nationalamericancopticassembly

THE COPTIC ISSUE

  • The status of the Copts in Egypt.
  • The Copts in Diaspora.
  • The Patriarch between the hammer and anvil.
  • What is the solution ?

 

THE STATUS OF THE COPTS

 

    It is obvious that the Copts in Egypt have been under suffocating conditions since the Junta of 1952.  The fact that the Junta members were also members of the Secret system of the Moslem Brotherhood was demonstrated and emphasized in every aspect of their activities and decisions.

 

    Imbued with hate and prejudice against non-Moslems in the country they issued several decrees to expropriate the property of these groups be it capital, corporations or land. In addition they resorted to exclude these groups from any gainful activity through discriminatory decrees.

 

    Inflamed by the Arab-Israeli hostilities and enraged by the overwhelming defeat in their wars with Israel, they wanted to blame their misery on the religious minorities as  escape goats. The Jews wound up leaving the country to their newly established homeland smuggling their wealth by the help of the Saudis who exacted an exorbitant price for the transaction, reportedly 50% of the smuggled funds in return for the service. With the paucity of talents and capital the economy went in shambles. The Government decided to “confiscate” the minorities wealth - under the guise of nationalization - as a hedge against attempts to transfer their wealth abroad, albeit with the help of the Moslem Saudis.

 

    With full control on the economy, the Copts came to the conclusion that their best bet is to move abroad, a move that was initially welcomed by the Junta leaders and their patrons the Moslem Brotherhoods. The emigrants managed to establish themselves abroad through hard work and achievements and it dawned on them that they have brothers and sisters still straggling under the yoke of persecution in Egypt.

 

    THE COPTS IN DIASPORA

 

    Naturally feeling for their kin and kith they decided to take action on their behalf, as they should and they stepped up to the plate to fulfill their obligations towards their ethnic relatives. They chartered some organizations whose purpose of existence was to speak up on behalf of the hostage Copts.  Because of the extremely oppressive conditions in Egypt, when an infringement on their rights occurred the Copts found it futile to say anything or to do anything. The only option available to them was patience. Our Moslem brothers - who got habituated to this state of non-expression - got a shock to hear our protests abroad and our demands for our rights in a manner that they never experienced before. It was almost as a culture shock for them. For a while they were in a state between the confused and the baffled. They were befuddled, at a loss on what to do about this phenomenon. After wracking their brains they remembered the adage of Umar Ibn El-Khattab; “The Copts hold their clergy in a status of Divinity.  Accommodate the clergy and they will control the Copts for you.” I do not want to delve into the particulars, causes or merits of this attitude because it will veer us out of the main subject. The only thing I will say in this respect is that times have the magic of inducing changes on fast held beliefs and traditions. Yes we respect and venerate our clergy on matters of faith and creed as we should but on matters of our rights and the welfare of our people we formulate our own approach to the problems at hand. I simply will not obey the clergy if they ask me to ignore the plight of my people. Chances are that I probably will revolt against the way they are tackling the problem. My sincere advice to the Clergy is to stay out of the turmoil or learn how to recover our rights in return for some concessions. Don’t just give it away for free. If you succeed in releasing the imprisoned priest, the imprisoned Abdel Fattah (Or Abd el Kerim) who criticized the aggression against the churches in Alexandria, obtain the freedom of the kidnapped Christian girls now held as sex slaves by some Moslem thugs, have them undergo psychiatric counseling and have  free contact with their parents and have the criminals punished for their crimes, we may be willing to honor your plea with us. If you come to us with nothing to show in return for our accommodations, do forget any co-operation on our part.   

 

    Through a twist of history Egypt found itself ruled by a megalomaniac  president who was consumed by his ego enhancing lofty fantasies. His fantasies catapulted the country in many  counter productive wars that were ill conceived and as a result, the country suffered a series of setbacks which ransacked its social stability and economy. It plunged the country in a state of chaos. His erratic behavior drew the ire of his masters at the time who in their sense of repugnance to his demeanor characterized  the country as a whore who wants to court many lovers. His ego was severely bruised and he decided to switch masters. In preparation for this he picked  an inept and unpolished opportunist to become the vice president of the country. And so it passed that after the death of Nasser The Moslem (That was the only qualification he had) president MUHAMMAD Anwar El-Sadat  inherited the reign of a country saddled by so many fiascos that he had to cling to a  straw to get out of this mess. And so it was when the Russians refused to entrust their latest weapons developed to the hands of the Egyptian army, Sadat threw a fit and expelled the Russians out and in a theatrical move he declared his readiness to go to any length to have peace  with the enemy (Israel), which in fact was virtually a call to the USA to come to his succor. America heard the plea and through the good offices of the head of Saudi intelligence (a bit of an oxymoron) Ahmad Adham, Sadat started a career as  a vassal of the Wahhabi regime of Saudi Arabia, developed his personality as a sycophant tyrant, and an ally of the USA.  Sadly, Egypt became a center of influence for the Saudis and they exported their Wahhabi cult to the country which now became a virtual satellite of Saudi Arabia.

