American Coptic Union Calls for U.S. Sanctions Against Egypt

Escalating Oppression Seeks to Destroy Coptic Christians

JERSEY CITY, NJ, Mar. 20 /Christian Newswire/ — The U.S. has turned a blind eye to Coptic Christians, as they continue to suffer human rights abuses under Egypt’s regime. In lieu of the escalating violence and oppression against the Copts, the American Coptic Union is asking Congress to intervene on behalf of those victimized, and impose economic sanctions against Egypt. Since the current U.S. foreign policy appeases Egypt’s regime actions against Coptic Christians, it will inevitably endanger America’s interests in Egypt and the Middle East because the eventual eradication of Coptic Christians in Egypt will cause the U.S. to lose its political leverage in the region.

Recent Acts of Violence, Oppression and Subjugation

Murder of Copts by Muslims in Cairo
On March 9, 2007, two Coptic Christians were killed by Muslims in Imbabah, Cairo. Atta Attia and his son Magdy, were gunned down in front of their home by a group of Muslims who were waiting to murder them. The District Attorney investigating the case did not prosecute any of the Muslim attackers, but rather accused Attia’s second son, Essmat, of carrying a weapon, even though no weapon was found. As usual, the Egyptian authorities sought to protect the perpetrators and punish the victims.

Muslims Raid Christian Village in Armant, Qina Province
Christian villages have become the target of systematic persecution and violence by the Egyptian authorities. The most recent of these attacks was on February 22, 2007, when Muslims raided a Coptic Christian village in Armant, Upper Egypt. As a result, many homes and businesses belonging to Christians were set on fire and destroyed.

Report by Compass Direct

Report by United Press International

Direct threats against Copts in the US by the Patriarch and Egyptian Government
As a result of the American Coptic Union’s growing support against Article 2 of Egypt’s Constitution, Shenouda III, (the current disputed Patriarch on behalf of Egypt’ regime and the Muslim Brotherhood), publicly warned Copts against calling for the cancellation of Article 2. Shenouda has said that he fully endorses Article 2.

Shenouda’s message is disturbing because Article 2 calls for the implementation of Sharia Law as the main source of legislation in Egypt. This law seriously discriminates against Christians, women and non- Muslim minorities, thus encouraging violence against them. Copts have been targeted by Muslims for increased attacks as a result of Article 2.

Shenouda has also publicly supported the Muslim takeover of Jerusalem, and has called for America to stop supporting Israel. He has said publicly that the Al Aqsa Mosque should be protected by Muslims and must be taken from the Jews.

The American Coptic Union questions Shenouda’s motives, as his fiery speeches have only served to spread increased hatred against Copts, and have created an even greater anger among , Christians, Catholic, and Protestant, and Jews. And while aligning himself as a sympathetic and vocally active supporter of Egypt’s Arab Muslim agenda, Shenouda has done nothing to protect his flock. He has, instead, aligned himself with despicable actions perpetrated by the Egyptian government by cooperating in the cover up of numerous crimes against the Copts. He has also flagrantly compromised the safety and future security of the Copts by shamelessly aiding and abetting the Egyptian government in its forward movement to destabilize and eradicate the Coptic culture in Egypt, through continued persecution, fear and infiltration.

Egypt’s Persecution of a Muslim Sympathizer with Israel
During the recent espionage trial of Muhammed Ghunaim Al Attar, a Canadian Egyptian Muslim who was communicating with Israeli Jews, Mr. Hussein Abdu Ghany, Al Jazeera’s Cairo correspondent, said “According to Egyptian official sources this trial is a warning to the Copts in the US.” Not only was Al Attar arrested, but warrants were issued to three Israelis who were associated with him as well. Al Attar’s trial was understood to be a confirmation of this treat by Egyptian authorities against Coptic activists.

AHN Media Corp. Global News: Egypt Forbids Christians to Make Easter Pilgrimage to Israel as Egyptian Stands Trial as Spy For Israel

United Press International reports that the Egyptian government has banned Coptic Christians from traveling to Israel.

Another Coptic Bishop to be exiled by Egypt
Destroying the Coptic culture and religion is an ongoing process by the Egyptian government. Last month, Bishop Kerrolus of Nagah Hamadi, in Upper Egypt, was sent to a trial to excommunicate and exile him from his diocese. Many of his followers attended the trial to protest this action.
Bishop Kerrolus is the sixth bishop to be excommunicated and exiled. The other five are:

Bishop Armonious of Luxor,
Bishop Taklah of Deshnah,
Bishop Bafnatious of Samalutt,
Bishop Mina of Al Mina,
Bishop Mittias of Al Mahallah

With the help of Shenouda, Egypt’s regime has adopted a policy of excommunication and exile for these bishops who were helping their own parishioners and actively seeking to stop the forced conversion of Coptic Christians into Islam.

The American Coptic Union believes that Bishop Kerrolus’ involvement in the release of two kidnapped Christian girls by Muslim men in April of 2006 is the reason for his eventual excommunication and exile.

