Unpopular Arab Thoughts That All Arabs Have Thought

I must soon leave on another trip. (Medical convention.) I want to leave you with several articles to read in my absence.

I can highly recommend this one.

EGYPTIAN BLOGGER ARRESTED, EXPELLED FROM AL AZHAR FOR EXPOSING THE TRUTH: THE STRANGE CASE OF KAREEM AMER.

Scroll down for articles on why Islam is an intolerant religion that cannot get it’s act together, why it’s racist, some world news, the important article about Abdel Kareem Nabeel Soliman, and the famous debate between Magdi Khalil and Michale Meunier.

I have added a recent article by Magdi Khalil below. PLEASE REALIZE THAT I DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL HIS POINTS. In fact, from what I have seen of him, he is paranoid and neurotic, and most of the Copts agree. He is, though, a very thorough researcher and for that reason, and for the interest of free speech, I would like to share this article with you.

WARNING: This article also seems like a platform for Magdi to blast Michael Meunier. I disagree with this tactic, I think that all advocates should work in the best interest of the cause, and people should not focus on silly things, which they are.

Then again, the Copts can be a whiny lot, and fight amongst themselves for silly reasons, and just so they can have something to fight about and to cry that they are the victims.

I would like to publically thank Mr Meunier for all of his work, and also Mr Adly Abadeer, and ask everyone to take their gloves off and stop this silly dispute. How can the government take us seriously if all we care about is what Michael Meunier had for lunch?

By Magdi Khalil

Recently, many have been wondering about the intentions of the expatriate Copts: do they stand in favor of holding a constructive dialogue with the Egyptian government, as a means to resolve Coptic issues? And given the fact that they have objected, each time, when a Copt became involved in a dialogue with the government, or the Security and Intelligence Services, then what is the purpose of their political activity?
Actually, the Copts, whether in Egypt or abroad, are not against this dialogue; quite the contrary, they have been actively seeking it. In fact, for the past three decades, the uninterrupted flood of letters and petitions addressed to the government could be considered as a form of dialogue-even if one sided. In other words, the Copts are not at war with the state or the regime, and they firmly believe in the value of dialogue, as a natural and appropriate means of conflict resolution.
However, the state has not responded to any of the attempts made by the Coptic community – local or expatriate – to hold a sincere dialogue. It has consistently ignored their just demands hoping that they will finally resign themselves to accepting the status quo.

The idea of an interactive political dialogue does not appeal to the Egyptian government, as it might very well lead to undesirable consequences such as the restoration of Coptic rights; and the government is clearly not ready for that.
As an alternative, the government has opted – in the past as well as the present time - to infiltrate the local and expatriate Coptic communities, lure the odd few and - in exchange for certain personal benefits - gain their assistance in the campaign to justify the discriminatory policies against the Copts.
Individual infiltration is the perfect choice in that case, because the state is well aware of the difficulty of infiltrating a select group that is versed in the basics of political action and dialogue, and that can effectively represent the Coptic community. It is a win-win situation for the government: the lured activists are no longer active, so it is one less thing for the government to worry about; the situation creates divisions among the Copts which adversely affects the Coptic community and inspires more frustration and despair; and finally the personal benefits might attract others to join in.

The Local Coptic Community and the Government
The Egyptian government is perfectly aware of Coptic problems and demands since several Egyptian and international associations have made available a number of extensive studies about the Coptic situation. The local community has offered the government a comprehensive review of the Copts’ status; the most memorable – among many – being Meriett Boutros Ghali’s memorandum, which was presented to the Egyptian government in January 1979 and failed to elicit any response.
A few years earlier, in 1972, a People’s Assembly committee, led by Gamal Oteify (Deputy Speaker of the People’s Assembly at that time) produced an objective report that has, unfortunately, met the same fate. Apparently, the government only meant to ease the soaring tension caused by al-Khanka incident before the October War was to take place, and did not plan on giving due consideration to the committee’s findings.
Pope Shenouda, along with the Holy Synod and the Coptic Community Council presented a list of Coptic complaints during a Coptic clergy conference that was held on December 17, 1976 in Alexandria. Three similar memos were once more presented in February 1977, eliciting an aggressive response as the government considered it a transgression deserving punishment. In September 1981, the Pope paid for that perceived transgression as he was detained in the monastery for 40 months.
During President Mubarak’s era, the Copts’ attempts at a dialogue were met with complete disregard. A proposal for a Common Personal Status Law for Christians from all denominations was ready and approved by the leaders of those denominations more than 20 years ago, yet the government has refused to consider it. It was reintroduced and amended in 1999, at the request of the People’s Assembly, but with the same results, as the government still refuses to consider it.
In the same category fall the efforts of the late Antoun Sidhom, and later those of Youssef Sidhom as he has, for more than five years, incessantly called on the government to have an open dialogue with the local Coptic community, through his weekly column in Watani newspaper. When I inquired whether he has ever received a response to those fervent calls, he said that he did not, and that has propelled him recently to address his call to the Egyptian civil society, as the government seems all but deaf to the Copts’ entreaty.

The Government and the Expatriate Coptic Community
For more than three decades, the expatriate Copts, such as Shawki Karas, Selim Naguib, Adly Abadir and others, have been sending dozens of letters and appeals to senior officials in Egypt. They met with ambassadors, and delivered their requests over and over again, but received no response. Other than being totally ignored, the most they got were vacant verbal promises that amounted to nothing, whether they were delivered through diplomats, ministers, or public figures.
The Coptic magazine whose editor-in-chief was the late Dr. Shawki Karas, commented on that sad fact: “We should not place our trust in promises, and should not relent until we see actual actions; we should not be deterred by what they say about inconvenience and “the time not being right” for those kind of demands; the matter of correcting wrongs and removing injustice should not be delayed under any circumstances. The Copts are part of Egypt, and their demands for an equal status with the majority should not depend on the approval of a group which preaches a doctrine that conflicts with human rights”.(1)
Frustration and despair must have dictated those words: “I think we’re doing an injustice to the Copts in Egypt when we choose to raise our complaints to government officials!”.(2)
The government follows a predictable strategy with the expatriate Copts, playing on two strings: mollification and infiltration, as a “divide and conquer” approach meant to bring the Coptic movement down. As for outsiders, the government opts for ambiguity and/or outright lies.
A few of us were meeting with the US Senator Sam Brownback in 1999, when he told us that President Mubarak was constantly not telling them the truth regarding the Coptic situation, and that our only hope was to unite and work diligently to reveal the truth to the international community.
Following “El-Kosheh” tragedy in 2000, an Egyptian delegation led by Gamal Mubarak visited the United States. They wished to convey that the massacre was nothing more than an ordinary dispute that cost the lives of both Muslims and Christians. The delegation met with the American Senator Frank Wolfe, and a member of the delegation informed me about what transpired during that meeting. After listening carefully to the delegation, the American senator asked his assistant to put on a videotape that documented the tragic reality of the Coptic situation, and gave them a list with the names of 604 Copts that were killed during the 90s. He rebuked the Coptic member of the delegation, saying: “shame on you, how could you defend this regime!” and warned him not to fall for their deception again.

This is how the Egyptian government typically deals with the West, by feeding it one lie after the other, and by using a number of Coptic businessmen, thinkers and public figures to promote those lies. One such businessman is Ramy Lakah who used to pay huge sums of money to publish advertisements in the Washington Post that deny the reality of Coptic persecution. Later, Lakah regretted his actions, when the government turned on him and ruined his business completely. Truth be told, Coptic businessmen are facing a difficult situation because they know that Security and Intelligence Services have the power to wreck their business in a few days. I am aware of several cases where those who dared to challenge the tyrant and his cronies have paid quite a heavy price for their defiance.