 

    THE PATRIARCH BETWEEN THE HAMMER AND THE ANVIL

 

    After kissing the hands of the Israelis and the Americans, Sadat felt adopted by his new masters who were so eager to see some semblance of the peace in this strategic area. They lavished him with praise,  approval and funds to keep him committed and loyal.  This was Sadat’s game plan; if he acts in a sycophant manner with the Americans, they will close their eyes about Egypt’s dismal record on human rights and he can continue with his plan to eliminate Christianity from Egypt. Both MUHAMMAD Anwar El-Sadat and Zul Fiqar Ali Bhutto sponsored the secret resolutions of the second Islamic summit which called for the elimination of Christians and Christianity from the Middle East by the year 2000. But God had other plans than his. Both he and Bhutto had their lives ended in the most disgraceful way.  After his return to Pakistan General Zia Ul-Haq overthow Bhutto and ignoring international appeals to spare his life, he had him hanged in the early hours of the day shackled in chains and led barefooted to the gallows.  Later on Sadat was fatally shot by the hands of the people he trained to kill the Christians.

 

    Sadat’s first skirmish with the Expatriate Copts came to a head when he went on a rampage of arrests and incarcerations of his political opponents and used the opportunity to confine the Patriarch in a monastery. The American Coptic Association waged a counter campaign demanding the release of the Patriarch until Mubarak under the scepter of losing the aid had to annul the Sadat decree in haste. The suspension of the aid threatened the status of Egypt as a solvent nation and a state of bankruptcy loomed over Egypt.

 

    Initially the government decide to ignore this victory as irrelevant, however with the continued persistence of the Coptic Organizations abroad to stand firm on their demands, Egypt realized that confrontations will lead to dead ends with the Copts abroad. So they decided to fight the Copts from within. First they used some traitors to praise the government for its dishonorable deeds, denying the existence of any misdeeds. Then they decided to use the Church against its people abroad. There is no doubt that the Church in Egypt faces an extremely high pressure to distance itself from the Copts abroad. As rational people, we must acknowledge this fact.  Coupled with this pressure the government started a  campaign to absorb the church in its ranks as a component of the state. Thus the Church is bound to lose some degrees of freedom when dealing with Coptic issues and would eventually tie its hands about the problem. It is this maneuver that worries me most and we should do every thing possible to counter the effects of this policy.  

 

    To its credit, the Orthodox Church have – since its early history – insisted on the separation of the Church from the state. Even when the state was officially a Christian entity, the Church was opposed to the merging of the two. It always insisted on maintaining its independence from the secular  and ruling authority.  This was always the traditional position of the Church and we should strive to keep it this way. 

 

    Thus it is very important for us to keep a distance between the Church and the State in order to maintain the independent nature of the Church. How can we do this in face of the extreme pressure on the Church to respond to the deceptively friendly overtures of the  State.

 

    WHAT IS THE SOLUTION

 

    The answer is; to exert a counter pressure on the Church demanding that she exacts concessions from the government in return for her accommodations to the government. We should rebuff her appeals for silence in no uncertain terms. Our revolt on the inappropriate actions of the Church must be loud and clear. It must be heard in all the Islamic capitals of the region. If we have to defend our rights we must use all tools available to us. Defending one’s rights is no place for civilities or niceties. If necessary we must assail the Wahhabi practices in the region even to the extent of threatening the stability of the Saudi regime. Hence their actions affect the peaceful existence of our community  we have every right to respond to their ploys. Even if the Saudi regime was replaced by another Wahhabi regime we lose nothing  because we will have to continue to deal with the same problem while we induce that element of instability and revolt over the Wahhabi practices in the domestic arena.  Absurd stories like the arrest of a brother and a sister who met on the street and the booking of the sister as a prostitute and the lashing of the brother fifty (50) lashes as a man soliciting sex makes you rather cry and furious. It will make you even more furious to know that the girl was stoned to death and when her father got mad (and who wouldn’t) and attacked the authorities on the issue of his daughter, he was beheaded. These are the joys of life under Wahhabi rules. The Arabs of the peninsula must be boiling with anger. We should give them a voice abroad and encourage them to  explode against this brutal absurdities. We must also serve Egypt notice about our determined intentions to end the travesty of religious hallucinations going on in Egypt right now. We should not be apologetic about that and we should not offer any apology in the future about our actions.

 

    In brief, we must position the Church between the hammer and the anvil to straighten its political course of action. We should not only demand a correction of the criminal violations against our brothers and sisters, we should  insist on punishing the perpetrators as a pre-condition for conciliation.

 

    G. R.  SCHAROUBIM

WHAT DO THE CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT NEED?


