost to file a complaint with the police in order for him to represents them for compensation. He said they had to name the assailants in their report, but this may be not be possible because the victims were threatened by Muslims not to mention their names.

Attorney Roushdy was arrested by the military two days ago and accused of provoking riots which led to the death and injury of citizens. Today the military ordered him to be detained for 15 days pending investigations.

By Mary Abdelmassih

Harper promotes religious freedom

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I suppose we will all just have to wait and see if this policy is implemented. If it is then there would be no more Canadian tax dollars going to countries who persecute others because of faith. And if it is not implemented there may now be legal grounds to suspend some foreign aid due to this statement from Harper.

Still, I won’t hold my breath for either scenario.

Toronto Sun… MISSISSAUGA, ONT. – While he may not be going to church Easter Sunday because he’s “on the road,” Conservative Leader Stephen Harper kicked off the final leg of the election campaign promoting his party’s promise to create an Office of Religious Freedom.

Later, Harper is travelling to B.C. where the party hopes to quell the rising NDP surge there.

At Saturday’s event here, Harper told an ethnically diverse crowd of about 650 people at a Coptic Christian centre that a re-elected Conservative government would make defending religious freedoms a “priority” for Canadian foreign policy.

The new Office of Religious Freedom, which would be part of Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, would cost about $5 million a year.

“We do need to do more for this cause. We owe it to all who look to us as an example of freedom and refuge, and it is a cause worthy of us as Canadians,” Harper said. “This office will monitor these rights around the world, and will promote religious freedom as a key objective of Canadian foreign policy.”

In a statement, he added the new office, “will signal to religious minorities everywhere that they have a friend in Canada.” Continue Reading →

“A non-Muslim should not rule over Muslims”: Egypt protests against Christian governor continue

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From Jihad Watch. Please click over for the whole article.

I wrote here this morning that these protests are happening “because Islamic law forbids non-Muslims to hold authority over Muslims.” And now comes direct confirmation that this is exactly why Muslims are protesting in Qena.

Egypt to Confront Muslim Protests Against Christian Governor,” by Mariam Fam for Bloomberg, April 20:

Egypt traffic dispute turns into sectarian brawl

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I think if anyone was looking for a definition of ‘savages’, they could direct people to the following story:

Posted: Apr 19, 2011 5:06 PM Updated: Apr 19, 2011 5:06 PM Hometown Stations

CAIRO (AP) – Two Muslims were killed in southern Egypt after a dispute over a speed bump with a Christian family spiraled out of control and turned into destructive sectarian riot, reported the state news agency Tuesday.

Local residents of small village in the province of Minya were incensed by the presence of a large speed bump outside the villa of a prominent Coptic Christian lawyer and member of the former ruling party, which has since been dissolved.

The dispute with the house guards turned violent and they opened fire, killing two bystanders and incensing the local community.

A mob then ransacked a cafe owned by the lawyer and several homes of local Christians.

Christians make up 10 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million and for the most part live in peace with the Muslim majority, though they complain of discrimination. Sectarian strife occasionally breaks out, particularly in the southern, poorer parts of the country.

In recent weeks, however, following the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, many religious conservatives in the countryside have become more assertive and anti-government protests occasionally take on a sectarian tone.

In Qena province, south of Minya, five days of protests led by ultraconservative Salafi Muslims have been calling for the resignation of a newly appointed Christian governor.

Egypt Islamists defiant over Christian governor

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SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Protesters led by hardline Islamists in southern Egypt held their ground Monday, saying they won’t end their campaign of civil disobedience until the government removes a newly appointed Coptic Christian governor.

The protesters, many from the ultraconservative Salafi trend of Islam, have been sitting on train tracks, taken over government buildings and blocked main roads in the southern city of Qena, insisting the new governor won’t properly implement Islamic law.

Attempts by the newly appointed interior minister, who hails from the same area, to defuse the crisis were rebuffed and protesters insisted their sit-in, which began Friday, would continue.

Since the Feb. 11 ousting of President Hosni Mubarak in popular protests, Islamist groups have have been flexing their muscles and are vowing to take a more active political role as Egypt is still drawing its transition to democracy. Continue Reading →

Clinton warns creeping intolerance threatens to derail Arab democratic revolutions

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Clinton does not get that this is true democracy. It is the will of the majority that influences the actions of the state. This woman needs a dictionary. 

YAHOONEWS/CANADIANPRESS…BERLIN – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Friday that rising intolerance toward women and religious minorities threatens to derail democratic transitions around the Arab world and spread violent extremism.