The government keeps devising new means to mollify and deceive the Copts, locally and abroad, and Dr. Osama El-Baz is renowned for his brilliant use of those strategies. The idea to appoint a Coptic Minister of Immigration was basically meant to appease the expatriate Copts. Another instance where the government tried to placate the Copts was in 1998, when a delegation formed by Youssef Sidhom, Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour and Morad Moheb Estino held several meetings with congressmen in the United States. The purpose of the visit was to state, in no uncertain terms, that they do not accept any foreign interference in Egypt’s affairs. This visit took place during the discussion of the “Freedom from Religious Persecution” law.
The three members contacted the chairmen of Coptic associations and asked them to stop their campaign against the regime for a few months in exchange for governmental promises. The Coptic associations responded to their request, but months later, the promises remained unfulfilled, and they recognized that it was another deception.
Dr. Milad Hanna was supposed to go as well, but he refused to go with nothing but empty hands or empty promises, as he didn’t relish embarrassing himself. He would go, he said, if he has, in his hands, a verdict to annul the Hamayouni Decree, or a decision to add 20-30 Coptic candidates to the National Democratic parliamentary list. “I got no response,” he said, “it seems that Minister Youssef Boutros Ghali was expecting a cheery response, the kind that some Copts are adept at delivering”, adding “the ingenious Osama El-Baz stands behind the state’s decision to select three young and successful Coptic businessmen”.(3)

The pacification strategies also included the creation of associations within and without Egypt, mostly under the supervision of security services; those were meant to serve as a statement that everything is as it ought to be in Egypt. The associations only became active whenever a serious incident severely affected the Copts, as a means to placate them, and not in pursuit of a real and lasting resolution.
One such association is the Committee of National Unity that is chaired by Ibrahim Nafee, the Egyptian pro-government journalist. The funny thing is that Egyptians in Washington thought to support this association and held a fundraising event where they managed to raise $ 17,000. Dr. Roshdy Saeed delivered the funds to the association’s executives in Cairo, as a contribution to the rebuilding operation of the Coptic village “Kafr Demian” that was destroyed by extremists. Needless to say the village was not rebuilt and no one knows what became of the money.

For ten years I have been a personal witness of several governmental attempts either at mollification or infiltration that I am presenting herein as honestly and accurately as possible, so that the Copts may understand the lessons learned from those experiences, and safeguard themselves against future infiltration. I hope that this presentation will also help them understand the Egyptian regime’s ploy to shatter their efforts and drain their energy. There are certainly many other attempts that I’m not aware of, but I will only give record of those which I have personally witnessed.

The First Attempt
In 1997, Seif El Din El Ashmawy – brother of Counselor Mohamed Saeed El Ashmawy – was presenting a weekly radio show in New Jersey in collaboration with a Christian priest and a Jewish Hakham. He asked me about our requests, saying: “Why don’t you present those demands to the government in an Egyptian-Egyptian dialogue instead of this ongoing war,” adding “could you persuade the prominent Coptic activists and chairmen of Coptic organizations to hold this dialogue, and present your demands freely? And I will serve as a mediator with the government.” I told him that I believed that the Copts would not reject a genuine dialogue that follows the norms of political dialogue. I contacted the chairmen of Coptic organizations at that time, through the late Dr. Shawky Karas, and they expressed their willingness to proceed with this action as long as it is a serious alternative that would allow us to discuss our demands freely and frankly.
Seif El Ashmawy went back with his idea to the Egyptian Embassy, but they refused it, and instead persuaded him to accompany a delegation from New York’s churches in a visit to Egypt, where they will be expected to make a statement denying Coptic persecution. At that time, the United States was about to issue the Religious Freedom Law, and Egypt did not wish to be included among the states that have committed violations against these freedoms. But the fates willed otherwise, as Seif El Ashmawy passed away suddenly in the aftermath of a painful accident, and his wife – Maria – decided to carry on his mission and accompany the delegation to Egypt, where she received a hearty welcome from the Egyptian government, the media, and the Prime Minister. She was duly impressed and it came as a shock to her, when, once the visit was over, the Egyptian government completely ignored her. She and her husband had completed their mission, and therefore there remained no reason for the government to care anymore. Unfortunately, this is how the security agencies usually deal with people, a jubilant welcome that soon turns into frigid neglect once they outlive their usefulness, reject mobilization attempts, or refuse to continue to offer the required services.

The Second Attempt
In 1998, Dr. Zarif Bacilious– a professor at St. John’s University in New York and former dean of the Faculty of Education – met with President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. The meeting’s purpose was to inform the President about the university’s decision to award him an Honorary Doctorate on his next visit to the States. During the meeting, President Mubarak asked him to bring together the emigrants in the States – Muslims and Copts – in a body that would foster communication between the two countries, and relay their requests to the Egyptian government. Thus, Dr. Bacilious, joined by a group of Muslims and Copts, created “the Egyptian American Council”, in coordination with the Egyptian Embassy and Consulate in New York. Mr. Saeed Qurani – an Intelligence man – served as a link between both parties; he introduced himself as Counselor Qurani – a title favored by intelligence men working in Egyptian embassies abroad. After a few sessions, it became obvious that the council was created to tone down the hot issues, and that Mr. Qurani was taking full control of the council. He had an explosive argument with Prof. Bacilious, who is a decent and mild-mannered gentleman, and after insulting him he threatened to have him put under arrest as soon as he sets foot in Egypt. Prof. Bacilious contacted the chief of Intelligence in Cairo to inform him about the incident, and as a result, Mr. Qurani was recalled to Egypt, particularly that his identity as an intelligence man - and not a diplomat as he claimed - was revealed to all. Strangely, this council is still active, and its chairman – General Ezzat Ibrahim – issued a statement on the 18th of November 2005 condemning the Coptic conference that was held in Washington on November 16-19, 2005.
I have attended several sessions in Prof. Bacilious’ house to get a fair idea about the council. During one of these meetings, Mr. Qurani commented on the articles I have been publishing in the Arab press by saying: “those are good articles, why don’t you write exclusively for Al-Ahram newspaper?” When I questioned al-Ahram’s willingness to tolerate the kind of articles I write, he advised me to write about the “beautiful national unity” that joins the Muslims and Copts. At that point, the council’s purpose and Said Qurani’s role became clear to me.
Mr. Qurani has made several futile attempts to engage expatriate activists in a dialogue, claiming that this was a personal initiative, and that his superiors were unaware of his “efforts”. Naturally, his efforts were not rewarded, because the real intention was to play down the critical issues, and not to carry out a valid dialogue, consistent with the proper rules, basics and procedures known to politicians and activists.

The Third Attempt
In March 3, 2000, I published an article in the newspaper, “Al-Quds Al-Arabi”(4) under the title “On his next visit to Washington: why wouldn’t President Mubarak have a talk with the Coptic activists?” I wanted to stress the fact that the Copts are not against that kind of exchange. I proposed 14 names to that end, and made sure that they represented the full spectrum of the expatriate Coptic community: Dr. Selim Naguib, Dr. Roshdi Saeed, Dr. Saad El-Fishawi, Mr. Alfonse Kelada, Dr. Raef Morcos, Dr. Saad Michael Saad, Dr. Helmi Guirguis, Mr. Nagi Awad, Mr. Nabil Abdel Malek, Dr. Michel Khalil, Dr. William El-Miry, Dr. Amira Gawhara – the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Toledo,Ohaio, on behalf of women, and on behalf of the younger generation Emad Youssef and Michael Jerom Meunier who is known as Michael Mounir. I felt it was a well-balanced group, capable of conducting an effective dialogue with political officials. It goes without saying that this public invitation was completely ignored, and all I got, as I came to know later, was a public insult when he read the article during his visit to Washington.