It is very hard to believe that -at the 21st century- security and equality for Christians
in Egypt is still a dream!! The Copts are the largest minority in the world without rights!
Copts (Christians of Egypt) are facing a campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out by the
Fanatic Muslims supported and blessed by Mubarak's government! More than fifty massacres took place where the Muslim killers were set free and the victims' families live in terror. The very famous massacre is that of Al-Kosheh (a small town in Upper Egypt) where 21 Copts were slain and their bodies were mutilated. Through the recent attacks on Copts -that outnumber a hundred- Alexandria had the latest after Bamaha of Al-Ayaat, Giza. Fridays became night-mares for Christians as the assailants -prodded along by the imam's fanatic address- decide to take the law in their own hands and attack the Copts, believing they are thus doing Islam the greatest favor ever! Being inflamed by the Imam of the mosque after Fridays' prayers, the mob start chanting anti-Christian and anti-Jewish slogans and hurling rocks and fire at the places of worship, stores, cars and houses of the Christians! They raid the churches, attack and kill the innocent prayers using the swords! Although they are the original natives of Egypt, Copts gradually became dispensable second-class citizens since the Islamic invasion of the seventh century. Copts became a minority although their number may exceed sixteen millions, which is about 20% of Egypt's population in honest census that they are denied to have. This has been the result of forced conversion to Islam, paying the costly tribute or facing martyrdom! Even nowadays, Copts who are converted to Islam through the many oppressive ways are not allowed to return to Christianity as the officials deny issuing Identification cards that have their original names and religion. To convert to Islam, the government makes it the easiest and sweetest trip. Copts are humiliated every second through the state owned media that are paid for by the tax-payers money where Copts pay most of it. Besides the intensifying cultural, educational, religious, social, judicial and economic hardships made Copts immigrate and leave their home-land. Above seven million Copts left Egypt since the last fifty years. More than one million settled in USA and became very successful as this is the land of equal opportunity. That shows the cultural effect on achievement. In short, Copts in Egypt are persecuted. They can not even dare to say that, otherwise they will face the terrible fate. Can you speak up for them? Proverbs 31:8-9 says "Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the right of the poor and needy. In 1977, President Carter said in his inaugural address: "Because we are free, we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere." This is the duty of humanity. Those who neglect their duty do fail their identity, community, their country, but first and foremost, they fail themselves!!!!!!!!
COPTS' MAIN DEMAND IS TO STOP THE BLOODSHED AND THE IMPENDING MASSACRES AGAINST THEM!

COPTS NEED PROTECTION AND SAFE LIVING IN THEIR LAND EGYPT. AS THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT IS FAILING TO PROVIDE THAT, IT BECOMES THE DUTY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ENABLE COPTS TO HAVE SECURITY AND EQUALITY WITH THEIR BROTHERS, THE MUSLIMS. AS EGYPT IS A SIGNATOR ON THE UNITED NATIONS' DECLARATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, IT IS RESPONSIBLE TO PROVIDE THAT.

Although Copts have the right for a special treatment to compensate for centuries of discrimination and persecution, at present, we are only asking -besides the above- for equality. WE WANT:
1- The Egyptian government to be serious about apprehending those who murder Copts, and to punish them to the fullest extent of the law, and to adequately compensate the victims of these crimes. No killers of Copts have been sentenced to the same punishment as that of a killer of Muslims.2- Equal air time on the government controlled TV and Radio stations to broadcast there belief to their people. The 16 million Copts living in Egypt pay for the TV and Radio from their tax money and they should have time allocated for broadcasting.
3- To have the church's trust lands returned. The income generated by these lands was used to provide for needy Copts. The lands were seized by the Ministry of Islamic affairs, even though the courts had ordered that the lands must be returned to their legitimate owners; the Copts.
4- An end to forced conversion of Christian girls, who are kidnapped and raped by Muslim extremists. There are reports of police protection given to the abductors.
5- All Egyptian citizens to have the freedom of belief, including the freedom to change one's religion. Christians are welcomed to convert to Islam, so Muslims should be free to convert to Christianity, if they so chose. Those converts are usually subjected to imprisonment and torture.
6- Religious affiliation to be removed from national ID cards, job applications, etc...So Christians could not be identified and discriminated against.
7- Educational curriculums to be revised to guarantee that they do not contain any denigrating references to Christians and Christianity, but to encourage students to accept and respect each other. Mandatory courses in human rights in all public schools are strongly recommended.
8- The Government controlled media to refrain from conducting a campaign of hate against Christians, labeling them as infidels, thus creating a climate of intolerance, in which attacks against the Copts can be easily propagated. The media should also allow Coptic programs to be aired.
9- An end to discrimination in job appointments and promotions. Very few Christians are appointed to key jobs such as ministers, or other government officials.
10- An end to discrimination in government controlled school admission against Christian students. Very few Christians are admitted to the police academy, military schools. Very few Christians are appointed to teaching assistance positions in all medical collages, pharmaceutical collages, engineering and all top education collages.
11- The antiquated 19th Century Hamayoni decree to be abolished. It is inconceivable to require that the president of Egypt must approve permits to build a church. Mosques in Egypt are being built with no restrictions.
12- To see an end to the religious discrimination that prevails at all levels of the Egyptian educational, military, judicial system, besides the Police academy, sensitive intellectual and secret services. Certain mechanism to be established to create an adequate representation for them in the Egyptian parliament should be established.
These are just a few examples of the discriminatory practices imposed on Copts and should be immediately corrected by the Egyptian government. Their failure should result in international punishments at all levels. We appeal to the freedom loving people from any faith, ethnic back ground or religion and the United Nations to stop Persecution against Copts and make the Coptic case an integrated part of Middle East's peace equation. Pleas join us in front of the United Nations 12:00 Noon, on June 27, 2007 where we rally to stop atrocities against Copts.

