The Status of Coptic in Egypt as of 2010
Stop The Genocide of Coptic Christians by Msulims , The so called ?religion of peace? has been causing systematic and frequent ethnic cleansing against Christians to wipe them from their homeland a ?Coptic Holocaust?.
The Report on the Status of Copts in Egypt 2010
By U.S. Copts Association & The Copts of Central Florida
http://www.copts.com/english/
USA Foreign aid to Egypt since 1970s: $50 billions
According to the Refworld since 1990-2008 the Number of Christian Coptic died in Egypt is over 20,000 in 1995 alone 415 Copts died on the hands of Muslim militant. That figure does not include kidnappings, rape and other assaults.
I know many of you are watching the full impact of the deteriorating civil rights and human rights in the Middle East, and Egypt in particular unfold with deep concern for our Christian brethren there. The Christians are suffering on the hand of Muslim government in Egypt. As recent as last week Jan 6th 2010, in a town in Southern Egypt (Nag Hammadi) a three car filled with men carrying machine guns and other firearms fired at the crowds killing boys and men ages 15-29. This is not but one of many genocide cases that attempt to use Christians as bait to attract USA Counter Terrorism foreign funding to their claim that there is terrorism in Egypt when in fact it is the government that support this genocide. Any funding to Egypt will not insure equality and civil rights to Christians, but more of the same lies. Please allow me to add a note of special concern for the Coptic minority who are suffering daily on the hand of the majority, and to correct a common misperception here in the West that it is a common ?sectarian strife? the correct terminology is ?genocide?. The so called ?religion of peace? has been causing systematic and frequent ethnic cleansing against Christians to wipe them from their homeland a ?Coptic Holocaust?. Just like in the days of Hitler ?s Jewish holocaust, Christians business are burned, broken into, their women and girls are raped and taken force into marriages, their boys and men are killed. Appeasement policy will not work. American policy makers need to know the Truth and identify among the many lies. We, the US Copts Associations are tired off playing politically correct games. Before you vote any further aids and commit USA to any further engagement with the current Egyptian government, investigate the connection to Islamic groups such as the ?muslim brotherhood?, ?el shabab?, ?el moujahdeen? ?Jamaa Islamiya? etc.. to the government which is run by them. The United Nations (UN) Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) also states that Christians are discriminated against with regard to employment in the public sector (17 Apr. 2006).
Why USA should care?
First and foremost, it is important to note that to protect United States interest in the region and a strong moderate Christian and pro western group such as the Copts will benefit the Middle-East situation greatly.
Second, because these so called militants groups begin their operation and training on Coptic Christians and then they send (suicide bombers, money,& guns) to Al Qaeda, which in turn attack the USA and other westernnations. Take the example of (Mohammed Atef, who many reports say was the military chief of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, was formerly an Egyptian policeman).
Finally, they finance their operation using the USA aid which works against US international counter terrorism efforts.
We also believe that the USA is indirectly aiding terrorism in the region, by funding Mubark?s govt. "Aid offers an easy way out for Egypt to avoid reform," says Edward Walker, the US ambassador to Egypt from 1994 to 1998. "They use the money to support antiquated programs and to resist reforms." If foreign aid is a must, then strong strings must be attached to every dollar to provide equality to the Coptic to have representation in Egyptian parliament and employment ratios, to be allowed to build and renovate their churches without presidential approvals, place Egypt in strong trade and economic sanctions. Just like in the days of civil rights in this country laws have been placed to help promote equality in Egypt. Currently, no laws are in place to protect Coptic minority (10% of the population). These are but few examples of what the USA demands should be before you vote more money to the current Egyptian government. 1. A Secular Egyptian State- Separation of Religion from State.
2. No to ?Muslim Sheria Laws? in Egyptian laws.
3. A massive Educational Reform to clean up the curriculum from any and all religious Koran phrases and references to Muslim prophets and jihad benefits.
4. All references to ?Infidels and Pigs? that deserve death and burn that Muslim Imams call out to non Muslims should be punishable to prison sentences.
5. Head of States and State Security personal should provide proper apologizes to all the inhumane actions that were done against the Coptic Christians that went under their leadership.
6. A reform in the public Media, radio and newspapers to remove any Islamic fundamentalism from their leadership and to call for accuracy and removal of censorship restrictions when it comes to Coptic news coverage.
7. Provide Equality, Justice, and Civil rights to all Egyptians minority (gender, religion, and race). So they can choose any religion with no fear of government action against ex-Muslims.
8. A UN International Court create a board of lawyers expert in the subject of equality, religion persecutions and civil rights to be formed to seek restitutions for all of the Coptic who lost family member in the past or the future to Islamic jihad movement or government abuse of power in detainee individuals for months without any charges.
9. USA should open immigration to any individual/family that are Christians living in Muslims Countries until this matter is resolved as was done during the Holocaust with the Jewish People, and to pressure all Muslims States that have Christian minority to follow these 8 demands mentioned above if they would to receive any further aid or military aid.
10. A Stop to all the Muslim propaganda in the western world that calls for Jihad as is not true Islam; moreover, that Islam is peace when in fact Islam and Jihad is inseparable. Islam calls for death to all non-Muslims regardless of who they are (Christians, Westerners, Jewish, atheist, gays, etc..)
Here is recent changes in the political environment that have not only led to increase of the genocide of Copts in Egypt, but also the total disregard of international human rights laws:
The results of the September 2005 election were predictably lopsided, with Mubarak winning 88 percent of the vote. His main opponent, Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party chairman Ayman Nour, took just 8 percent; having been charged earlier in the year with forging signatures in his party's petition for a license, Nour was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison a few months after the election. Three rounds of legislative elections in November and December 2005 featured a strong showing by members of the formally banned ?Muslim Brotherhood?, who ran as independents. The Brotherhood increased its representation in the parliament six fold, to 88 of 454 seats. Still, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) remained dominant. Voter turnout was low, and violent attacks on opposition voters by security forces and pro-government thugs abounded. Judges criticized the government for failing to prevent voter intimidation and refused to certify the election results, prompting the authorities to suppress judicial independence in 2006.
The government postponed the 2006 municipal elections until 2008 and began a renewed crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. pressure for democratic reform had subsided after the Brotherhood's recent gains and the victory of Hamas in the January 2006 Palestinian elections. In March 2007, a set of 34 constitutional amendments were submitted to a national vote. Official reports stated that only 25 percent of eligible voters participated; with 76 percent of those approving the proposals, but independent monitors put the turnout closer to 5 percent. Opposition leaders boycotted the referendum on the grounds that the amendments would limit judicial monitoring of elections and prohibit the formation of political parties based on religious principles.
In February, the Supreme Administrative Court found that Christians who had converted to Islam and wanted to return to Christianity were permitted to do so. Anti-Christian employment discrimination is evident in the public sector, especially the security services and military. The government frequently denies or delays permission to build and repair churches.
According to Freedom in the World 2009 index published by the Freedom house organization-
Egypt -Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Several sources report that Christians face discrimination in Egypt (HRW Jan. 2007; US 15 Sept. 2006; Freedom House 1 Sept. 2006). More specifically, Freedom House reports that Egyptian Christians are subject to discrimination in employment, that they are denied authorization for building or repairing churches or face delays in obtaining such authorization, that several Coptic villagers have been killed and that there have been "frequent attacks on Coptic homes, businesses and churches in recent years" (1 Sept. 2006). The US Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report 2006 also reports that Christian churches faced difficulty or lengthy delays in obtaining building or renovation permits despite a presidential decree issued in December 2005 delegating permit approval to provincial governors and allowing basic repairs and maintenance subject to written notification (15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; HRWF 19 Dec. 2005).