The Fourth Attempt
The mediator in this case was a prominent Egyptian thinker who was also a personal friend. Though I was living abroad, we had stayed in touch, and my friend often called me from Cairo and regularly sent Christmas and Easter cards. In 2003, I was caught by surprise when he called, and asked my help, as a trusted friend, to recommend a group of expatriate Coptic activists willing to have a dialogue with the Egyptian government. Once more, I found myself explaining that we have nothing against this idea, that no one objects to a dialogue, provided that it will be a collective and serious endeavor, on a political ground, not a security one, and I thanked him for his concern for Coptic troubles. My friend planned to head with this request to Osama El-Baz, and get back to me. When he did, he informed me that they have rejected the idea of a dialogue under those terms. Since then, I have received neither calls nor cards from my friend.

The Fifth Attempt
I have lost count of the times when people contacted me to let me know that intelligence officials from the Egyptian Embassy in Washington or New York wish to talk to me; the last couple of times they have tried to reach me through Dr. William El-Miry. The first time was right after the Coptic conference and Dr. El-Miry expressed his unwillingness to relay their wishes to me. The second time, on January 11, 2006, they asked him to inform me that they are willing to host our next conference in Cairo, with any guests I choose to invite.
I recall that in the winter of 2004, I had a talk with a friend– an Egyptian intellectual - in his office. As we were discussing a certain idea, he thought it would interest Minister Omar Soliman, and asked his assistant to write down a letter with my name to the minister. I asked him not to make a single mention of my name, because I did not wish to meet with security officers as I was working at that time in an American governmental institution, and such a meeting was forbidden. Furthermore, as a matter of principle, I refuse to have a dialogue with security officers or intelligence men.
I will not digress about the Egyptian government’s offers that have reached me through those Egyptian intellectual friends, as I fear some might take it as a claim of self-importance. I know one thing for certain, the Coptic cause is a political issue, and that, for a half a century, we have been telling anyone who cares to listen that the security agencies should not be involved in handling Coptic issues, so how can we agree to discuss the Coptic situation with those same agencies?
Why would they be interested in Magdi Khalil or others, unless it is just another attempt at infiltrating the public figures one after the other and ruining their credibility? If they really seek a dialogue, it would be more plausible if they address the local Coptic community or Pope Shenouda, especially considering they had no problems talking to him directly and requesting his support during the elections. Why do they try to arrange for individual and secretive meetings, and why do they resort to mediators? Finally, what can a single individual do when faced with a huge establishment who has the means to take all that he has to give, and give him nothing in return?
Those questions are particularly relevant to the recent couple of attempts.

The Sixth Attempt:
Michael Meunier’ Visit
In the aftermath of the Coptic conference that was held in Washington, November 16-19, 2005, we were taken aback by a report published on 7 December, in the Lebanese newspaper “Al-Diar” (a newspaper with connections to corrupt figures in the Syrian regime- one of whom is Ghazi Kanaan) According to the newspaper, Mr. Michael Meunier met with Sheikh Abdel Amir Kabalan, acting president of the Shiite Higher Islamic Council, where they discussed the current situation of the Arab community in the United States, and its efforts to highlight the Arab causes. The newspaper mentioned that, during that meeting, Meunier also went over the recommendations of the Coptic conference that was held in Washington. Upon his return to the United States, Meunier told a friend that he had also met with Christian Lebanese figures, but did not deny what was published in “Al-Diar”.
On 9 December 2005, the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Michael Meunier arrived to Cairo to meet with Omar Soliman, the chief of Egyptian Intelligence.
Michael Meunier’s visit was treated as a significant event, worthy of a full publicity campaign that was arranged by government-owned media such as Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar, Rose El-Youssef, and Al-Mussawar. Totally unconcerned with how the Copts would react, the media portrayed him as “The leader of Copts”!!
A reporter friend asked Mr. Osama Saraya, Al-Ahram’s editor-in-chief, about what drove the newspaper to conduct an interview with Michael Meunier. It turned out that Al-Ahram was acting on specific orders, and I imagine that the same applies to the other official newspapers and magazines.
The Egyptian Intelligence plans for a personal and clandestine meeting with a Copt who is relatively young, has limited experience, and replies to questions with programmed answers; they make the meeting public knowledge even before he gets to Egypt, and then arrange for him to have a strident welcome – with that kind of scenario, can anyone possibly believe that this intelligence agency has the Copts’ best interests at heart?

The suspicious visit caught the expatriate Copts and activists by surprise, and as a result prominent Coptic organizations in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, along with key activists, issued a statement that pointed out in clear terms that Michael Meunier does not represent them and did not confer with them. The statement called attention to the Intelligence’s attempts to infiltrate and destroy Coptic action, and alerted the people to reject this course of action that has the potential to disintegrate the Copts’ peaceful efforts to restore their rights.
Meunier’s actions came as a total surprise to the Coptic organizations, activists, the participants in the Washington conference, and even to the members of his own organization, US Copts Association. Dr. Kamal Ibrahim, US Copts board member, wrote to Meunier an e-mail on 9 December 2005 stating, “Michael, are you really in Cairo? You haven’t informed anyone in the board of directors about this visit, what are you doing in Cairo? Please respond.”
On 12 December 2005, and following the statement issued by the Coptic activists, several of us received the following e-mail from Meunier: “I am on a personal visit to Egypt, to visit my family first and foremost. I’m asking you to reserve your judgment on the visit till I return and tell you about its results, and if you don’t approve, then we won’t be losing anything”.

The idea of this visit being “personal and “familial” is a bit hard to believe. Why would a man on a personal visit be greeted in the airport, meet with the director of the Intelligence agency, and give a number of pre-arranged interviews to national newspapers and magazines that have been attacking expatriate Copts for decades? Why would a personal visit get so much publicity? Why did he feel entitled to discuss the Coptic situation with the Security and Intelligence Services, particularly that he was among those who signed the Zurich and Washington declarations that clearly stated that the Copts refuse to consider, or treat their cause as a “security issue”, or engage in talks with a security agency concerning Coptic affairs; and what has a personal visit to do with suspicious political meetings?
Would a personal visit require such a complete change of posture: in Lebanon he spoke of the significance of expatriate activities in the States in putting the Arab causes in the spotlight; in Egypt, he told Al-Ahram reporter – Gamal el-Kashky(5) – that he (Meunier) lost the elections (for the Virginia Assembly) because his opponent attacked his Arab origin, and finally he told the reporter of the newspaper Ilaf that he is currently working on moving his political activity to Egypt.(6) He has also mentioned to more than one newspaper that he is working on creating a political party in Egypt, not to mention that a “familial” visit would require him to visit his family in the first place, which he did not do.
Above all, he went on a clandestine visit, without seeking counsel or permission, promised that he will explain his viewpoint upon returning, but failed to say anything of relevance except for some vague talk about meetings, all of which was already mentioned in the newspapers, and informed no one about the visit’s particulars.
A legitimate question is why didn’t he, or the other parties, try to include the local Copts in those meetings, at least as witnesses. Upon his return, instead of fulfilling his promise and offering a report of his visit, he portrayed himself as a victim of a defamation campaign, which is, as Americans would say, a smoke screen to create a state of confusion and mask the truth.