While living in Egypt, George Bebawi, a respected Coptic professor and dean of the Indiana Orthodox School for Christian Studies, was also exiled for his outspokenness against the Egyptian Patriarch. Dr. Bebawi, a popular figure among the Copts in both the U.S. and Egypt, has recently accused Shenouda of heresy and of spreading the teachings of Islam.

Egypt Continues to Include Article 2 in its Constitution
Despite the call by millions of Christian and moderate Muslims in Egypt to get rid of Article 2 from the constitution, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has joined forces with the Muslim Brotherhood to fight hard to include this article. .

The American Coptic Union implores the U.S. government to stop the Egyptian government from the continued violence and subjugation against the Coptic Christians before their presence in Egypt is completely destroyed.

http://compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&lang=en&length=long&idelement=4780&backpage=summaries

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?StoryID=20070214-015459-9320r

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006709348

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/egypt_bans_easter_pilgrimage_to_jerusalem/20070308-101725-9436r/

Defund The War – by Rep. Ron Paul

The $124 billion supplemental appropriation is a good bill
to oppose. I am pleased that many of my colleagues will
join me in voting against this measure.

If one is unhappy with our progress in Iraq after four
years of war, voting to de-fund the war makes sense. If
one is unhappy with the manner in which we went to war,
without a constitutional declaration, voting no makes
equally good sense.

Voting no also makes the legitimate point that the
Constitution does not authorize Congress to direct the
management of any military operation – the president
clearly enjoys this authority as Commander in Chief.

But Congress just as clearly is responsible for making
policy, by debating and declaring war, raising and equipp-
ing armies, funding military operations, and ending
conflicts that do not serve our national interests.

Congress failed to meet its responsibilities four years
ago, unconstitutionally transferring its explicit war power
to the executive branch. Even though the administration
started the subsequent preemptive war in Iraq, Congress
bears the greatest responsibility for its lack of courage
in fulfilling its duties. Since then Congress has obedient-
ly provided the funds and troops required to pursue this
illegitimate war.

We won’t solve the problems in Iraq until we confront
our failed policy of foreign interventionism. This latest
appropriation does nothing to solve our dilemma. Micro-
managing the war while continuing to fund it won’t help
our troops.

Here’s a new approach: Congress should admit its mistake
and repeal the authority wrongfully given to the executive
branch in 2002. Repeal the congressional sanction and
disavow presidential discretion in starting wars. Then
start bringing our troops home.

If anyone charges that this approach does not support the
troops, take a poll. Find out how reservists, guardsmen,
and their families – many on their second or third tour
in Iraq – feel about it.

The constant refrain that bringing our troops home would
demonstrate a lack of support for them must be one of the
most amazing distortions ever foisted on the American
public. We’re so concerned about saving face, but whose
face are we saving? A sensible policy would save American
lives and follow the rules laid out for Congress in the
Constitution – and avoid wars that have no purpose.

The claim that it’s unpatriotic to oppose spending more
money in Iraq must be laid to rest as fraudulent.

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We should pass a resolution that expresses congressional
opposition to any more undeclared, unconstitutional,
unnecessary, preemptive wars. We should be building a
consensus for the future that makes it easier to end our
current troubles in Iraq.

It’s amazing to me that this Congress is more intimidated
by political propagandists and special interests than the
American electorate, who sent a loud, clear message about
the war in November. The large majority of Americans now
want us out of Iraq.

Our leaders cannot grasp the tragic consequence of our
policies toward Iraq for the past 25 years. It’s time we
woke them up.

We are still by far the greatest military power on earth.
But since we stubbornly refuse to understand the nature of
our foes, we are literally defeating ourselves.

In 2004, bin Laden stated that al-Qaeda’s goal was to
bankrupt the United States. His second in command,
Zawahiri, is quoted as saying that the 9/11 attack would
cause Americans to, “come and fight the war personally on
our sand where they are within rifle range.”

Sadly, we are playing into their hands. This $124 billion
appropriation is only part of the nearly $1 trillion in
military spending for this year’s budget alone. We should
be concerned about the coming bankruptcy and the crisis
facing the U.S. dollar.

We have totally failed to adapt to modern warfare. We’re
dealing with a small, nearly invisible enemy – an enemy
without a country, a government, an army, a navy, an air
force, or missiles. Yet our enemy is armed with suicidal
determination, and motivated by our meddling in their
regional affairs, to destroy us.

And as we bleed financially, our men and women in Iraq die
needlessly while the injured swell Walter Reed hospital.
Our government systematically undermines the Constitution
and the liberties it’s supposed to protect – for which it
is claimed our soldiers are dying in faraway places.

Only with the complicity of Congress have we become a
nation of preemptive war, secret military tribunals,
torture, rejection of habeas corpus, warrantless searches,
undue government secrecy, extraordinary renditions, and
uncontrollable spying on the American people. The greatest
danger we face is ourselves: what we are doing in the name
of providing security for a people made fearful by
distortions of facts. Fighting over there has nothing to
do with preserving freedoms here at home. More likely the
opposite is true.

Surely we can do better than this supplemental
authorization. I plan to vote no.