Although sources indicate that the government discriminates against Christians in public sector hiring practices and there are no Christians serving as heads of public universities (The Christian Science Monitor 8 Dec. 2005; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; UN 30 Oct. 2005), a Coptic Christian was appointed one of Egypt's 26 governors in early 2006 (MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II), another was appointed a judge in the Supreme Constitutional Court and there is some representation of Christians in politics (ibid.). The United Nations (UN) Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) also states that Christians are discriminated against with regard to employment in the public sector; nevertheless, following the 2005 parliamentary elections, half of the executive appointments to the People's Assembly were Coptic Christians (17 Apr. 2006).
Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. The information has been carefully selected and compiled from UNHCR's global network of field offices, Governments, international, regional and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and judicial bodies. Below is a detailed timeline of the many incidents that show Coptic persecutions from 1990-2010; due to the increase in telecommunication that made gathering and aggregating this data possible more than ever.
Chronology for Copts in Egypt 1990-2010
Date(s) Item
1990 In Minshiat at Nassar (310 km s. of Cairo) workers repairing a Church are attacked by Islamic Militants.
Mar 1990 Rumors that Copts are using Muslim girls in a white slave trade prompts two weeks of violence in Abu Quraqa (250 kms s. of Cairo). Churches, shops, houses and cars are firebombed and two Christians are kidnapped but there are no deaths or injuries.(Note: There are constant complaints of harassment by Islamic militants during this period. This harassment includes, as noted earlier, the spreading of false rumors, extortion and violence up to and including murder, often with the tacit approval or even participation of local officials. Such incidents, short of murder, will not be noted here unless they deserve special attention.)
Jun 1990 A Christian liquor store owner is attacked by Islamic militants with swords and chains. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 10, 1990 President Mubarak, in an attempt to appease Copts, gives five of the ten Presidentially appointed seats in Egypt's Parliament to Copts.
Jun 1991 Due to rumors that he was engaging in homosexual relations with Muslim men, a Copt pharmacy owner in Komumbo (near Aswan) who is a member of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights is arrested and detained without charge for 45 days. Fifteen days after his release, his shop is vandalized by "six masked youths" who threaten his family and force him to leave town. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 20 - 22, 1991 Militant Muslims commit a wave of violence against Christian churches and shops in Imbabah, a suburb of Cairo. Police refuse to take reports of many incidents and discourage future reports. Some Copts who attempt to make reports are arrested. Also, after being harassed by a Muslim customer, a Christian butcher shoots and wounds him. No Muslims were arrested.
Mar 11, 1992 3 people are killed and more injured in a gun battle between Christians and Muslims in the village of Sanbau (350 kms s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Mar 30, 1992 In a speech, President Mubarak alludes to the attacks against Copts when he criticizes "ethnic fanaticism"
Apr 29, 1992 A church is stoned in Imbabah.
May 4, 1992 11 Copts and two Muslims attempting to defend them are killed by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Sanabu. The authorities dismiss this as being part of a local "blood feud."
Jul 16, 1992 Legislation directed against Islamic militants decreeing the death penalty for anyone engaging in acts of "terrorism" is passed.
Oct 27, 1992 Four gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Christian jeweler and his assistant. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 1, 1992 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, wound 10 Copts in an attack on a bus returning to Dayrut (310 kms s. of Cairo) from Cairo. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 20, 1992 A Coptic weekly, Al-Watan, urges the government to stop what is called a new invasion of the schools by Islamic extremists. Headmasters are discriminating against Copts and forcing female students to wear veils. "Fanatic teachers" are also discriminating against their Coptic students. The Article notes that the government is opposed to this but is not doing enough to stop it.
Dec 23, 1992 The Christian Science Monitor reports the smuggling of weapons to Islamic Extremists from the Sudan.
Jan 4, 1993 In two separate assaults, gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill one Copt and wound another. A Coptic church in Dayrut is firebombed. No arrest was ever made
Feb 23, 1993 In a Reuters article, Copts complain of discrimination including: job discrimination; discrimination by government both in the awarding of scholarships and upper government jobs; an informal Muslim boycott of Copt stores; discrimination and segregation by teachers and school officials; and the removal of all reference to Copts and Christianity from many school curriculums. This has resulted in the emigration of as much as a half million in the past ten years. Although the government protects the Copts from physical threats, the Copts complain that most government action is due to the threats to the state and foreign tourists rather than any concern for the Copts.
Mar 1, 1993 Egypt bans from mosques "scholars preaching militant thoughts" due to attacks upon tourists and Christians. (Note: the government has been engaging in increasing levels of repression against Islamic militants throughout this period. This ranges from arrests to gun battles involving hundreds of police, government troops and Islamic militants. For the most part, the details of these actions are not documented here. Also, as noted earlier, many believe that this government action is due to the threat the militants pose to the state and foreign tourists rather and to the Western influence, than any wish to protect the Copts.)
Mar 1993 A report issued by the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights accuses the government of abdicating its responsibility to protect Christians from Islamic extremists. It notes that attacks occur in the sight and sometimes with the help of security and local government authorities. It further accuses the government of doing little about such incidents until it became clear that they were also a threat to "the political system and the lives of those in power."
Apr 19, 1993 Youssef Boutros Ghali (the nephew of the UN Secretary General), a Copt, is the only appointed Secretary of State.
Apr 20, 1993 A Copt school teacher is shot and wounded in Dayrut by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants. Five Islamic militants are arrested in Aswan for planning to violently disrupt an non-Muslim festival which coincides with the Coptic Easter. Released soon after.
Apr 24, 1993 Assailants, believed to be Islamic militants, attack with knives and wound two Coptic high school students. No arrest were ever made.
May 1993 Muslims in Tima (400 kms s. of Cairo) go on a rampage in revenge for the death of a Muslim at a Christian's hand last October leaving six Copts dead and considerable property damage.
May 19, 1993 In a roundup of Islamic militants, the government seizes numerous books, cassettes and videotapes calling for violence and discrimination against the Copts.
Jul 22, 1993 A Copt physician is shot by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Manfalout (350 km south of Cairo). No arrest were ever made.
Aug 8, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Dayrut wound a Copt in his brother's pharmacy. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 24, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Christian student in Anboub (300 kms. s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Sep 21, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Copt schoolteacher in Dayrut. No arrest was ever made.
Oct 20, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, open fire in a Christian owned pharmacy killing one and injuring two. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 27, 1994 A senior Copt police official is wounded in an attack by gunmen believed to be Islamic militants. His driver and bodyguard are killed. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 4, 1994 An Islamic militant, believed to be guilty of two shooting attacks on Coptic churches in Mir (300 kms s. of Cairo) in the previous week, is arrested.
Mar 11, 1994 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill 5 including two monks outside a church in Qussiyah (300 kms s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Apr 25, 1994 Egyptians are upset at an upcoming convention on minorities in the Middle East. They say that the Copts are not a minority and are an integral part of Egyptian society. They attribute the conference to foreign interference.
Jun 26, 1994 A Coptic weekly accuses the government of working to increase the wave of bigotry, antipathy and hatred against Copts.
Jul 17, 1994 Pope Shenouda III of the Egyptian Coptic Church in an outspoken interview complains of discrimination against Copts in Egypt. He says that Copts play little part in public life and face problems building and repairing churches. He complains that Copts have trouble obtaining voting cards from police, thus preventing many of them from voting. He also refers to Copts being killed by Islamic militants in southern Egypt and Copt houses being destroyed without compensation from the state.