Michael gave more than one version about his visit to Egypt, he informed Youssef Sidhom that he was on a visit to Lebanon where he made a casual call to Refaat El-Said who suggested that he come to Egypt since he was already in Lebanon, and accordingly he went to Egypt.(7)
“He told me he had the support of Dr. Refaat El-Said”, said Engineer Adly Abadir, “Refaat El-Said reassured Meunier that he won’t be taken straight from the airport to State Security investigations, and arranged an agenda that included meetings with Minister Omar Soliman, with the Minister of Information, and with other government officials. It was obvious to me that they have sent for him, and he can’t refuse to go, and even though he claimed it was a personal initiative, he refused to postpone it to the end of January 2006. I told him that they will buy him off in Cairo and cause divisions among the Copts, which has been their goal since 1952”, adding “Refaat El-Said asked me to put no pressure on Michael over his visit to Cairo, because he will be coming to Cairo in any case, which reinforced the impression I had that Michael has been called back and cannot refuse to go.”(8)
This also implies that this visit was pre-arranged in Washington, and not the result of an idea that came up while he was in Lebanon, as he told Youssef Sidhom.
I personally called Refaat El-Said and he informed me that Michael is a friend of his son, and usually stays in his house during his visits to Egypt, but that he had nothing to do with this particular visit; adding: “if you go to the Egyptian Embassy in Washington and ask to meet with Omar Soliman, would they deny your request? Of course not, they will welcome you. I have nothing to do with this, and do not get me involved in your problems, and don’t concern yourselves very much with Michael .. those who met with him in Cairo know exactly the extent of his importance.” (9)
Refaat El-Said gave the same answer to the reporter of the newspaper “Al-Masreyoun”: “I have nothing to do with Michael Meunier’s visit to Egypt .. he is a friend of my son”.(10)
Michael Meunier and Refaat El-Said have been coordinating their efforts as regards the Coptic file for some time now, as confirmed by a story which Refaat El-Said has recounted in the presence of Adel Guindy and William Wissa: “During President Mubarak’s visit to Washington in 2002, Michael Meunier sent me a fax saying this time there will be no demonstrations during the President’s visit. He called later and said that he is 90% sure that there will be no demonstrations. I told him that this is unacceptable, it has to be either 0% or 100%; he got back to me after a while and said that he was 100% sure there will be no demonstrations”.(11)

Who is Michael Meunier?
I have been talking about Michael Meunier so far without even knowing his real name, or who he is exactly, and I have no wish to go into unnecessary personal details. When his father passed away I expected to know a bit more about him, even simply his father’s real name, but he was only referred to as “Mr. Michael Meunier’s father”, and nothing was mentioned about other family members.
I have friends who have known Mr. Meunier for some time and came to the realization that he is acting for his own personal interests, which explains why – after his visit to Egypt – he only sought out the wealthy Adly Abadir, out of all the expatriate activists. On 16 December 2005 he sent his cousin and attorney, Mounir Sami Guirguis, to Mr. Abadir asking for his forgiveness. Mr. Guirguis had a long message from Michael that described Mr. Abadir as “a kind-hearted father, and the elder of the expatriate Copts”. Mr. Guirguis asked him to forgive Michael, saying: “would you expect Michael to refuse an invitation from the officials of the Egyptian government?” These words confirm that Mr. Munier’s visit was not a spur of the moment idea, but rather as Refaat El-Said indicated, a pre-arranged visit in coordination with the Egyptian embassy in Washington.
The lack of transparency is another disturbing tendency. For example, Mr. Munier had opened a bank account on 10 April 2000 at Herbert Bank 7710872 for the benefit of the victims of the “Al-Kosheh” tragedy, but, according to Dr. Selim Naguib, Bishop Wissa, the person responsible for the disbursement of the funds to the victims, has not received a single cent of the allocated funds until now, and no one knows the size of the funds deposited in that account; the same thing happened following the famous train accident in Giza.
When Munier was nominated to represent a district in the elections of the Virginia assembly, a common friend contacted me on his behalf, and asked me to write an article about him, to encourage the Copts to become involved in political action, and to help raise funds for his electoral campaign. I wrote that article, and I have never regretted writing anything as much as I have regretted writing this article.
These are the facts, and it is up to the readers to make their own judgment. I believe the future will reveal more.

The Seventh Attempt:
Maged Riad’s Visit
While we were still recovering from Michael Meunier’s surprise visit to Egypt in which he met with state security officials, we found out about Mr. Maged Riad’s (Pope Shenouda III’s spokesperson in the U.S.) visit to Cairo. In an interview with Rose El-Youssef magazine, Mr. Riad said that Michael Meunier’s visit to Cairo had irritated him, and prompted him to come to Cairo to discuss the Coptic issues- sounding like he is trying to confirm that he is the certified governmental agent and not Michael Meunier.
On 14 November 2005, just two days before the Coptic conference, I was contacted by Al-Ahram’s “The major official newspaper in Egypt” correspondent in Washington, Mr. Khaled Daoud, and gave him an interview about the conference. The conference was held on the 16 November, and I was surprised to read a news story, bearing the name of Khaled Daoud, entitled “The expatriate churches condemn the Coptic conference held in Washington”. When I asked Mr. Daoud, he told me that he had not written that news story, knew nothing about its source, and that the actual piece he had written, and which included the interview I gave him, had not been published.
That same day I was a guest on al-Jazeera’s program Ma Waraa el Khabar (Behind the News) that was discussing the Washington conference, and I mentioned that Al-Ahram newspaper has published a news story that was allegedly released by the church, but in fact no one had conferred with the church, and that the story bore the name of a correspondent who, in fact, did not write the story. I think that the government, wishing to avoid a scandal, opted to issue an authentic statement this time, and contacted Maged Riad for that purpose.
On November 18, 2005, Mr. Riad issued a statement entitled “a Declaration of Solidarity”, where he rejected and condemned any attempt to involve outside parties or states in Egypt’s affairs, stating that the resolution of Coptic problems should come from within the country, adding “we reject the dubious practices of a group that has certain objectives and that does not take into consideration the best interests of the people of Egypt. We call on those groups to stop the damage they are doing to the country”.
It goes without saying that Riad’s statement also expressed “deep appreciation to the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak”. It seems that Khaled Daoud was instructed to disparage the conference, so he implanted a series of lies in an article that was published in Al-Ahram on the 26th of November 2005. He attacked the conference, Michael Meunier, and me, describing me as the prince (Amir) of the extremist group in Washington, falsely claiming that the Copts have asked Washington to eliminate US aid to Egypt, and that a few conference members attempted to assault him.
A few weeks later, the same newspaper that attacked Michael Meunier was welcoming him with open arms, after the Egyptian Intelligence lured him to Cairo. This is how the national press in Egypt is being run, and how its correspondents end up doing the bidding of the security and intelligence agencies.

I will now turn to Mr. Riad, who introduced himself in the statement mentioned above, and during his visit to Cairo, as a spokesperson of Pope Shenouda, giving the false impression that he had the Pope’s approval and blessing for the above quoted statement and visit to Egypt. But, in fact, the Pope does not interfere in the political actions of expatriate Copts, preferring to keep a neutral position, and only ministering to the spiritual and religious needs of his congregation. It is possible that in choosing Maged Riad as a spokesperson, the Pope was honoring the memory of his father – the late Fayez Riad, and his grandfather – the late Reverend Ibrahim Luka; but there are radical differences between the grandson and his father or grandfather.
Mr. Riad was a guest on an Egyptian TV show, talking to Abdel Latif Al-Menyawi, where he openly accused the Washington conference’s participants of treason. In an interview with the weekly magazine Rose El-Youssef(12), he said that he prevented two senators from attending the conference. In another interview with Al-Ahram, he asserted that there is no Coptic persecution in Egypt, just exaggerated accounts, that these are typical problems that many people around the world experience, and he prefers to deal with them within Egypt.(13)
In each of those interviews, he emphasized the services he has provided in America for the Egyptian government such as creating a branch for the National Bank, assisting Al-Ahram newspaper, and other issues that were handled by his office in New York on behalf of the Egyptian government.
Maged Riad’s discourse is clearly in harmony with the misleading discourse of the Egyptian government as regards Coptic issues.