E-mail: mdmd1239@aol.com for more information

COPTS (CHRISTIANS OF EGYPT) ARE PERSECUTED AT ALL LEVELS AND IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE IN THEIR OWN LAND!

BY: MONIR DAWOUD, MD,

THE PRESENT WAVE OF PERSECUTION:
Many Copts are facing severe attacks in different regions of Egypt. The terrorists, supported by the Egyptian government, raid the homes, endanger property and threaten the lives of innocent Christians. The latest atrocities include those of Altayeba township that belongs to Samalout City of Minya Governate; Al-Amireya of Cairo; the Coptic Twins Andrew and Mario of Alexandria; the murder of young Coptic Milad Ibrahim Farag; the unlawful detention of Hani Aziz, a Coptic writer, a blogger and a social worker who lives in the town of Nag Hammadi of Qena Governate; Police torture of six Coptic youth, and illegally closing their Coffee shop in Port Said; Christian farmer that is barred from building his home and is living in a house without roof, doors or windows with his nine children and wife. That is beside the attacks on Abo-Fana monks who were forced to accept reconciling with the criminals under the threats of the Minya Governor. At all levels, there is discrimination against Copts. The subject can be broken down into several aspects as follows:
A) Killing Copts and looting their properties:
1)The Martyrdom of Joshua (Yashoue) of El-Tayeba, Samalout, Minya Oct. 3, 08