Sep 1, 1994 Islamic militants shoot dead 2 policemen guarding a Coptic church in southern Egypt. Note: In general the government actively opposes attacks by Islamic militants on Copts and prosecutes the perpetrators of these attacks to the full extent of the law. This is probably more a result the fact that the Islamic militants oppose the government than a desire to protect the Copts.
Nov 11, 1994 Islamic militants kill 2 men in southern Egypt including a Christian government official. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 22, 1994 Suspected Islamic militants kill a Christian security guard in the southern Egyptian province of Minya. No arrest was ever made.
Feb 25, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Christian civilian and wound another in a southern Egyptian village. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 11, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Copt village elder in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 31, 1995 2 policemen guarding a Coptic church are shot dead by suspected Islamic militants. No arrest was ever made.
Jun 4, 1995 Islamic militants seeking to avenge a dead relative kill 9 people, including 3 Copts, in 4 separate attacks in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Jun 8, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a wealthy Copt pharmacist for making a donation of property to his local parish. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 13, 1995 6 are killed after a fight breaks out over a Copt girl who converted to Islam in a northern Egyptian province. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 29 - 30, 1995 In 2 separate incidents, suspected Islamic militants shoot dead 4 Copts in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 2, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Copt who works for a local council in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 7, 1995 According to the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, within the past 10 months, Islamic extremists have assassinated 74 police and 24 Copts in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 4, 1995 Gunmen in a car shot dead three copts Christian men and wounded two others in a hit and run attack near the town of Abu Qurqas, In a separate attack in the same area and at the same time, gunmen shot and killed policeman Mustafa Khalil Mohamed. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 9, 1995 Forty Copts e were killed and between 400-700 injured during Egypt?s general elections. Thousands of Christians could not find their names on the lists and constituencies where Copts ran as candidates, their radicals distributed leaflets saying Muslims should not vote for non-Muslims. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 12, 1995 President Mubarak appointed 10 MPs and the Speaker using his constitutional privilege to enlarge the assembly with women and members of the Coptic community.
Jan 12, 1996 A Christian farmer was killed by unidentified gunmen in the village of Abu Obeid in Minya Province. No arrest was ever made.
Feb 26, 1996 Eight Copts and three others were killed in Assuit Provicne in Southern Egypt. At least 47 people have died in the past two moths in Assuit and Menia Provinces. Most of these were policemen and suspected police informers (non-Copts). In a separate incident mobs set fire to 41 houses in a predominantly-Christian village in the governate of Sharqiya after a row over a reported Church expansion. Four were injured and 50 arrested in the incident. Released soon after.
Mar 8, 1996 Jailed leader (El Qusi) of the radical Jamaa Islamiya group in southern Egypt was quoted as having ordered his followers to lay down their arms before a deluge of blood overtakes us all. He said he particularly regretted acts of violence against government officials, policemen, Copts and tourists. He called the killing of Copts horrendous acts which Islamic Sharia law denounces.
Apr 24, 1996 Human Rights groups in Egypt joined hands in a legal battle to end alleged discrimination against the country?s Coptic minority. They wish to strike off the 140-year-old Ottoman law which, in effect, bans construction of and repairs to churches by requiring a presidential decree in each individual case.
Aug 7, 1996 The body of a Coptic student was found in the vicinity of Abu Qurqas. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 26, 1996 Four, including three Copts, were killed in the southern village of Nazlet Roman near the town of Abu Qurqas in Minya province. One Copt was also wounded in the attack. The five were members of the newly-formed patrols encouraged by the government to help police hunt militants using nearby fields and mountains as hideouts. A total of 23 people, not all of them Copts, have been killed in attacks during August. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 4, 1996 The American Coptic Union urged the U.S. Congress to investigate the killings of Christians in Egypt and to postpone aid to Egypt until basic rights and security were secured for all citizens. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 24, 1997 A new political party, al Wasat, was launched. Its members are Copts and former members of the Muslim Brotherhood and its goal is to heal the breaches between the two religions. It is not viewed as strong or very likely to have much influence over Egyptian politics.
Feb 1997 The State Department?s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996 reported that during 1996 at least 22 Copts were killed in upper Egypt where 30-40% of the population are Christians. There were also reports of acts of violence against Coptic Churches and Copt-owned businesses. Government discriminatory practices against the Coptic community included: suspected statistical underrepresentation of the size of the Christian population; anti-Christian discrimination in education; production of some Islamic television programs with anti-Christian themes; job discrimination in the police, armed forces and other agencies.
Feb 12, 1997 Ten Coptic youth were killed in an attack on a Church in southern Egypt. The youth were attending a prayer service at the Church. Police believed the killings were orchestrated by the group Gama?a al-Islamiya, the largest of the militant Islamic organizations in the country. The Gama?a has attacked the Coptic community only sporadically, concentrating attacks on police and police informers regardless of religion, and they denied involvement in this attack. Muslim and Christian community leaders have unanimously condemned the attacks. It was the worst attack on the Coptic community in almost a year. Police also suspect the same gunmen in an attack which killed three Coptic Christians. They were found dead near Abu Qurqas in Minya Province. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 15, 1997 Gunmen killed 13, including nine Copts, in a predominantly Christian hamlet 300 miles south of Cairo. Though attacks on the Coptic community have increased in recent months, the overall level of violence has sharply decreased from a peak of 415 deaths in 1995 to 187 during 1996, and Islamic militants are clearly on the defensive.( Article from:Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Mar 22, 1997 A total of 21 Copts were killed by Islamic extremists in February and there was a growing fear that there could be a migration of Copts from Southern Egypt because of the growing fear of attack. (AP)
Apr 10, 1997 Copts were killed in two attacks. A total of 13 Copts were killed by Islamic militants who released a statement clarifying that the Copts had not been targeted specifically. (Facts On File) No arrest was ever made.
May 3, 1997 The Interior Minister said that one of the faults of the ?Muslim brotherhood? group was that they want to segregate the Copts. (BBC)
Oct 14, 1997 Two Copts and nine police were killed by militants in the South. (New York Times). No arrest was ever made.
May 23, 1998 Petty discrimination was reported to be endemic against Copts. The US congress was considering sanctions against states, including Egypt, where religious persecution was evident. In Egypt there has been a relaxation of laws forbidding the building of churches and some seized church land has been returned.
Aug 18, 1998 The Coptic Pope said that there is no persecution of Copts in Egypt He tears up and cries on TV. (BBC). He was visited by government officials and warned. Makes you wonder who pressures him to these claims?
Oct 12, 1998 A US congressmen visited Egypt to investigate the treatment of the Copts. The visit was a follow-up to an earlier congressional consideration to place sanctions on Egypt for religious persecution. Two Copts had been found dead on August 12. Police were accused of brutally torturing hundreds of Copts. (UPI) No arrest was ever made.
1998?2000 The city of Sohag in Upper Egypt witnesses some of the fiercest clashes between Muslim and Christians in the village of the Kosheh. The clashes begin with the murder of a Muslim, an incident which spurred a violent backlash against Christians. More than 20 people are killed and more than 1200 Copts are arrested.
2004 Copts protest, with some going on hunger strike over the conversion of Wafaa Constantine, the wife of a clergyman, from Christianity to Islam. Constantine is initially placed under the protection of security forces, but is returned to the church following further protests.