If His Holiness Pope Shenouda gave you, Mr. Riad, the authorization to speak for him as a legal advisor in matters concerning the congregations in the United States, did he also authorize you to discuss the political facets of the Coptic cause? Did he authorize you to speak for him within Egypt? Did he authorize you to speak for the benefit of the Egyptian government as regards the situation of the Coptic community, or in other words, did he tell you to reiterate the lies of the Egyptian government as regards the Coptic situation? Did he ask you to turn down those who are trying to support the Coptic people, telling them that the Egyptian government is taking positive measures, and that their support is not needed? Did the Pope ask you to accuse the Copts who have attended the conference of treason, and issue a statement during the conference accusing the participants of damaging the country’s reputation and provoking outsiders against Egypt? What is the real nature and boundaries of your role? Do you side with the Copts, or with the government that persecutes them? On which side are you: with or against your people? Do you deserve the trust granted by His Holiness? Did you consider that your actions are causing grief to the souls of your father and grandfather, as you appear to defend the case of the oppressors who have victimized your people? And, speaking of treason, who is actually betraying the people’s trust, the one who speaks on their defense, or the one who speaks on defense of the government?

To recap:
• The Egyptian government has never pursued, nor responded to the Coptic requests for a sincere dialogue about Coptic issues.
• The Egyptian government’s handling of the Coptic file is wrought in lies and deception .
• The security and intelligence agencies seek to infiltrate the Copts, inciting divisions and dissent, and luring and detracting some good-intentioned people and others who are only after selfish personal benefits.
• The Copts categorically refuse to be considered a “file” left in the care of security agencies, and refuse to discuss their problems with a security or intelligence agency.
• The terms for a dialogue include the following: a political dialogue, held with government politicians authorized to make decisions, a collective and public endeavor, and not an individual and clandestine one, following a specific agenda previously agreed upon, and leading to commitments that should be implemented according to a determined time schedule. The Coptic individuals involved in that dialogue should represent the full spectrum of the Coptic community, provided that the local Coptic community plays a major role. A documented transcript of the discussions, and its results – whether positive or negative – should be preserved. If an individual – or a group – do not abide by the legitimate representation of a just cause, which ought to express the different aspects of the community’s struggles and sufferings, they will be inevitably isolated from the mainstream of the community.
• The Copts have only one effective alternative left, and that is to bring their case to the attention of the international community, taking advantage of the current international setting to shed light on their plight and restore their rights. It will take the willpower of the international community to make the Copts’ long overdue dreams come true.

To conclude, the sole purpose of this article is to alert the Copts about those detrimental schemes. I am aware that this might subject me to the wrath of some parties, but I believe that the truth should be spoken out loud.
I have been involved in public action for more than 15 years, and during that time I have not received a single cent from any individual, agency or government, and I am ready to respond publicly to any claims to the contrary. All I wish for, as an intellectual, is to be able to continue to write, without having financial ties or obligations to any faction.
___
Magdi Khalil is a political analyst, researcher, author and Executive Editor of the Egyptian weekly Watani International. He is also a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, London, a free-lance writer for several Arabic language newspapers, and a frequent contributor to Middle East broadcast news TV. Mr. Khalil has also published three books and written numerous research papers on citizenship rights, civil society, and the situation of minorities in the Middle East. E-mail: magdikh@hotmail.com

References
1. The Copts magazine, The American Coptic Association, October 1978.
2. Dr. Raef Morcos, Al-Rissalah magazine, February 1998.
3. “Religious communities, sects and ethnic groups”, Sixth Annual Report, 1999, Iban Khaldun Center for Development Studies.
4. Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper, London Orbits, March 3, 2000.
5. Al-Ahram newspaper, Gamal Al-Keshki interviewing Michael Meunier.
6. Elaph newspaper, January 14, 2006.
7. A telephone conversation with Youssef Sidhom.
8. Adly Abadir comments on Michael Meunier’s visit “The Copts United”, December 12, 2005.
9. A recorded telephone conversation with Refaat El-Said
10. Al-Masreyoun newspaper, December 16, 2005.
11. William Wissa, Al-Kosheh: The Absent Truth, p. 291
12. Rose El-Youssef weekly magazine, January 8, 2006.
13. Al-Ahram newspaper, January 13, 2006.

From a Friend..

People do not know how dangerous this religion on the development of humankind civilization. Nothing better than let them find the truth no comments added, no one can defend evil when evil speaks himself. No harm to send it to your friends and let them decide is Islam Allah is a peaceful God ? Is Allah in Islam is the same god in Judaism and Christianity? I DO NOT THINK SO. Read the following and you will know what I am talking about

ALLAH, Islams ILAH:

Ishaq:324 “Allah said, ‘Leave Me to deal with the liars. I have fetters, fire, and food which chokes.”

Qur’an 68:44 “Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message and call Our pronouncements a lie. Systematically by degrees, step by step, We shall punish them in ways they can not even imagine.”

Qur’an 73:11 “Leave Me alone to deal with the beliers (those who deny My Verses). Respite those who possess good things for a little while. Verily, with Us are heavy shackles (to bind), a raging fire (to burn), food that chokes, and a torturous penalty of a painful doom.”

Qur’an 104:4 “He will be sure to be thrown into that which breaks him into pieces, flung to the Consuming One. And what will explain that which Breaks him into Pieces, the Consuming One? It is the fire kindled by Allah.” [Allah is in hell, kindling the fire.]

Qur’an 89:12 “All made mischief so your Lord poured on them the disaster of His torment, a scourge of diverse chastisements. Most surely your Lord is in laying in wait, watching.”

Qur’an 89:21 “Nay, when the earth is made to crumble the Lord comes, His angels rank upon rank, and Hell is brought face to face, man will remember, but how will that avail him? For His Chastisement will be such as no other can inflict. None punishes as He will punish! None can bind as He will bind.”

Qur’an 67:16 “Are you so unafraid that He will not open the earth to swallow you, pelt you with showers of stones, or let loose on you a violent wind so that you shall know how terrible is My warning? But indeed men before them rejected My warning. They denied, so then how terrible will be My punishment of them and My wrath.”

Qur’an 91:13 “The Messenger said: ‘Be cautious. It is a She-camel of God! And bar her not from having her drink!’ But they rejected him as a false prophet, and they hamstrung her. So Allah on account of their crime, obliterated their traces, doomed them, desolated their dwellings, leveling them to the ground, crushing them for their sin.”

Qur’an 48:6 “He may punish the Hypocrites who imagine an evil opinion, or have evil thoughts about Allah. It is against them that the wheel of misfortune will turn, a disgraceful torment: the Wrath of Allah is on them: He has cursed them, and He has prepared Hell for them.”

Qur’an 47:12 “And how many cities, with more power than your city (Muhammad) which has driven you out, have We destroyed?”

Qur’an 53:49 “He is the Lord of Sirius (the Mighty Star the pagan Arabs used to worship). It is He Who destroyed the (powerful) ancient Ad (people) [who never existed], and (the tribe of) Thamud He spared not; And before them, the folk of Noah, for that they were (all) most unjust and rebellious; and He destroyed the Overthrown Cities.”

Qur’an 40:1 “Ha Mim. (These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an and none but Allah understands their meaning.) The revelation of this Book is from Allah, Exalted in Power, the All-Knower, The Forgiver, the Accepter, the Severe in Punishment.”

Qur’an 40:21 “Do they not travel through the earth and see the end of those before them? They were superior to them in strength, and in the traces (they have left) in the land, yet Allah seized and destroyed them, and they had no one to defend them against Allah. That was because their Messengers kept bringing them Clear (Signs and Proofs) (of Allah’s Sovereignty), but they rejected them: So Allah seized and destroyed them: for He is Strong, Severe in Punishment and Retribution.”

