Egyptians Copts have had enough

national | miscellaneous | news report Saturday April 12, 2003 02:49 by Sahidic-Copt - Coptic Democratic Party

"Yes, we have a Coptic problem and we have a problem with the Islamists in Egypt" The Coptic democratic party official said: "yes, we too do not see the Copts as a minority. We are 12 millions, that is three times the size of the entire Palestinian people. And yes, the Copts are no only a part of the country's social fabric but they are the descendants of the native Egyptians, while those dominating Egypt today are the descendants of colonial settlers coming from Arabia. And if a large number of present day Muslims had Coptic ancestors who converted to Islam, it is because of Jihad and forced conversion."

In an interview by Samah Samir, in Cairo, Dr. Usamah alBaz, Director of Egyptian President Husni Mubarak's Office for Political Affairs, reaffirmed President Mubarak statement that "Israel is behind the tendentious rumors and fabricated accusations that Egypt persecutes its Copts." alBaz said: " It is clear that raising the issue in this manner in certain circles is a process rife with fabrication, lying, and calumny. The question now is: What parties stand behind this fabrication? We have no Coptic problem and no problem with other groups. Indeed, we do not recognize the very concept of a minority, Coptic or otherwise. Second, the Copts are part of the country's social fabric and, together with the Muslims, form part of the majority of the population. A large number of present day Muslims had Coptic ancestors who converted to Islam. No one can allege that the State persecutes the Copts or permits their persecution. sometimes individual acts occur but no Copts are targeted specifically for being Copts. Even if the act is intentional, it is carried out by a few extremists who can never represent the vast majority of the Egyptian people. For this reason, raising the issue in this manner and giving it such extensive coverage is a process that relies on false allegations and a distortion of the facts. For example, a few simple incidents might occur. These are then portrayed as being representative of a general situation.

Some people speak about the raping of Christian women and the killing of Christian sons. This does not happen at all in Egypt. If a woman is raped, she is raped because she is a woman, not because she is Coptic. She can be either Muslim or Christian. Even when certain individual incidents occur, they do not represent the attitude of the general public. Such incidents are condemned by all the segments of the Egyptian population, including the Grand Imam of alAzhar, the Mufti of the Republic, the Awqaf Minister, and all Muslim ulema, who sternly oppose such operations. The government fulfills its duty in protecting both

Copts and Muslims. We sense, however, a certain tone to the spreading of rumors about the persecution of Copts. We find such rumors in the United States, where the Jewish lobby is strong. Through this lobby the issue is raised again and again. Furthermore the Israeli Prime Minister's Office placed on the Internet particular information about the persecution of Copts in Egypt. It was a very strange thing to do. It is not anything of their concern to do this. It demonstrates that they stand behind the rumors and false accusations."

Responding to the Egyptian Muslim official, Mr. Louis Shenouda, the assistant secretary general of the Coptic Democratic Party said "Israel is not behind rumors and fabricated accusations that Egypt persecutes its Copts. Its is the Muslim regime of Egypt which is behind the false allegations that Copts are not persecuted." The Coptic Democratic Party (CDP), an exiled organization founded in East Beirut in the 1980s by Edward Bibawi and Khalil Kallada, two veterans of Coptic opposition abroad, accuses the Mubarak regime of being part of the campaign aiming at "ethnic cleansing the Christian people of Egypt." Louis Shenouda, who was contacted by phone in Beirut said "real fabrications, lying, and calumny are when Mr. Baz's bosses forces Coptic businessmen and so-called intellectuals to pay for an ad published in the international media to deny the anti-Christian pogroms in Egypt. Yes, we have a Coptic problem and we have a problem with the Islamists in Egypt."

The CDP official said: "yes, we too do not see the Copts as a minority. We are 12 millions, that is three times the size of the entire Palestinian people. And yes, the Copts are no only a part of the country's social fabric but they are the descendants of the native Egyptians, while those dominating Egypt today are the descendants of colonial settlers coming from Arabia. And if a large number of present day Muslims had Coptic ancestors who converted to Islam, it is because of Jihad and forced conversion."

Shenouda, who has the same name of the Coptic Church present leader, said:

"the State persecutes the Copts and permits their persecution. The so-called acts occur under government silence and Copts are targeted specifically for being Copts. These acts are intentional, and are carried out by extremists and security forces alike."

The CDP said "raping of Christian women and the killing of Christian sons is happening every day and we are documenting it. And when a Coptic woman is raped, she is raped because she is a Coptic woman exactly the same way a Muslim woman was raped in Bosnia because she was a Muslim woman, not just a woman."

Louis Shenouda said these are not rumors in the United States spread by the so-called Jewish lobby . These are facts we as Coptic Christian leaders are putting forward in front of the international community to mobilize it. Yes, it is we the Copts of Egypt, the native people of the valley of the Nile who are telling the world what is happening in our mother country. We have been struggling since the 1950s to get the truth out. If the so-called Jewish lobby wanted to use this cause, they could have done it long time ago. It is our brothers and sisters of the American Christian community who are helping us in raising the issue, and it is the activity of neutral human rights organizations which is making the difference. What the Egyptian regime cannot accept is the idea that the majority of the American people is awakening now, and soon will take action with us."

Commenting on alBaz remark that the "Israeli Prime Minister's Office placed on the Internet particular information about the persecution of Copts in Egypt," the CDP official said "we thank any prime minister of any country when they raise our cause. The Egyptian regime greets Muslim Pakistan when it comes to the help of the Arabs, why would they be disturbed if their neighbor, Israel, would be concerned about human rights in Egypt?" Louis Shenouda added: Mr. alBaz finds it a very strange thing to do and he stated that it is not of the concern of the Israelis to do this. Well why don't we find it strange when Cairo backs the demands of the Palestinians and calls on Jerusalem to make concessions to them. What is Egypt's concern with the Palestinians, another people of the region. Why would the Egyptian ambassador meet with Israeli-Arabs and interfere in their political activities?"

In New York, a source from the Middle East Christian Committee "MECHRIC" strongly condemned alBaz's interview and accused the Egyptian government and the Arab-Islamist lobby in Washington of masterminding the circus of the latest round of ads posted in the international media and signed by Coptic collaborators with the Mubarak regime. "Cairo is behind the pogroms against Christians, and Washington should intervene," said Mechric.