2004 Copts protest, with some going on hunger strike over the conversion of Wafaa Constantine, the wife of a clergyman, from Christianity to Islam. Constantine is initially placed under the protection of security forces, but is returned to the church following further protests.
2004 Pope Shenouda again goes into seclusion in Wadi el-Natroun
2004 A Coptic church in Minya is attacked and 25 people are arrested. No information on their trials or verdict.
2005 A CD of a church play depicting Prophet Mohamed negatively?and, according to some reports, showing him as an anti-Christ figure?spurs a series of angry protests by Muslims, especially in Alexandria, where the church is based and the CD of the play heavily circulated.
April 2005 The International Religious Freedom Report 2006 indicates that, in April 2005, nine Coptic Christians received minor injuries in a fire that was set in an unlicensed church (US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II).
Also in April 2005, Bahaa el-Akkad (or Baha Al-Accad), a Muslim sheikh, was arrested for "insulting Islam" and was imprisoned for converting to Christianity (Compass Direct News 18 Oct. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; Release International Dec. 2006). El-Akkad was still in detention as of December 2006 (ibid.).
21 October 2005, A clash erupted between Muslims and Christians in the city of Alexandria as Muslims were angered by the distribution of a film that they considered offensive or derogatory towards Muslims (AFP 21 Oct. 2005; UN 30 Oct. 2005; CSCE 9 Nov. 2005). Although AFP reports that "there were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests" (21 Oct. 2005), IRIN indicates that three Copts Christians were killed in the riots (UN 30 Oct. 2005) while other sources report that four Copts Christians were killed (CSCE 9 Nov. 2005; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Par. 41.21). Regarding these incidents of sectarian clashes and violence, the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) states that government officials and the media view them as exceptions to the rule of "national unity" (28 Apr. 2006). Again no arrest was made.
Dec 2005 According to an article in The Christian Science Monitor, sectarian violence in Egypt has increased because of discrimination against Copts (8 Dec. 2005). The article also reports that, in late 2004, there was a clash between police and thousands of Christians protesting the alleged forced conversion to Islam of a priest's wife (The Christian Science Monitor 8 Dec. 2005; see also MERIP 28 Apr. 2006). Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the remaining Christians still in detention for their participation in the protest were released in January 2005 (4 Jan. 2005).
April 2006 A Muslim man conducted a series of "knife attacks" at three Alexandria churches which resulted in the death of a Christian man, Noshi (or Nushi) Atta Girgis, and injuries to several other Christians (ibid.; MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; AFP 14 Apr. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Para. 41.27). Clashes erupted between Muslims and Christians during the funeral of Girgis, which took place the following day, and resulted in injuries and arrests of several followers of both faiths (HRWF 18 Apr. 2006; MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; see also UN 17 Apr. 2006). No arrest was ever made.
Jan. 2006 More specifically, the clash that erupted between Muslims and Christians in January 2006 took place in the village of el-Udaysaat, near the city of Luxor (AFP 20 Jan. 2006; UN 24 Jan. 2006; Compass 20 Jan. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II). Hundreds of Muslims surrounded a building that had been used intermittently as an unlicensed Christian church and vandalized the property and attempted to set the building on fire (ibid.; AFP 20 Jan. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Para. 41.22; Compass 20 Jan. 2006). Eleven Egyptians were reportedly injured and one Coptic Christian, Kamaal Shaker, was killed as a results of these events (ibid.; HRWF 21 Jan. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Par. 41.22; AFP 20 Jan. 2006). No arrest was ever made.
2006 According to IRIN, two incidents of violence against Copts occurred in Egypt: one in October 2005 in the city of Alexandria and one in January 2006 in the city of Luxor (17 Apr. 2006 No arrest was ever made.
2006 Muslims attack Christians for holding prayers in an ?unauthorized? church in Udayssat near Luxor on the eve of Epiphany services. No arrest was ever made.
2006 Four churches in Alexandria are attacked by a knife-wielding Muslim. The attacker stabs and kills a 78-year-old Coptic man. The government later says that the attacker was ?mentally deranged.? Riots ensue for several weeks as Muslims and Christians burn each others? shops and attacking businesses. During the funeral of the murdered Copt, Muslims reportedly pelt the funeral with stones. The church fails to control its youth, who clash with Muslims using batons and sticks. No arrest was ever made.
2007 Muslims burn down at least 25 houses, in addition to shops, belonging to Christians in the village of Bamha on the outskirts of Giza. The Christians are accused of holding prayers in an unauthorized church. A dozen Copts are injured and 59 Muslims are arrested. Again no verdict was made.
2007 In Alexandria a fight between two children, the son of a Christian and the son of a mosque imam, escalates into several injuries and 4 Copts died. No arrest was ever made.
2007 A romance between a Christian man and a Muslim woman in Alexandria leads to Christians and Muslims rioting, brawling, attacking each other with broken glass, throwing stones at each others? property, and destroying public property in protest of the ?scandalous? affair.
2008 Copts in the monastery of Saint Fana (Abu Fana), including monks, are attacked in January in Minya. The Muslim gang destroys property. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 2009 Coptic priest who got the death fatwa for trying to convert part of his house into a prayer hall a after a rampaging Muslim mob burned their church down with the full knowledge - and probably collusion -of State Security. According to Middle East Christian Association (MECA). He was not allowed back in the village nor his house, which was confiscated. The closest church is 5 kilometers away in a place where many are simple farmers without any transportation. He perform marriages and ceremonies on the road.
2009 An Egyptian court sentenced two Christian men to death on Sunday for killing the Muslim husband of a female relative who converted to Islam against the wishes of her family, court sources said.
The brother and uncle of Mariam Atef Khilla were convicted of breaking into her Cairo home in 2008 and opening fire on her and her family, killing her husband. She was raped and kidnapped by the man who later forced her into marriage blackmailed by pictures of the rape to stay with the man.
Jan. 6 2010 As recent as last week, in a town (Nag Hamadi,) a three car filled with men carrying machine guns and firearms fired at the crowds after midnight mass in church killing 8 boys and men ages 15-29. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 13 2010 Intimidation of the Coptic Church and Christians in Nag Hammadi, and neighboring Bahgoura, by carrying out random arrests of Christian youth. The campaign against Christians started on Friday January 7, 2010 and is continuing; multiple members of families have been arrested without warrants. Most arrests are being carried at dawn. More than one hundred Christian youth have been arrested without charge. Arrests of Copts after every sedition is the usual scenario as a pressure card in the hands of State Security to force the church and Copts to accept "reconciliation", in which Coptic victims give up all criminal and civil charges against the perpetrators. Because of the reaction in Egypt and worldwide to the shootings and the role of the State Security, Bishop Kyrollos was asked issue statements downplaying the negligence of State Security. It is believed the arrests of the Coptic youth is a pressure tactic to force him to recant his accusations. Anwar Samuel, a head teacher from Nag Hammadi, told Free Copts that State Security came to their home at four o'clock in the morning, looking for his nephew Mohareb, who happened to be in Kuwait. "Instead they arrested my three other nephews, Fadi, Tanios and Wael Milad Samuel, and took them away in their pajamas." He said they all have been subjected to electric shocks. No arrest was made on the Nag Hammadi case. No release of captured youth is yet made.
The following information was provided to the Research Directorate by a Senior Fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom as an attachment dated 14 October 2006 in correspondence dated 10 January 2007:
By U.S. Copts Association & The Copts of Central Florida
http://www.copts.com/english/
USA Foreign aid to Egypt since 1970s: $50 billions
According to the Refworld since 1990-2008 the Number of Christian Coptic died in Egypt is over 20,000 in 1995 alone 415 Copts died on the hands of Muslim militant. That figure does not include kidnappings, rape and other assaults.