Tabari VII:3 “I recommend to you the fear of Allah, for the best thing which a Muslim can enjoin upon a Muslim is that he should…fear Allah.

[Qur’an 87:10 “He who fears will obey.”] Beware of what Allah has warned you concerning himself. The fear of Allah, for whoever acts according to it in fear and dread of his Lord is a trusty aid to what you desire. Allah says, ‘The sentence that comes from me cannot be changed, and I am in no wise a tyrant unto the slaves.’ The fear of Allah will ward off Allah’s hatred, retribution, and wrath.”

Qur’an 33:26 “Allah made the Jews leave their homes by terrorizing them so that you killed some and made many captive. And He made you inherit their lands, their homes, and their wealth. He gave you a country you had not traversed before.”

Qur’an 59:2 “It was He [Allah] who drove the People of the Book from their [Medina] homes and into exile. They refused to believe. They imagined that their settlement would protect them against Allah. But Allah’s (torment) came at them from where they did not suspect and terrorized them. Their homes were destroyed. So learn a lesson men who have eyes. This is My warning. Had Allah not decreed the expulsion of the Jews, banishing them into the desert, He would certainly have punished them in this world, and in the next they shall taste the torment of Hell Fire.”

Qur’an 8:2 “The only believers are those who feel fear and terror when Allah is mentioned.”

Ishaq:322 “Allah said concerning the pebbles thrown by the Apostle, ‘I threw them not you. Your tossing them would have had no effect without My help. But working together, We terrorized the enemy and put them to flight.”

Qur’an 8:17 “It is not you who slew them; it was Allah who killed them. It was not you (Muhammad) who threw (a handful of dust), it was not your act, but it was Allah who threw (the sand into the eyes of the enemy at Badr) in order that He might test the [Muslim] Believers by doing them a gracious favor of His Own: for Allah is He Who hears and knows.”

Ishaq:327 “Allah said, ‘A prophet must slaughter before collecting captives. A slaughtered enemy is driven from the land. Muhammad, you craved the desires of this world, its goods and the ransom captives would bring. But Allah desires killing them to manifest the religion.’”

Qur’an 64:11 “No calamity occurs, no affliction comes, except by the decision and preordainment of Allah.”

Qur’an 3:62 “This is the true account, the true explanation: There is no Ilah (God) except Allah.”

Qur’an 3:102 “You who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared.”

Ishaq:392 “It is not your affair whether Allah changes His attitude to them or punishes them…. I may change My mind toward them. Punishing them is my prerogative. They deserve this for their disobedience to Me.’”

Ishaq:393 “Fear Allah that you may be prosperous. Obey Allah and perhaps you may escape from His punishment of which He has warned you and attain His reward which He has made you desire. And fear the fire which He has prepared for the disbelievers, a resort for those who disbelieve Me.”

Qur’an 78:37 “None shall have power to argue with the Lord, none can converse with Him or address Him.”

Qur’an 3:98 “Allah is self-sufficient, standing not in need, independent of any of His creatures.”

Qur’an 21:16 “Not for sport did We create the heavens, earth and all that is between! It wasn’t a plaything. If it had been Our wish to take a pastime, to make a diversion or hobby (like a wife or a son), We surely could have made it Ourselves, in Our presence, if We would do.”

Qur’an 52:43 “Have they an ilah (god) other than Allah? [An odd question to ask the Meccans since their primary deity was Allah.]”

Qur’an 5:4 “Pronounce the Name of Allah: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in reckoning.”

Qur’an 21:107 “Say: (Muhammad) ‘It is revealed to me that your Ilah (God) is only one Ilah (God). Will you submit to His Will? But if they (disbelievers, Christians, and Jews) turn away (from Islam) say: ‘I give notice (of war) to be known to all. But I know not whether the (torment which you are) promised and threatened is nigh or far.”

Qur’an 114:1 “Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of men and jinn [demons], the King of men and jinn, the Ilah (God) of men and jinn.”

Qur’an 20:8 “Allah! There is no Ilah (God) save Him. His are the most beautiful Names. To Him belong the most beautiful attributes.”

Qur’an 20:14 “Verily, I am Allah. No Ilah (God) may be worshiped but I. So serve you Me, and perform regular prostration prayer for My praise. Verily the Hour is coming. I am almost hiding it from Myself.”

Qur’an 20:96 “Now look at your ilah (god), of whom you have become devoted. We will (burn) it and scatter it in the sea! But your Ilah (God) is Allah: there is no ilah (god) but He. Thus do We relate to you some stories of what happened before from Our own Remembrance.”

Qur’an 2:132 “And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons by Yah’qub (Jacob); ‘Oh my sons! Allah has chosen the Faith for you—the true religion; then die not except in the faith of Islam as Muslims. He said to his sons: ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said: ‘We shall worship your Ilah (God), the Ilah (God) of your fathers, of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, the one Ilah (God): To Him we submit in Islam.’”

Ishaq:324 “He said, Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.”

Qur’an 8:45 “O believers! When you meet an army, be firm, and think of Allah’s Name much; that you may prosper.”

Qur’an 73:8 “But keep in remembrance the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him whole-heartedly. Lord of the East and West: there is no Ilah (God) but He.”

Qur’an 87:1 “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High, Who creates, then proportions, Who has measured; and then guided.”

Qur’an 87:14 “He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself, and magnifies the Name of his Lord and prays.” [Allahu Akbar!]

Qur’an 59:22 “Allah is He, no other Ilah (God) may be worshiped; Who knows both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. He is Allah, Whom there is no other Ilah (God); the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Security, the Guardian of Faith, the Majestic, the Irresistible, the Superb, the Compeller: Glory to Allah! He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colors). To Him belong the Best Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth declares His Praises and Glory: and He is the Mighty, the Wise.”

Ishaq:162 “Abu Jahl met the Apostle and said, ‘By Allah, Muhammad, you will either stop cursing our gods or we will curse the god you serve.’ So the Qur’an verse was revealed, ‘Do not insult those [gods] to whom they pray lest they curse God wrongfully through lack of knowledge.’ [Qur’an 6:108] I have been told that the Apostle then refrained from cursing their gods, and began to call them to Allah [rather than Ar-Rahman].”

AR RAHMAN, THE OTHER ILAH:

Qur’an 67:28 “Say: ‘He is Ar-Rahman; in Him we believed, and in Him we have placed our trust: Soon will you know which one of us is in manifest error.’”

Qur’an 67:20 “Who is he that will send an army to assist you besides Ar-Rahman? The unbelievers are lost in delusion.”

Qur’an 55:1 “Ar-Rahman bestowed the Qur’an. He created man. He has taught man eloquent speech (and intelligence). The sun and moon are made punctual, following courses, they revolve to a computation.”

Qur’an 55:6 “Ar-Rahman created the herbs (or stars) and the trees all of which prostrate themselves.”

Qur’an 55:14 “He created man of fermented clay dried tinkling hard like earthen ware, and created jinn from the white-hot flame of fire. How many favors of your Lord will you both (men and jinn) deny?”

Qur’an 55:31 “Soon We [Ar-Rahman] will dispose of you by applying Our two armies. How many favors of your Lord will you both deny?” Qur’an 55:35 “There will be let loose on you white-hot flames of fire and smoke that chokes so that you will not be able to defend yourselves. How many favors of your Lord will you both deny?” [Ar-Rahman makes jinn out of the same material he will use to torture men. He intends to send his demons after us, and he considers torture a favor.]

Qur’an 55:41 “The sinners will be seized by their forelock and feet. This is the Hell the sinners called a lie. They will go round and round between its fierce fires and boiling water. Which of the favors of your Lord will you then deny?”

Qur’an 55:46 “For him who lives in terror of his Lord [Ar-Rahman] are two Gardens.”