On Friday October 3rd, 2008, about 10:30 pm, a group of Muslims from El-Tayeba instigated a fight with a group of Muslims from a nearby El-Zakayebia Village and entered the lumber shop owned by Ayman Boushra Hanna, a Christian, who tried to prevent them from raiding his shop, but suddenly, both groups attacked him and looted the goods shouting "Allah Akbar" (God is Great). This plot was made to force him sell his building and shop to Muslims. This town is inhibited by a majority of 85% Christians and 15% Muslims. Some Muslims wanted to buy the property for 200,000 Egyptian pounds (about $35,000.00) where the fair market value is above one million Egyptian pounds (above $105,000.00). As he refused the offer, they made the plan to force him to accept the offer. They spread rumors that the shop caught fire and that led some Christian neighbors to run to help out. Copts went without weapons, not expecting the confrontation of heavily armed Muslims using machine guns! The situation became a real chaos, while the security forces assaulted the Christians allowing the Muslims to kill Joshua Gamal Nashed, 25 years old, who was shot at the right eye-brow by Gamal Rostom Abdel-Hameed, a young Muslim man who used his pistol as the martyr was passing in front of his house. The victim with other four wounded Christians was taken by their folks to the Hospital of Samalout, Minya. Joshua expired after 1.5 hours after his admission to the hospital. The wounded persons Philip Michael and Samuel Ramzi Mousa are still under treatment.
Security forces surrounded the Christians and used tear gas to disperse them and kept them locked in their homes. Police threatened them and arrested about sixty Copts and only eight Muslims whom they took to the police station in Samalout. The households of the victims are under intense police watch, surrounding and preventing them from getting out. All Christians are forbidden from getting out and arbitrary arrests of Copts are still going on. The unwarranted arrest of Mr. Samy Sayed Greiss, a very prominent, rich, humble and peace-making old Christian man, saddened everyone in the community. He was released after spending a night in custody. This same noble man protected two young Muslim men as he kept them in his house and called a police officer to take them and lest the Christian youth hurt them.
The town is still under curfew and police officers prevent any car to cross the bridge and charge the drivers 50 pounds on leaving and another fifty on coming back. They confiscate drivers' licenses and car registration of any privately owned vehicle. We received several calls from Christians under siege expressing the terror they live in and the fear of losing their lives as Muslims are moving freely in the streets and the security forces are protecting them and are acting against Christians in an apparent discriminatory way that proves severe persecution. A lawyer whose office is located in Samalout cannot leave el-Tayeba to go to his work and he is worried about the court scheduled cases for his clients. Coptic children are barred from attending schools while Muslim children go to the nearby town's schools. In a call from a lady in USA to her father, an aged blind man, he informed her that food supply is running out and he could not go to see his doctor. It is a Christian community under siege.
The father of the murdered Joshua is threatened by Governor Ahmed Diaa el-Din to accept 200,000.00 Egyptian pounds and drop the charges against his son's killer and reconcile with the criminals! They bring the justice system to an early nomadic Arabian era. They are forcing all the injured and their families to accept reconciliation instead of punishing the criminals. The Governor is putting pressure on the Orthodox and Evangelical communities to convince the father of the victim to receive condolences and reconciliation- a proposal which the father had repeatedly rejected.
Muslims destroyed the house of Fr. Mikhail Kamel, the priest of the town Church. They burned two transportation cars belonging to Muftah Boushreida el-Omda, a Christian and cousin of the town's Mayor. They also destroyed, burned and looted the house of Mr. Eid Melik El-Ghataisy three days after the initial tragedy. They burned 10 acres of Sesame fields belonging to Mr. Hanna Abdel-Malek El-Omda. They burned fields of cotton and other corps belonging to Christians.
The latest News: Burning the house of Mr. Ibrahim Gad-ElrabTadrous: How can a person or a group of people burn a house in the presence of about five thousands police men and security forces? Because it is a house that is owned by a Christian, all wicked forces will close their eyes or even share in the process!
Now, look to the unjust justice where the prosecutors ordered 15 days extension for the detained Christians who are the victims to make equilibrium to the 8 Muslim killers and aggressors! Nobody knows what will happen to the Christians in this town. This may become another Kosheh's Massacre (The Massacre of the Millennium) where 21 Copts were killed by Muslims in the first day of the Millennium by the Muslims supported by the security and police forces. All Court levels vindicated the criminals inspire of the witnesses!
2) Shameful unjust ruling of Minya Criminal Court favoring Khamis Eid Abdel-Hamid, a murderer Muslim who recognized and admitted killing young Coptic Milad Ibrahim Farag, "25" One year with stay (Suspended sentence)
Dr. Ihab, the victim's lawyer said: It is a government made disaster for the Copts as the deadly recognized and admitted for crime and reconciliation does not mean punishment was abolished!! Minya Criminal Court issued its ruling against the named Khamis Eid Abdel-Hamid for one year with stay (suspended sentence) for the murder of young Coptic Milad Ibrahim Farag, "25" years last June. This provision was that the case related to the defense of heritage Honor. This provision has aroused the anger of the Copts and Egyptian intellectuals and thinkers as the non-punishment of imprisonment for the killer who recognize the crime and the absence of any condemnation of the killer means that the dead man had not been harassed or any of the women who inveigled the killer of the young man who forced him to a deserted area and stabbed him several times. Dr. Ihab, the symbolic lawyer commented that the sentence is a disaster and waste of law and the right of society to the lack of legal deterrence in the same murder case and there to harm the victim. He pointed out that the police investigation report declared that the killer had beaten the man and death resulted from several stabbing wounds. Although suspicion of murder and advance planning of the crime and luring the victim to a deserted place, and was carrying a deadly weapon with him that proves bad intention. Lawyers were not able to attend any hearing due to the operative rule that suspended the record which had been taken by the Magistrate's Court to reduce the punishment to two years. The judge gave the murderer the right to be wrong despite the deadly recognized and admitted offense.
At the same time, there has been grief in the Coptic village "Dyfsh" following the operative rule. This provision means that Christians' blood is cheap or has no value and that they second class citizens! The consequences of this provision will be consequences for killing Christians because everyone knew that their blood is as no one who killed a Copt have been punished.
In court: the accused was arm-in-arm with his hands, shouting victoriously and glorifying the bearded judge (Muslim Brotherhood Fashion). The killer was acquitted although he admitted and recognized his crime! This is the scales of justice in our country when the victim is a Copts
B) Mubarak Regime destroys Christian Family Ties and Morals:
1) EGYPT: COURT GIVES CHRISTIAN BOYS TO MUSLIM FATHER
Despite a fatwa from the Grand Mufti, Alexandria judge denies custody for mother.