I know many of you are watching the full impact of the deteriorating civil rights and human rights in the Middle East, and Egypt in particular unfold with deep concern for our Christian brethren there. The Christians are suffering on the hand of Muslim government in Egypt. As recent as last week Jan 6th 2010, in a town in Southern Egypt (Nag Hammadi) a three car filled with men carrying machine guns and other firearms fired at the crowds killing boys and men ages 15-29. This is not but one of many genocide cases that attempt to use Christians as bait to attract USA Counter Terrorism foreign funding to their claim that there is terrorism in Egypt when in fact it is the government that support this genocide. Any funding to Egypt will not insure equality and civil rights to Christians, but more of the same lies. Please allow me to add a note of special concern for the Coptic minority who are suffering daily on the hand of the majority, and to correct a common misperception here in the West that it is a common ?sectarian strife? the correct terminology is ?genocide?. The so called ?religion of peace? has been causing systematic and frequent ethnic cleansing against Christians to wipe them from their homeland a ?Coptic Holocaust?. Just like in the days of Hitler ?s Jewish holocaust, Christians business are burned, broken into, their women and girls are raped and taken force into marriages, their boys and men are killed. Appeasement policy will not work. American policy makers need to know the Truth and identify among the many lies. We, the US Copts Associations are tired off playing politically correct games. Before you vote any further aids and commit USA to any further engagement with the current Egyptian government, investigate the connection to Islamic groups such as the ?muslim brotherhood?, ?el shabab?, ?el moujahdeen? ?Jamaa Islamiya? etc.. to the government which is run by them. The United Nations (UN) Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) also states that Christians are discriminated against with regard to employment in the public sector (17 Apr. 2006).
Why USA should care?
First and foremost, it is important to note that to protect United States interest in the region and a strong moderate Christian and pro western group such as the Copts will benefit the Middle-East situation greatly.
Second, because these so called militants groups begin their operation and training on Coptic Christians and then they send (suicide bombers, money,& guns) to Al Qaeda, which in turn attack the USA and other westernnations. Take the example of (Mohammed Atef, who many reports say was the military chief of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, was formerly an Egyptian policeman).
Finally, they finance their operation using the USA aid which works against US international counter terrorism efforts.
We also believe that the USA is indirectly aiding terrorism in the region, by funding Mubark?s govt. "Aid offers an easy way out for Egypt to avoid reform," says Edward Walker, the US ambassador to Egypt from 1994 to 1998. "They use the money to support antiquated programs and to resist reforms." If foreign aid is a must, then strong strings must be attached to every dollar to provide equality to the Coptic to have representation in Egyptian parliament and employment ratios, to be allowed to build and renovate their churches without presidential approvals, place Egypt in strong trade and economic sanctions. Just like in the days of civil rights in this country laws have been placed to help promote equality in Egypt. Currently, no laws are in place to protect Coptic minority (10% of the population). These are but few examples of what the USA demands should be before you vote more money to the current Egyptian government. 1. A Secular Egyptian State- Separation of Religion from State.
2. No to ?Muslim Sheria Laws? in Egyptian laws.
3. A massive Educational Reform to clean up the curriculum from any and all religious Koran phrases and references to Muslim prophets and jihad benefits.
4. All references to ?Infidels and Pigs? that deserve death and burn that Muslim Imams call out to non Muslims should be punishable to prison sentences.
5. Head of States and State Security personal should provide proper apologizes to all the inhumane actions that were done against the Coptic Christians that went under their leadership.
6. A reform in the public Media, radio and newspapers to remove any Islamic fundamentalism from their leadership and to call for accuracy and removal of censorship restrictions when it comes to Coptic news coverage.
7. Provide Equality, Justice, and Civil rights to all Egyptians minority (gender, religion, and race). So they can choose any religion with no fear of government action against ex-Muslims.
8. A UN International Court create a board of lawyers expert in the subject of equality, religion persecutions and civil rights to be formed to seek restitutions for all of the Coptic who lost family member in the past or the future to Islamic jihad movement or government abuse of power in detainee individuals for months without any charges.
9. USA should open immigration to any individual/family that are Christians living in Muslims Countries until this matter is resolved as was done during the Holocaust with the Jewish People, and to pressure all Muslims States that have Christian minority to follow these 8 demands mentioned above if they would to receive any further aid or military aid.
10. A Stop to all the Muslim propaganda in the western world that calls for Jihad as is not true Islam; moreover, that Islam is peace when in fact Islam and Jihad is inseparable. Islam calls for death to all non-Muslims regardless of who they are (Christians, Westerners, Jewish, atheist, gays, etc..)
Here is recent changes in the political environment that have not only led to increase of the genocide of Copts in Egypt, but also the total disregard of international human rights laws:
The results of the September 2005 election were predictably lopsided, with Mubarak winning 88 percent of the vote. His main opponent, Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party chairman Ayman Nour, took just 8 percent; having been charged earlier in the year with forging signatures in his party's petition for a license, Nour was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison a few months after the election. Three rounds of legislative elections in November and December 2005 featured a strong showing by members of the formally banned ?Muslim Brotherhood?, who ran as independents. The Brotherhood increased its representation in the parliament six fold, to 88 of 454 seats. Still, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) remained dominant. Voter turnout was low, and violent attacks on opposition voters by security forces and pro-government thugs abounded. Judges criticized the government for failing to prevent voter intimidation and refused to certify the election results, prompting the authorities to suppress judicial independence in 2006.
The government postponed the 2006 municipal elections until 2008 and began a renewed crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. pressure for democratic reform had subsided after the Brotherhood's recent gains and the victory of Hamas in the January 2006 Palestinian elections. In March 2007, a set of 34 constitutional amendments were submitted to a national vote. Official reports stated that only 25 percent of eligible voters participated; with 76 percent of those approving the proposals, but independent monitors put the turnout closer to 5 percent. Opposition leaders boycotted the referendum on the grounds that the amendments would limit judicial monitoring of elections and prohibit the formation of political parties based on religious principles.
In February, the Supreme Administrative Court found that Christians who had converted to Islam and wanted to return to Christianity were permitted to do so. Anti-Christian employment discrimination is evident in the public sector, especially the security services and military. The government frequently denies or delays permission to build and repair churches.
According to Freedom in the World 2009 index published by the Freedom house organization-
Egypt -Political Rights Score: 6
Civil Liberties Score: 5
Status: Not Free
Several sources report that Christians face discrimination in Egypt (HRW Jan. 2007; US 15 Sept. 2006; Freedom House 1 Sept. 2006). More specifically, Freedom House reports that Egyptian Christians are subject to discrimination in employment, that they are denied authorization for building or repairing churches or face delays in obtaining such authorization, that several Coptic villagers have been killed and that there have been "frequent attacks on Coptic homes, businesses and churches in recent years" (1 Sept. 2006). The US Department of State's International Religious Freedom Report 2006 also reports that Christian churches faced difficulty or lengthy delays in obtaining building or renovation permits despite a presidential decree issued in December 2005 delegating permit approval to provincial governors and allowing basic repairs and maintenance subject to written notification (15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; HRWF 19 Dec. 2005).