Qur’an 13:30 “They do not believe in Ar-Rahman. Tell them, ‘He is my Lord. There is no other Ilah (God) but He. In Him I have placed my trust.’”

Qur’an 13:38 “It was not for any Apostle to come up with a miracle or sign unless it was granted by Our permission. For every age there is a Book revealed. Ar-Rahman abrogates, blots out, or confirms (whatever He wants).”

Qur’an 20:90 “‘O my people, you are being misled with this. Surely your Lord is Ar-Rahman. So follow me and obey my command.”

Qur’an 20:108 “Their voices will be hushed before Ar-Rahman. You will not hear a sound but faint shuffling. That day no intercession will matter other than his whom Ar-Rahman grants permission.”

Qur’an 21:25 “Not a messenger did We send before you but We revealed to him: La ilaha illa Ana (No gods but I), so worship Me.” [Incredibly, this assertion of a singular divinity is followed by:] Qur’an 21:26 “And yet they say: ‘Ar-Rahman has begotten a son.’ Too exalted his He.” [Most translations, trying to hide their god’s duplicity, mistranslate the passage:] “(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten offspring.” [Muslims have to deceive us to keep their god together.]

Qur’an 21:29 “If any of them should say, ‘I am an ilah (god) besides Him,’ such a one We should reward with Hell.”

Qur’an 21:36 “When the disbelievers see you (Muhammad), they treat you with ridicule, choosing you out for mockery: ‘Is this he who mentions your gods? Yet they disbelieve at the mention of Ar-Rahman.”

Qur’an 21:41 “Mocked were messengers before you, but their scoffers were hemmed in by what they mocked. Say: ‘Who can protect you from (the wrath of) Ar-Rahman?’ Yet they turn away from the mention of their Lord. Have they alihah (gods) who can defend them against Our Torment?”

Ishaq:302/Tabari VII:60 “Umayyah [a merchant] was a friend of mine in Mecca. My name was Abd Amr, but when I became a Muslim I was called Abd al-Rahman. Umayyah used to meet me when we were in Mecca and would say, ‘Abd Amr, do you dislike the name your father gave you?’ I would reply, ‘Yes.’ Umayyah would then say, ‘I do not recognize Ar-Rahman [as a god], so adopt a name that I can call you by when we meet…. Well then, you are Abd al-Ilah [Slave-to-the-God].’ I agreed.”

RACISM:

Ishaq:243 “I heard the Apostle say: ‘Whoever wants to see Satan should look at Nabtal!’ He was a black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks…. Allah sent down concerning him: ‘To those who annoy the Prophet there is a painful doom.” [9:61] “Gabriel came to Muhammad and said, ‘If a black man comes to you his heart is more gross than a donkey’s.’”

Ishaq:144 “A rock was put on a slave’s chest. When Abu Bakr complained, they said, ‘You are the one who corrupted him, so save him from his plight.’ I will do so,’ said Bakr. ‘I have a black slave, tougher and stronger than Bilal, who is a heathen. I will exchange him. The transaction was carried out.”

Qur’an 9:97 “The Arabs of the desert are the worst in unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger.”

Tabari II:11 “Shem, the son of Noah was the father of the Arabs, the Persians, and the Greeks; Ham was the father of the Black Africans; and Japheth was the father of the Turks and of Gog and Magog who were cousins of the Turks. Noah prayed that the prophets and apostles would be descended from Shem and kings would be from Japheth. He prayed that the African’s color would change so that their descendants would be slaves to the Arabs and Turks.”

Tabari II:21 “Ham [Africans] begat all those who are black and curly-haired, while Japheth [Turks] begat all those who are full-faced with small eyes, and Shem [Arabs] begat everyone who is handsome of face with beautiful hair. Noah prayed that the hair of Ham’s descendants would not grow beyond their ears, and that whenever his descendants met Shem’s, the latter would enslave them.”

Tabari IX:69 “Arabs are the most noble people in lineage, the most prominent, and the best in deeds. We were the first to respond to the call of the Prophet. We are Allah’s helpers and the viziers of His Messenger. We fight people until they believe in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his life and possessions from us. As for one who disbelieves, we will fight him forever in Allah’s Cause. Killing him is a small matter to us.”

Bukhari: V9B89N256 “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘You should listen to and obey your ruler even if he is a black African slave whose head looks like a raisin.’”

Ishaq:405 “It is your folly to fight the Apostle, for Allah’s army is bound to disgrace you. We brought them to the pit. Hell was their meeting place. We collected them there, black slaves, men of no descent.
Ishaq:374 “The black troops and slaves of the Meccans cried out and the Muslims replied, ‘Allah destroy your sight, you impious rascals.’”

Bukhari:V4B52N137 “The Prophet said, ‘Let the negro slave of Dinar perish. And if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him…. If he [the black slave] asks for anything it shall not be granted, and if he needs intercession [to get into paradise], his intercession will be denied.’”

From a Friend…

Exclusive to VirtueOnline

February 6, 2006

The Most Rev’d & Rt. Hon Dr. Rowan Williams,
Archbishop of Canterbury,
Lambeth Palace, London, SE1 7JU.

Your Grace, dear Brother-in-Christ,

Last month at Trinity College, Dublin, a meeting was held to launch a resource pack “The Hand of History (Exploring Christian/Muslim Dialogue)” attended by the Grand Mufti of Egypt & Rector of Al-Azhar University in Cairo; the President of the Dialogue with Monotheistic Religions at Al-Azhar and Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis, the Anglican Bishop in Egypt.

Whilst recognising the great importance of continuing dialogue in this vital but difficult area and valuing the contribution of Christians of all traditions, there were statements made by Dr. Mouneer which caused me some concern. When asked to comment on the issues of conversions from Islam and the increase in attacks on Coptic Orthodox churches, Dr. Mouneer replied by:

stating that the Egyptian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion; quoting the Quran that “there is no compulsion in religion”; stating that most of the problems with conversion issues were within families rather than from outside agencies; and observing that, in his experience, the situation has improved greatly in the past 20 years.

It is certainly true that Article 46 of the Egyptian Constitution theoretically guarantees freedom of belief and the practice of religious rites; however, the Government places restrictions on these rights in practice, so it is misleading to quote this article without further qualification. Islam is not only the official state religion but, since the 1980 Constitutional amendment (article 2), Shari’a is the primary source of legislation effectively superseding article 46. Indeed, article 151 concerning the binding nature of International Laws and Treaties ratified by the Egyptian government, includes the qualification “taking into consideration the provisions of the Islamic Shari’a”.

Dr. Mouneer’s quotation from the Koran “Let there be no compulsion in religion ….” (Sura 2.256) is rather misleading as he must be aware that is a verse which is considered as abrogated (an-nàsakh wa’l'mansþkh) and is, at the very least, ambiguous.

Whilst there are undoubtedly many problems within families as a result of individual conversions, Dr. Mouneer must also know that current legislation makes conversion a dangerous course, at least for those converting from Islam to Christianity. There is no legal process by which religious identity can be officially amended, resulting in harsh measures against those who obtain illicit identity papers. Those who convert also lose many of their civil rights regarding inheritance, property rights and custody of children. Such inequalities in civil rights are the fundamental cause of problems for converts, rather than mere family tensions.

Since the violence and murders at El-Kosheh on New Year’s Eve 1999, instances of violence against Coptic Christians and Coptic Churches have increased both in frequency and in number. Several weeks of public rioting and sectarian protests in Alexandria last November does not suggest an improvement. On the contrary, international human rights groups are unanimously agreed that the situation has become more serious in the past few years.

As Your Grace well knows, the Coptic Orthodox Church under His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, has continued to pursue a positive and constructive dialogue with Islam and has actively supported the current Egyptian government in eschewing all forms of violence and extremism. The path of reason and moderation means that the Church prefers not to dwell on negative or divisive issues but equally the Pope’s measured yet unequivocal pronouncements against injustice and repeated assaults on Coptic Christians show the depth and potency of his concerns.