Accepting an award named for a pre-Nazi era German Jewish businessman, politician and foreign minister who was murdered for his promotion of inclusion and tolerance, Clinton said she was disturbed by recent developments in post-revolt Egypt in which women and Coptic Christians were singled out for attacks and abuse. They are signs, she said, that extremists are intent on seizing transitions for their own aims.

The 1922 assassination of Walter Rathenau, was “a cautionary tale about how these transitions can be undermined by intolerance and hijacked by extremists,” she told a ceremony in Berlin.

She said the incidents in Egypt were testing the unity of pro-democracy demonstrators whose peaceful protests ousted Egypt’s authoritarian president and could fracture the reform movement.

Clinton said she feared similar backsliding elsewhere in the Mideast and stressed it was critical for Egyptians and other Arabs whose nations are in the throes of change to resist intolerance and demand that their new leaders embrace open and inclusive governments.

“It will be critical,” she said, for citizens and leaders “to work together to resist these dangers and keep their nations on track to become open, inclusive, pluralistic democracies.”

“Democracy is a never-ending task that requires participation and protection and it is only possible if every citizen can enjoy its benefits,” she said. “Societies thrive when all their people contribute and participate. But they stagnate when women are excluded or minorities are persecuted.”

Egypt: Coptic Church bombing suspects released

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Cairo, 11 April (AKI) – Twenty people arrested on suspicion of taking part in the deadly New Year’s bombing of a Coptic Church in the port city of Alexandria have been freed from prison, according to Egyptian newspaper Al-Dustur.

The release of the suspects was ordered by general Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, part of the military council that took power in February after nationwide anti-government protests ousted president Hosni Mubarak after around 30 years in power, the report said.

Twenty-four people were killed and around 100 injured during the bombing that sparked rioting and protests and drew international condemnation.

Coptic Christians account for about 10 percent of Egypt’s population.

At least one of those freed claim to be have been detained to silence his criticism of the the state.

Ibrahim Ibata says he was arrested because he claimed his friend was killed by police during an interrogation.

Some of the suspects have called a press conference for Thursday during which they are expected to describe their alleged torture in prison.

Three Churches Attacked, Egyptian Military Sides With Radical Muslims

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From AINA.ORG:

(AINA) — In the last two weeks three attacks on churches were undertaken by Salafis or Islamic Fundamentalists in Egypt. The Salafis demanded churches move to locations outside communities and be forbidden from making repairs, “even if they are so dilapidated that the roofs will collapse over the heads of the congregation,” says Father Estephanos Shehata of Samalut Coptic Diocese.

The latest of these incidents took place in the village of Kamadeer, in Samalout, Minya province on April 5, which escalated to the point where it was feared the church would be torched and demolished, as was done in the case of St. George and St. Mina Church in village of Soul, Atfif, on March 5 (AINA 3-5-2011). For three days Muslims occupied the entrance to St. John the Beloved Church in the village of Kamadeer with their mats, praying and sleeping there while thousands of village Copts staged a sit-in for three continuous days in front of the Minya governorate building, vowing not to leave until they got their church back. “Even if it takes one year, we will still be here,” said Fr. Youssab in the rally. The Coptic demonstrators demanded the reopening of their church and prosecution of the squatters (video of Coptic sit-in). Continue Reading →

Muslim Gang Leader Terrorizing Christians in Egyptian Village

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From AINA.ORG

Cairo (AINA) — Ten human rights organization staged a rally on March 30 in front of the building of the Attorney General to bring to public attention the tragedy of some nine thousand Coptic villagers living in terror since end January in the Upper Egyptian villages of Badraman and Nazlet Badraman in Deir Mawas, Minya. Rights activists and Badraman villagers were joined by attorney activist Peter elNaggar, who filed a complaint with the Attorney General against 34-year-old Muslim police informer Ali Hussein, nicknamed “Holaku” after the ruthless Mongol leader.

Hussein was accused of terrorizing the Copts, raping their wives, kidnapping their children for ransom and extortion. Attorney elNaggar said that I f proven these charges are punishable by the death penalty.

Security forces were informed last January of the incidents in both villages, “but they just turned a blind eye,” said Coptic activist Nader Shoukry, who publicized the story last week after registering all crimes against the Coptic villagers.

The terror started on January 28, when Ali Hussein assaulted Copt Khalil Suweiha and his family. Mr. Suweiha filed a report with the police in Deir Mawas but was forced to drop the charges after being threatened with death by Hussein and his 200-man armed gang. Continue Reading →