Although sources indicate that the government discriminates against Christians in public sector hiring practices and there are no Christians serving as heads of public universities (The Christian Science Monitor 8 Dec. 2005; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; UN 30 Oct. 2005), a Coptic Christian was appointed one of Egypt's 26 governors in early 2006 (MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II), another was appointed a judge in the Supreme Constitutional Court and there is some representation of Christians in politics (ibid.). The United Nations (UN) Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) also states that Christians are discriminated against with regard to employment in the public sector; nevertheless, following the 2005 parliamentary elections, half of the executive appointments to the People's Assembly were Coptic Christians (17 Apr. 2006).
Refworld is the leading source of information necessary for taking quality decisions on refugee status. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. The information has been carefully selected and compiled from UNHCR's global network of field offices, Governments, international, regional and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and judicial bodies. Below is a detailed timeline of the many incidents that show Coptic persecutions from 1990-2010; due to the increase in telecommunication that made gathering and aggregating this data possible more than ever.
Chronology for Copts in Egypt 1990-2010
Date(s) Item
1990 In Minshiat at Nassar (310 km s. of Cairo) workers repairing a Church are attacked by Islamic Militants.
Mar 1990 Rumors that Copts are using Muslim girls in a white slave trade prompts two weeks of violence in Abu Quraqa (250 kms s. of Cairo). Churches, shops, houses and cars are firebombed and two Christians are kidnapped but there are no deaths or injuries.(Note: There are constant complaints of harassment by Islamic militants during this period. This harassment includes, as noted earlier, the spreading of false rumors, extortion and violence up to and including murder, often with the tacit approval or even participation of local officials. Such incidents, short of murder, will not be noted here unless they deserve special attention.)
Jun 1990 A Christian liquor store owner is attacked by Islamic militants with swords and chains. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 10, 1990 President Mubarak, in an attempt to appease Copts, gives five of the ten Presidentially appointed seats in Egypt's Parliament to Copts.
Jun 1991 Due to rumors that he was engaging in homosexual relations with Muslim men, a Copt pharmacy owner in Komumbo (near Aswan) who is a member of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights is arrested and detained without charge for 45 days. Fifteen days after his release, his shop is vandalized by "six masked youths" who threaten his family and force him to leave town. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 20 - 22, 1991 Militant Muslims commit a wave of violence against Christian churches and shops in Imbabah, a suburb of Cairo. Police refuse to take reports of many incidents and discourage future reports. Some Copts who attempt to make reports are arrested. Also, after being harassed by a Muslim customer, a Christian butcher shoots and wounds him. No Muslims were arrested.
Mar 11, 1992 3 people are killed and more injured in a gun battle between Christians and Muslims in the village of Sanbau (350 kms s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Mar 30, 1992 In a speech, President Mubarak alludes to the attacks against Copts when he criticizes "ethnic fanaticism"
Apr 29, 1992 A church is stoned in Imbabah.
May 4, 1992 11 Copts and two Muslims attempting to defend them are killed by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Sanabu. The authorities dismiss this as being part of a local "blood feud."
Jul 16, 1992 Legislation directed against Islamic militants decreeing the death penalty for anyone engaging in acts of "terrorism" is passed.
Oct 27, 1992 Four gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Christian jeweler and his assistant. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 1, 1992 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, wound 10 Copts in an attack on a bus returning to Dayrut (310 kms s. of Cairo) from Cairo. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 20, 1992 A Coptic weekly, Al-Watan, urges the government to stop what is called a new invasion of the schools by Islamic extremists. Headmasters are discriminating against Copts and forcing female students to wear veils. "Fanatic teachers" are also discriminating against their Coptic students. The Article notes that the government is opposed to this but is not doing enough to stop it.
Dec 23, 1992 The Christian Science Monitor reports the smuggling of weapons to Islamic Extremists from the Sudan.
Jan 4, 1993 In two separate assaults, gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill one Copt and wound another. A Coptic church in Dayrut is firebombed. No arrest was ever made
Feb 23, 1993 In a Reuters article, Copts complain of discrimination including: job discrimination; discrimination by government both in the awarding of scholarships and upper government jobs; an informal Muslim boycott of Copt stores; discrimination and segregation by teachers and school officials; and the removal of all reference to Copts and Christianity from many school curriculums. This has resulted in the emigration of as much as a half million in the past ten years. Although the government protects the Copts from physical threats, the Copts complain that most government action is due to the threats to the state and foreign tourists rather than any concern for the Copts.
Mar 1, 1993 Egypt bans from mosques "scholars preaching militant thoughts" due to attacks upon tourists and Christians. (Note: the government has been engaging in increasing levels of repression against Islamic militants throughout this period. This ranges from arrests to gun battles involving hundreds of police, government troops and Islamic militants. For the most part, the details of these actions are not documented here. Also, as noted earlier, many believe that this government action is due to the threat the militants pose to the state and foreign tourists rather and to the Western influence, than any wish to protect the Copts.)
Mar 1993 A report issued by the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights accuses the government of abdicating its responsibility to protect Christians from Islamic extremists. It notes that attacks occur in the sight and sometimes with the help of security and local government authorities. It further accuses the government of doing little about such incidents until it became clear that they were also a threat to "the political system and the lives of those in power."
Apr 19, 1993 Youssef Boutros Ghali (the nephew of the UN Secretary General), a Copt, is the only appointed Secretary of State.
Apr 20, 1993 A Copt school teacher is shot and wounded in Dayrut by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants. Five Islamic militants are arrested in Aswan for planning to violently disrupt an non-Muslim festival which coincides with the Coptic Easter. Released soon after.
Apr 24, 1993 Assailants, believed to be Islamic militants, attack with knives and wound two Coptic high school students. No arrest were ever made.
May 1993 Muslims in Tima (400 kms s. of Cairo) go on a rampage in revenge for the death of a Muslim at a Christian's hand last October leaving six Copts dead and considerable property damage.
May 19, 1993 In a roundup of Islamic militants, the government seizes numerous books, cassettes and videotapes calling for violence and discrimination against the Copts.
Jul 22, 1993 A Copt physician is shot by gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Manfalout (350 km south of Cairo). No arrest were ever made.
Aug 8, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, in Dayrut wound a Copt in his brother's pharmacy. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 24, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Christian student in Anboub (300 kms. s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Sep 21, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill a Copt schoolteacher in Dayrut. No arrest was ever made.
Oct 20, 1993 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, open fire in a Christian owned pharmacy killing one and injuring two. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 27, 1994 A senior Copt police official is wounded in an attack by gunmen believed to be Islamic militants. His driver and bodyguard are killed. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 4, 1994 An Islamic militant, believed to be guilty of two shooting attacks on Coptic churches in Mir (300 kms s. of Cairo) in the previous week, is arrested.
Mar 11, 1994 Gunmen, believed to be Islamic militants, kill 5 including two monks outside a church in Qussiyah (300 kms s. of Cairo). No arrest was ever made.
Apr 25, 1994 Egyptians are upset at an upcoming convention on minorities in the Middle East. They say that the Copts are not a minority and are an integral part of Egyptian society. They attribute the conference to foreign interference.
Jun 26, 1994 A Coptic weekly accuses the government of working to increase the wave of bigotry, antipathy and hatred against Copts.
Jul 17, 1994 Pope Shenouda III of the Egyptian Coptic Church in an outspoken interview complains of discrimination against Copts in Egypt. He says that Copts play little part in public life and face problems building and repairing churches. He complains that Copts have trouble obtaining voting cards from police, thus preventing many of them from voting. He also refers to Copts being killed by Islamic militants in southern Egypt and Copt houses being destroyed without compensation from the state.