I am saddened that Dr. Mouneer has chosen to contribute to this dialogue with what some may see as a lack of frankness about the complex and profound problems faced by the Coptic Christians. Brotherly support from the Anglican community worldwide, and especially in Egypt is something much to be valued, but if it is to be of lasting value in enabling the diverse religious communities to live together in harmony, it is also necessary to highlight the source and reality of the problems which militate against this.

Commending myself to Your Grace’s prayers.

Yours very sincerely in XP,

Metropolitan Abba Seraphim
Metropolitan of Glastonbury

Cc. His Grace Bishop Angaelos
H.R.H. The Prince of Wales

WASHINGTON, March 20 /Christian Newswire/ — The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org is calling on Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai to defend religious freedom and freedom of conscience in his country by pardoning Abdul Rahman. Rahman is facing the death penalty for apostasy (rejecting Islam).

Rahman, who is about 41 years old, converted from Islam to Christianity over 16 years ago. He was turned in to authorities last month by his own family for rejecting Islam. Afghanistan’s new constitution declares that no law can be contrary to the religion of Islam, which radical Muslims say demands the death penalty for any Muslim who abandons their faith. However, Afghanistan’s constitution also demands that the state protect the liberty and dignity of all people, and affirms the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 18:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

As we do not believe the people of Afghanistan would have ratified a constitution that contradicts itself, ICC urges the government of Afghanistan to consider that Islam is not in conflict with this portion of the UN’s Declaration on Human Rights. In fact, the Qur’an itself supports freedom of conscience in view of Allah’s absolute authority as judge:

Surah 2:256 – “There is no compulsion in religion . . .”
Surah 16:82 – “Then, if they turn away, your duty (O Muhammad) is only to convey (the Message) in a clear way.”
Surah 42:48 – “But if they turn away (from Islam). We have not sent you as a Hafiz (watcher, protector) over them (to take care of their deeds and to recompense them). Your duty is to convey (the Message) . . .”
Surah 88:21-22 – “And so, (O Prophet!) exhort them, your task is only to exhort; you cannot compel them to believe.”

If even Muhammad was commanded not to carry out punishments on those who turned away from Islam, how much less should Afghanistan’s courts prosecute anyone who decides freely to convert to a different religion?

The Afghani authorities should drop this case immediately. Afghanistan has already had enough of religious extremism under the Taliban. The world is watching to see if Afghanistan has entered the 21st century. We urge Afghanistan not to return to the days of the Taliban.

ICC urges all concerned parties to contact the Embassy of Afghanistan to express their opposition to this violation of freedom of conscience and urge the immediate acquittal of Abdul Rahman. You can contact Afghanistan’s Ambassador Said T. Jawad at the addresses and phone numbers listed below:

Embassy of Afghanistan
2341 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202.483.6410
Fax: 202.483.6488
info@embassyofafghanistan.org

Stop and think about all of the major conflicts in the world today.

I believe that outlawing this religion of outlaws would end all of the problems.

But then we would be as bad as them.

I believe that the Islamist Manifesto is a sham, and that “Moderate Muslims” are deluding themselves.

But better that than nothing.

I believe that God is using the cult of Islam to bring about the end times, just as He used Judas Iscariot to do a foul and bloody deed that ended up accomplishing His will, if sadly.

But a positive ending will always require a painful catalyst for change.

Moslems, if you call yourselves moderates, I CHALLENGE YOU to read your scriptures and find out whether you can truly be a moderate and be 100% faithful to the scriptures you deem holy.

Look. You’re not a true Moslem anyway, so forget about living under the pretense of one; I KNOW YOU LIKE TO PRAY, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR BEING LOYAL TO HIM! BUT… Mohammed just stole the scriptures from the Jews and Christians, so if you switch to Christianity, you won’t have much to get used to… except you won’t have the free reign to kill, mistreat, or steal from your fellow humans. (Bummer, right?)

The (Not-So) Strange Case of Kareem Amer
By J. Ahmed Salib, M.D.

Al Azhar, the biggest and most prestigious Islamic university, expelled one of its promising law students this past Friday after the 22-year-old, Abdelkareem Nabil Soliman (nicknamed “Kareem Amer”) was called in to a disciplinary hearing where he expounded upon his blasphemous thoughts and ideas.

You see, Abdelkareem is a champion of human rights and women’s rights, which totally contradicts the fact that he is, in fact, a Moslem.

This newest happening in the life of young Abdelkareem shows that life, indeed, does bring us full circle.

The Egyptian youth, who lives in Alexandria, was an innocent bystander in the October Maharram Beh Riot that happened in the same neighborhood that he lives in.

He wrote an article on 23 October 2005, condemning the riot, and, indeed, the entire Islamic religion, and was subsequently arrested on 26 October 2005 for the inflammatory not-quite-rhetoric, entitled “The naked truth about Islam as I saw it in Maharram Beh.”

It first appeared on his blog (in Arabic), but you can read my translation here:

“The Muslims have taken the mask off to show their true hateful face, and they have shown the world that they are at the top of their brutality, inhumanity, and thievery.
They have clearly shown their worst features and have shown that in dealing with others they are not governed by any moral codes.

For as long as Islam exists on this planet all your efforts to end wars and disputes and upheavals will fail because Islam’s dirty finger will be found behind every catastrophic event to humanity.”

I am very surprised that it’s taken all these months for Abdelkareem to be expelled from Al Azhar, which is not only the biggest Islamic university in Egypt, but in the entire Islamic world!

There are two things to consider before taking sides, however. First, if Abdelkareem is so anti-Islamic, why should he waste his time at a school that is dedicated to Islam? Here is what his blog said this week about the matter:

“I am not sad! Would one be depressed and sad when he recuperates his freedom? As I was being investigated, I discovered- for the first time- that being a student at El Azhar University means I was a slave owned by it.

I thank it for having opened its doors to me so I could see the laboratories of brain-washing and two-legged bombs, where an innocent kid becomes a rotten swamp after a couple of years, from whom emanates the odors of hatred, violence, and rejection of the other! “ (Source: freecopts.blogspot.com)

The second thing to consider in this matter is that Al Azhar is actually financed by all the Egyptian taxpayers, which means that, in a rational system, everyone should be allowed to attend, since they all pay taxes. This is not the case in Islamic and anti-Coptic Egypt, however.

Did Abdelkareem blaspheme? He did. Is that a reason to have kicked him out? It depends.

In the U.S., it would be declared unconstitutional. Egypt, however, is not known for allowing free speech, no matter how true it is. Because I agree with young Abdelkareem: Until the tumor that is Islam is excised from the tissues of Egyptian society, and the world, for that matter, Egypt will never be a safe place for Christians and moderate Moslems. Any thinking person knows, however, that there is no such thing as a moderate anything, and especially not a moderate Moslem.

Abdelkareem hit the nail on the head, Osama bin Laden is a shining example of a practicing Moslem. Anyone to label themselves “secular Moslems” should realize that this is a sham, and officially convert out of Islam. This is like the wonderful lady Dr Wafaa Sultan. She spoke against the religion, but if she doesn’t practice it and she disagrees with it, then she should be called an atheist or something, rather than a secular Moslem. It is a toss-up about which label is worse to an Osama bin Laden-type: Secular Moslem, Infidel, or Western-Sympathizer.

May God keep Dr Sultan and Abdelkareem safe from the arrows of the Devil, from the clutches of the true Moslems, and lead them into the loving Arms of the Father.

J. Ahmed Salib, M.D.
Salib2000@hotmail.com
http://Ahmedsalib.wordpress.com