ISTANBUL, October 2 (Compass Direct News) - Following the Appeal Court of Alexandria on Sept. 24 granting custody of 13-year-old Christian twins to their Muslim father, their mother lives with the fear that police will take away her children at any moment. Kamilia Gaballah has fought with her ex-husband Medhat Ramses Labib over alimony support and custody of sons Andrew and Mario in 40 different cases since he left her and converted to Islam so that he could remarry in 1999. The court ruled in favor of Labib in spite of Egyptian law's Article 20, which grants custody of children to their mothers until the age of 15, and a fatwa (religious ruling) from Egypt's most respected Islamic scholar, Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, giving her custody. "This decision was dangerous because it was not taken in accordance with Egyptian law but according to sharia [Islamic] law," said Naguib Gobraiel, Gaballah's lawyer and president of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organizations. He explained that Egypt's civic code calls for children under the age of 15 to stay with their mother regardless of their religion. Gobraiel said that sharia tends to favor the Muslim parent in such cases. "They want to stay with their mother," said Gobraiel. "They don't know anything about Islam and sharia. They are Christians and go to church on Sundays." The twins have publicly stated their faith, and during a test in a mandatory religious class two years ago they scribbled only, "I am a Christian" on their answer sheets and otherwise turned them in blank. The twins intend to go on a hunger strike if they are forced to live with their Muslim father, whom they hardly know, sources said. "We only want one thing," said Gobraiel. "We want the law to be applied in our cases like this one, not the sharia, because the government owes us citizenship. This is a civilized, secular country, not a religious country." The decision of the presiding judge, El Sayed El Sherbini, to give the father full custody is not even based on sharia but is purely arbitrary, Gaballah and her eldest son George Medhat Ramses claimed, since the country's State Mufti had granted custody to the mother in April 2006. "We don't want to give them to anyone or comply with the sentence," Ramses told Compass. "All the legal ways have been wrong to us. We've been trying to make it as legal as we can, but the court has not been fair." Ramses, 21, who is also a Christian and lives with his mother and two little brothers, said the judged showed bias in favor of his father because he converted to Islam shortly after he left Gaballah. "The decision was unfair and oppressive," Gaballah told Compass. "I am treated differently than other Egyptians, as if this is not my own country." Gaballah, who has been fighting to keep her sons since the court decided in 2006 that custody of her sons should be given to her ex-husband, fears that her children will grow up without hope and a sense of justice. "I am so sad and afraid about their psychology," she said, "because they are facing something that is fundamentally against all the principles I have taught them." Gaballah said she is ready to keep fighting with the few means left in her power to keep her sons, even if it means tarnishing her with a criminal record by not handing them over to their father. "And I'm determined to get justice in my own country, because it is my natural right and my sons' right," she said. "I cannot see how I can comply with the people who are taking my rights away from me and taking my children from me to give them to an unworthy father and another woman."Labib is now married to his third wife, with whom he has a 4-year-old son. He is a businessman working in exports and travels between Alexandria and Cairo. Gobraiel said that he intends to send a clear message to Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and the international human rights community that judgments like this one are hypocritical on the part of a government that claims to be "civilized." "How can they think we live in a civilized and secular country when they are applying sharia law on us?" he asked. "We will send a message to human rights organizations in Egypt and around the world to help us. We are angry and we want to declare it!"
Problematic Birth Certificates Even under their father's custody, the twins have the legal right to live with whomever they choose in two years, when they turn 15. But Ramses said he doubts the court would let them return to their mother.
"The same law that states that they should stay with mother until the age of 15 is the one that says they can decide where to live after the age of 15," he explained. "If the court didn't apply the first part of the law, they won't apply the second." At the age of 16, when Mario and Andrew apply for their identification cards, they will face yet another hurdle, said Ramses. In 2005, Labib went to the population register and changed the twins' birth certificates from Christian to Muslim, to reflect his own religion.
Over the past few years, as Christians have found out about the twin boys' case, Ramses said many have called them to give support. Many also have pledged to go on a hunger strike with the boys if they are handed over to their father. "Christians see them as Coptic heroes and martyrs who stood up in front of all and said they were Christians and held on to it," said Ramses. "All of them say they see the greatness of their ancestors and Christian heroes of long ago in them ... and they carry a lot of respect and love for what they have done."
2) Forcing Islamization on Mrs. Bahia and Shadia El-Sisi:
The Lawyer Ramses fears that a Sept. 23 court ruling in the case of Bahia Nagy El-Sisi, sentencing her to prison for three years for "forgery of an official document," could be what awaits him and his little brothers. Nagy El-Sisi's father had converted to Islam briefly in 1962, when she was 3 years old, and her documents were never altered to reflect the change as she remained a Christian. She and her sister discovered that their father had temporarily converted to Islam when the sister, Shadia Nagy, tried to issue marriage papers for her son. Shadia Nagy was sentenced to three years in prison in 2007, also for "forgery." "These women are us in the future," said Ramses.
3) Attacks on Patmos Monastery similar to Abu-Fana Monastery:
In spite of the Coptic demonstrations all over the whole world in the past few months, unveiling the true face of the Egyptian regime, the aggression against the Coptic minorities never ended. As a matter of fact near the end of July, the second division of the Egyptian army attacked a Coptic Monastery (PATMOS) and its properties in the area known as Hick Step north of Cairo.Now, and after the barbaric attacks on the Abu Fana Monastery, the governor of Al Minya is requesting an official apology from the Coptic Church and its attorney! The governor, who was not able to grant safe haven to a few Monks, who have chosen to worship their God in the desert and who were attacked by the barbaric Arabs. None of the attackers were arrested to-date; on the contrary, several Coptic guests who happened to be at the Monastery were arrested and are still in jail. No official Egyptian condemnation was issued regarding the aggression against the innocent and harmless human beings in their worshiping place nor was any aggressor charged through the law enforcement authorities.
Statement of the Holy Synod Committees of the Coptic Orthodox Church on the Attack at Abu Fana Monastery in Mallawi, Minya
The Episcopal Bishops, members of the Holy Synod committees of the Coptic Orthodox Church, were shocked by the dastardly assault on the monks who reside in the monastery of Abu Fana in Mallawi, and on the monastery itself and its church, buildings and property on Saturday, May 31, 2008. This incident did not occur for many centuries in our beloved Egypt. This occurrence is contrary to what Muslims call for and what Egypt represented in President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak many efforts to preserve Egypt's security, which is unity and reputation.
The attack on monks with automatic weapons, kidnapping some of them who were then tortured by whipping and dragging on the ground, the breaking of their bones, forcing them to insult the cross and confess Islam under torture, and other brutal methods that the human conscience refuses, as well as destruction, damage, burning and obliteration of church, other buildings and the property of the monastery - points to the fact that the monastery does not have any kind of weapons except prayers and worship which is contrary to how some try to portray the abused in the monastery as if they were the aggressors. The attempted attack on the monastery workers during their return on June 4th, pushed the Holy Synod committees to call upon President Mubarak, to lead his people, along with all the state officials, to heal these wounds in the body of the nation through:
1 - The release of unjustly detained Copts.
2 - The arrest of the reported offenders. Following, the State must take legal action against them to prevent them and others from repeating such attacks that endanger the social peace of Egypt.
3 - Portray the true reality, which is the deliberate conspiracy of the offenders to commit the crime, as well as showing all the details of the repeated assault on the monks and the monastery property.
4 - Build a fence around the whole monastery under the supervision of the State Patrol to prevent the recurrence of future attacks. Particularly, the fence must be around artifacts premises, the farm, the cemetery, and the monk's individual cells (rooms).
5 - Compensate the monastery for damage and stolen items that damaged the monastery buildings and properties, which exceeded one million pounds.
6 - Working on not repeating such attacks by examining its causes and removing them.
Our confidence in the wisdom of President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, which endowed by God, and his love for all Egyptians, are the best guarantee for Egypt's security and unity,
Bishop Bishoy
The Holy Synod Secretary