Sep 1, 1994 Islamic militants shoot dead 2 policemen guarding a Coptic church in southern Egypt. Note: In general the government actively opposes attacks by Islamic militants on Copts and prosecutes the perpetrators of these attacks to the full extent of the law. This is probably more a result the fact that the Islamic militants oppose the government than a desire to protect the Copts.
Nov 11, 1994 Islamic militants kill 2 men in southern Egypt including a Christian government official. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 22, 1994 Suspected Islamic militants kill a Christian security guard in the southern Egyptian province of Minya. No arrest was ever made.
Feb 25, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Christian civilian and wound another in a southern Egyptian village. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 11, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Copt village elder in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 31, 1995 2 policemen guarding a Coptic church are shot dead by suspected Islamic militants. No arrest was ever made.
Jun 4, 1995 Islamic militants seeking to avenge a dead relative kill 9 people, including 3 Copts, in 4 separate attacks in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Jun 8, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a wealthy Copt pharmacist for making a donation of property to his local parish. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 13, 1995 6 are killed after a fight breaks out over a Copt girl who converted to Islam in a northern Egyptian province. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 29 - 30, 1995 In 2 separate incidents, suspected Islamic militants shoot dead 4 Copts in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 2, 1995 Suspected Islamic militants shoot dead a Copt who works for a local council in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Nov 7, 1995 According to the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, within the past 10 months, Islamic extremists have assassinated 74 police and 24 Copts in southern Egypt. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 4, 1995 Gunmen in a car shot dead three copts Christian men and wounded two others in a hit and run attack near the town of Abu Qurqas, In a separate attack in the same area and at the same time, gunmen shot and killed policeman Mustafa Khalil Mohamed. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 9, 1995 Forty Copts e were killed and between 400-700 injured during Egypt?s general elections. Thousands of Christians could not find their names on the lists and constituencies where Copts ran as candidates, their radicals distributed leaflets saying Muslims should not vote for non-Muslims. No arrest was ever made.
Dec 12, 1995 President Mubarak appointed 10 MPs and the Speaker using his constitutional privilege to enlarge the assembly with women and members of the Coptic community.
Jan 12, 1996 A Christian farmer was killed by unidentified gunmen in the village of Abu Obeid in Minya Province. No arrest was ever made.
Feb 26, 1996 Eight Copts and three others were killed in Assuit Provicne in Southern Egypt. At least 47 people have died in the past two moths in Assuit and Menia Provinces. Most of these were policemen and suspected police informers (non-Copts). In a separate incident mobs set fire to 41 houses in a predominantly-Christian village in the governate of Sharqiya after a row over a reported Church expansion. Four were injured and 50 arrested in the incident. Released soon after.
Mar 8, 1996 Jailed leader (El Qusi) of the radical Jamaa Islamiya group in southern Egypt was quoted as having ordered his followers to lay down their arms before a deluge of blood overtakes us all. He said he particularly regretted acts of violence against government officials, policemen, Copts and tourists. He called the killing of Copts horrendous acts which Islamic Sharia law denounces.
Apr 24, 1996 Human Rights groups in Egypt joined hands in a legal battle to end alleged discrimination against the country?s Coptic minority. They wish to strike off the 140-year-old Ottoman law which, in effect, bans construction of and repairs to churches by requiring a presidential decree in each individual case.
Aug 7, 1996 The body of a Coptic student was found in the vicinity of Abu Qurqas. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 26, 1996 Four, including three Copts, were killed in the southern village of Nazlet Roman near the town of Abu Qurqas in Minya province. One Copt was also wounded in the attack. The five were members of the newly-formed patrols encouraged by the government to help police hunt militants using nearby fields and mountains as hideouts. A total of 23 people, not all of them Copts, have been killed in attacks during August. No arrest was ever made.
Sep 4, 1996 The American Coptic Union urged the U.S. Congress to investigate the killings of Christians in Egypt and to postpone aid to Egypt until basic rights and security were secured for all citizens. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 24, 1997 A new political party, al Wasat, was launched. Its members are Copts and former members of the Muslim Brotherhood and its goal is to heal the breaches between the two religions. It is not viewed as strong or very likely to have much influence over Egyptian politics.
Feb 1997 The State Department?s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996 reported that during 1996 at least 22 Copts were killed in upper Egypt where 30-40% of the population are Christians. There were also reports of acts of violence against Coptic Churches and Copt-owned businesses. Government discriminatory practices against the Coptic community included: suspected statistical underrepresentation of the size of the Christian population; anti-Christian discrimination in education; production of some Islamic television programs with anti-Christian themes; job discrimination in the police, armed forces and other agencies.
Feb 12, 1997 Ten Coptic youth were killed in an attack on a Church in southern Egypt. The youth were attending a prayer service at the Church. Police believed the killings were orchestrated by the group Gama?a al-Islamiya, the largest of the militant Islamic organizations in the country. The Gama?a has attacked the Coptic community only sporadically, concentrating attacks on police and police informers regardless of religion, and they denied involvement in this attack. Muslim and Christian community leaders have unanimously condemned the attacks. It was the worst attack on the Coptic community in almost a year. Police also suspect the same gunmen in an attack which killed three Coptic Christians. They were found dead near Abu Qurqas in Minya Province. No arrest was ever made.
Mar 15, 1997 Gunmen killed 13, including nine Copts, in a predominantly Christian hamlet 300 miles south of Cairo. Though attacks on the Coptic community have increased in recent months, the overall level of violence has sharply decreased from a peak of 415 deaths in 1995 to 187 during 1996, and Islamic militants are clearly on the defensive.( Article from:Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Mar 22, 1997 A total of 21 Copts were killed by Islamic extremists in February and there was a growing fear that there could be a migration of Copts from Southern Egypt because of the growing fear of attack. (AP)
Apr 10, 1997 Copts were killed in two attacks. A total of 13 Copts were killed by Islamic militants who released a statement clarifying that the Copts had not been targeted specifically. (Facts On File) No arrest was ever made.
May 3, 1997 The Interior Minister said that one of the faults of the ?Muslim brotherhood? group was that they want to segregate the Copts. (BBC)
Oct 14, 1997 Two Copts and nine police were killed by militants in the South. (New York Times). No arrest was ever made.
May 23, 1998 Petty discrimination was reported to be endemic against Copts. The US congress was considering sanctions against states, including Egypt, where religious persecution was evident. In Egypt there has been a relaxation of laws forbidding the building of churches and some seized church land has been returned.
Aug 18, 1998 The Coptic Pope said that there is no persecution of Copts in Egypt He tears up and cries on TV. (BBC). He was visited by government officials and warned. Makes you wonder who pressures him to these claims?
Oct 12, 1998 A US congressmen visited Egypt to investigate the treatment of the Copts. The visit was a follow-up to an earlier congressional consideration to place sanctions on Egypt for religious persecution. Two Copts had been found dead on August 12. Police were accused of brutally torturing hundreds of Copts. (UPI) No arrest was ever made.
1998?2000 The city of Sohag in Upper Egypt witnesses some of the fiercest clashes between Muslim and Christians in the village of the Kosheh. The clashes begin with the murder of a Muslim, an incident which spurred a violent backlash against Christians. More than 20 people are killed and more than 1200 Copts are arrested.
2004 Copts protest, with some going on hunger strike over the conversion of Wafaa Constantine, the wife of a clergyman, from Christianity to Islam. Constantine is initially placed under the protection of security forces, but is returned to the church following further protests.
2004 Copts protest, with some going on hunger strike over the conversion of Wafaa Constantine, the wife of a clergyman, from Christianity to Islam. Constantine is initially placed under the protection of security forces, but is returned to the church following further protests.
2004 Pope Shenouda again goes into seclusion in Wadi el-Natroun
2004 A Coptic church in Minya is attacked and 25 people are arrested. No information on their trials or verdict.
2005 A CD of a church play depicting Prophet Mohamed negatively?and, according to some reports, showing him as an anti-Christ figure?spurs a series of angry protests by Muslims, especially in Alexandria, where the church is based and the CD of the play heavily circulated.
April 2005 The International Religious Freedom Report 2006 indicates that, in April 2005, nine Coptic Christians received minor injuries in a fire that was set in an unlicensed church (US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II).
Also in April 2005, Bahaa el-Akkad (or Baha Al-Accad), a Muslim sheikh, was arrested for "insulting Islam" and was imprisoned for converting to Christianity (Compass Direct News 18 Oct. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II; Release International Dec. 2006). El-Akkad was still in detention as of December 2006 (ibid.).
21 October 2005, A clash erupted between Muslims and Christians in the city of Alexandria as Muslims were angered by the distribution of a film that they considered offensive or derogatory towards Muslims (AFP 21 Oct. 2005; UN 30 Oct. 2005; CSCE 9 Nov. 2005). Although AFP reports that "there were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests" (21 Oct. 2005), IRIN indicates that three Copts Christians were killed in the riots (UN 30 Oct. 2005) while other sources report that four Copts Christians were killed (CSCE 9 Nov. 2005; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Par. 41.21). Regarding these incidents of sectarian clashes and violence, the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP) states that government officials and the media view them as exceptions to the rule of "national unity" (28 Apr. 2006). Again no arrest was made.
Dec 2005 According to an article in The Christian Science Monitor, sectarian violence in Egypt has increased because of discrimination against Copts (8 Dec. 2005). The article also reports that, in late 2004, there was a clash between police and thousands of Christians protesting the alleged forced conversion to Islam of a priest's wife (The Christian Science Monitor 8 Dec. 2005; see also MERIP 28 Apr. 2006). Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the remaining Christians still in detention for their participation in the protest were released in January 2005 (4 Jan. 2005).
April 2006 A Muslim man conducted a series of "knife attacks" at three Alexandria churches which resulted in the death of a Christian man, Noshi (or Nushi) Atta Girgis, and injuries to several other Christians (ibid.; MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; AFP 14 Apr. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Para. 41.27). Clashes erupted between Muslims and Christians during the funeral of Girgis, which took place the following day, and resulted in injuries and arrests of several followers of both faiths (HRWF 18 Apr. 2006; MERIP 28 Apr. 2006; see also UN 17 Apr. 2006). No arrest was ever made.
Jan. 2006 More specifically, the clash that erupted between Muslims and Christians in January 2006 took place in the village of el-Udaysaat, near the city of Luxor (AFP 20 Jan. 2006; UN 24 Jan. 2006; Compass 20 Jan. 2006; US 15 Sept. 2006, Sec. II). Hundreds of Muslims surrounded a building that had been used intermittently as an unlicensed Christian church and vandalized the property and attempted to set the building on fire (ibid.; AFP 20 Jan. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Para. 41.22; Compass 20 Jan. 2006). Eleven Egyptians were reportedly injured and one Coptic Christian, Kamaal Shaker, was killed as a results of these events (ibid.; HRWF 21 Jan. 2006; Senior Fellow 14 Oct. 2006, Par. 41.22; AFP 20 Jan. 2006). No arrest was ever made.
2006 According to IRIN, two incidents of violence against Copts occurred in Egypt: one in October 2005 in the city of Alexandria and one in January 2006 in the city of Luxor (17 Apr. 2006 No arrest was ever made.
2006 Muslims attack Christians for holding prayers in an ?unauthorized? church in Udayssat near Luxor on the eve of Epiphany services. No arrest was ever made.
2006 Four churches in Alexandria are attacked by a knife-wielding Muslim. The attacker stabs and kills a 78-year-old Coptic man. The government later says that the attacker was ?mentally deranged.? Riots ensue for several weeks as Muslims and Christians burn each others? shops and attacking businesses. During the funeral of the murdered Copt, Muslims reportedly pelt the funeral with stones. The church fails to control its youth, who clash with Muslims using batons and sticks. No arrest was ever made.
2007 Muslims burn down at least 25 houses, in addition to shops, belonging to Christians in the village of Bamha on the outskirts of Giza. The Christians are accused of holding prayers in an unauthorized church. A dozen Copts are injured and 59 Muslims are arrested. Again no verdict was made.
2007 In Alexandria a fight between two children, the son of a Christian and the son of a mosque imam, escalates into several injuries and 4 Copts died. No arrest was ever made.
2007 A romance between a Christian man and a Muslim woman in Alexandria leads to Christians and Muslims rioting, brawling, attacking each other with broken glass, throwing stones at each others? property, and destroying public property in protest of the ?scandalous? affair.
2008 Copts in the monastery of Saint Fana (Abu Fana), including monks, are attacked in January in Minya. The Muslim gang destroys property. No arrest was ever made.
Aug 2009 Coptic priest who got the death fatwa for trying to convert part of his house into a prayer hall a after a rampaging Muslim mob burned their church down with the full knowledge - and probably collusion -of State Security. According to Middle East Christian Association (MECA). He was not allowed back in the village nor his house, which was confiscated. The closest church is 5 kilometers away in a place where many are simple farmers without any transportation. He perform marriages and ceremonies on the road.
2009 An Egyptian court sentenced two Christian men to death on Sunday for killing the Muslim husband of a female relative who converted to Islam against the wishes of her family, court sources said.
The brother and uncle of Mariam Atef Khilla were convicted of breaking into her Cairo home in 2008 and opening fire on her and her family, killing her husband. She was raped and kidnapped by the man who later forced her into marriage blackmailed by pictures of the rape to stay with the man.
Jan. 6 2010 As recent as last week, in a town (Nag Hamadi,) a three car filled with men carrying machine guns and firearms fired at the crowds after midnight mass in church killing 8 boys and men ages 15-29. No arrest was ever made.
Jan 13 2010 Intimidation of the Coptic Church and Christians in Nag Hammadi, and neighboring Bahgoura, by carrying out random arrests of Christian youth. The campaign against Christians started on Friday January 7, 2010 and is continuing; multiple members of families have been arrested without warrants. Most arrests are being carried at dawn. More than one hundred Christian youth have been arrested without charge. Arrests of Copts after every sedition is the usual scenario as a pressure card in the hands of State Security to force the church and Copts to accept "reconciliation", in which Coptic victims give up all criminal and civil charges against the perpetrators. Because of the reaction in Egypt and worldwide to the shootings and the role of the State Security, Bishop Kyrollos was asked issue statements downplaying the negligence of State Security. It is believed the arrests of the Coptic youth is a pressure tactic to force him to recant his accusations. Anwar Samuel, a head teacher from Nag Hammadi, told Free Copts that State Security came to their home at four o'clock in the morning, looking for his nephew Mohareb, who happened to be in Kuwait. "Instead they arrested my three other nephews, Fadi, Tanios and Wael Milad Samuel, and took them away in their pajamas." He said they all have been subjected to electric shocks. No arrest was made on the Nag Hammadi case. No release of captured youth is yet made.
The following information was provided to the Research Directorate by a Senior Fellow at the Center for Religious Freedom as an attachment dated 14 October 2006 in correspondence dated 10 January 2007:
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