From May 31st 2008 up to September 30th 2008:The 18th Attack number 18 on the 4th Century Coptic Monastery of 'Abu Fana', one of the oldest Monasteries in the world, in Al-Minya, Upper Egypt.Three monks were kidnapped, tortured for almost twelve hours and asked to renounce their faith. A fourth man is still in the hands of his kidnappers. As a result of that attack the Monastery's church and cells were destroyed, and the fields were burned down. Would you please ask the Government of Egypt what kind of protection they are providing for the people and the old monuments? And where is the fourth kidnapped person after almost 120 days from the date of that barbarian, rootless, inhuman and savage incident?4) Attacks on a Coptic Church on Rasheed:
An Eighteenth century Church in Rasheed was destroyed by a Counselor at law and his two public prosecutor sons who were accompanied by fifty hired thugs. Stormed adviser (Counselor) and his two sons and prosecutors and more than fifty bully the Roman Church, which sold to the Orthodox in a rational and they demolished the walls with bulldozers, wounding the church guard, "oversaw Fahmi Abdullah," and the destruction of the remains of fathers and saints, icons and theft and looting of shops next to the church tenants.
5) A Christian farmer is barred from building or repairing his house for two years.

Coptic families live the tragedy of discrimination in the village, "Sham Al-Bahreya" of Maghagha City, Minya Governate after the security apparatus stopped building the house two years ago on the grounds that the owner, a Coptic poor farmer is accused of church building. Despite the fact that the village has only seven Coptic houses and the majority are Muslims who are very sympathetic with the family. The Coptic, Samir Farag Youssef was "taken aback by the officers and detectives Yahya Tariq who ordered to stop building the house since the date of 11-4 - 2006. He said: "and since then I live with my children, "nine" in the open where I cannot complete the construction of the house since that date, and the house is a six-room forming two apartments. Each apartment consists of three rooms each of which is 3.5X3 meters and the house is erected on an area of one karat. It is only a foundation and walls without completing the building or the installation of roof, Doors or windows. He continues saying "So I live in agony for two years open to all neighbors and pedestrians without cover for my family, especially my family of nine children, including four girls in the open atmosphere, the freezing winter, rain as well as the blistering sun and bitter cold of winter and heavy rains that precipitate over the winter. I sought to find a solution through Members of the People's Assembly or Anba Agathon, a bishop without any benefit. I address the state security service structures who told me that the subject securities headquarters of a state security in Nasr City at Cairo, they are subject to the decision of the President, Major General Hassan Abdel Rahman, tried to persuade them more than once that this house is not Church and so I've written for approval, but I was unable to reach anyone to lift the injustice and save my children. I am unable to leave them home and go to Cairo because of fear of being exposed to any danger. "The house is fully distinctive from a church and known to everyone and we all remember the events of Upper Egypt when a Copt started building a house for the marriage of his son Muslims attacked the Copts and started burning of their homes. If this man find sympathy from Muslim neighbors, why not insist on completion of his home in the context of the right to housing and a decent life provided by the Constitution and international covenants?!
6) An innocent Copt is unjustly arrested:

We are not surprised at the Egyptian government's actions! Hani Aziz, a Coptic writer and blogger and works as a social worker and lives in the town of Nag Hammadi, Qena Governate. Han is always polite and respectful and has a distinctive style in his writings. Hani loves people and loves his country and calls for a national justice and equality among all Egyptians. Hani's tragedy begins with the emergence of a novel in the Egyptian markets labeled "Azazil" which a writer by the name of Father Uta wrote in response to a person called Zidane Yusuf's book (one of the hundreds of books and stories that are attacking the Christian faith). But the poor Hani Aziz did not attack any religion. Some of Al-week newspaper journalists known for their hostility not only against all that is a Copt, but all that is Egyptian. They spread roamers among the people of the village that Hani is the author of the novel Azazil and stimulated the young people who gathered to kill Hani, what made him leave his home to escape from the oppression of people The arrest of two brothers and their reservation made him turn himself in to release the two brothers after five days of detention with torture at the police station. Hani's father has nothing to do with Father Utah who still publishes ideas on the pages of the Internet and the father knows that Utah is just a nick name of a person likely to live outside Egypt. And how he was captured and did not write the narrator has nothing to do with the Yusuf book while Zidane, who is the cause of the problem live in freedom.
The novel Tess Azazil is written by Dr. Yusuf Zidane, an Alexandria University philosophy professor and director of the Office of manuscripts Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Things reached a peak as the Intergovernmental Ribaldries arrested siblings were swapped first turned him in to security!! This is not happening on the police service all over the world, but only occurs between the bandits and mafia

7) Six Young Christian men, owners of a Port Saed Coffee shop, brutally assaulted by Police:

Port Said police brutally beating Coptic citizens within their own cafe called "Cafe Central" for initiating the cafe during the day in Ramadan, despite the presence of other cafes working day in Ramadan. C) The double standard and discrimination against Copts! What if the Killer in an Honor and Dignity Case was a Copt?
Christian Brother Kills A Terrorist in Search for Kidnapped Sister:
An Egyptian Christian man angry at his kidnapped sister killed a Muslim terrorist. Mariam Khillah, was kidnapped, raped, and forcibly converted to Islam approximately 15 month ago by a terrorist, Ahmed Saleh. Since Mariam has disappeared, the family never stopped searching for her return. According to our souses, the policy has mistreated, and beaten the family when reported the disappearance of the daughter. The search for Mariam led to locate the place where she kept away from her family. As a result, the family tried very hard to convince the perpetrator for peaceful settlement, but attempts fail. Eventually, and according to the untrusted Police information, Ramy, brother of Mariam, broke into her Cairo hidden place and sprayed gunfire on the terrorist Ahmed Saleh.The official reports were full of lies. The police accused the Coptic Egyptian family of killing "an Egyptian Muslim". More falsely claimed that Marian converted to Islam without any pressure, and totally ignored the kidnapping, and raping of Mariam by the terrorist, Ahmed Saleh. This incident showed the role of the police in kidnapping, raping, and force conversion on more than 250,000 Coptic Christian girls, and women, on the last 25 years.
The American Coptic Association and the International Christian Union are calling upon US Government, Congress, and Human Rights Organizations to investigate all the crimes against humanity by the Arab Islamic regime in Egypt, and allow the immediate return of kidnapped girls, and women to their families.
N.B.: All the above incidents represent the active cases of recent origin, but to go to the accumulating atrocities against Copts, you will have no time or way to calculate them!
More than fifty massacres took place during President Mubarak's era, whose government aided these criminals against the victims! The most obvious massacre was that of Al-Kosheh (an upper Egyptian village) at the first day of the millennium, when 21 Copts were killed by the Muslims, aided by police support! These criminals were set free, and the bias justice system did not prosecute any of them, at any judicial level! The criminals on April 14, 2006 will not receive capital punishment as the Egyptian officials claimed that these criminals were mentally ill, even before their arrest!
Savage attacks and rapes on Coptic females, in an effort to convert them to Islam, have been multiplying in the recent years. Muslim converts are being assaulted, tortured, and jailed. Christian Copts are deprived from reaching higher levels in society, and governmental positions. They are severely underrepresented in the political parties, and are denied dignified positions such as Deans of colleges and universities, Chiefs of Policing and Armies. In all aspects of life, Copts are treated as substandard individuals, second-class. This is not equality, this is not Human Rights, and this is definitely not Democracy!

CAMPAIGN TO ERADICATE COPTS (EGYPT'S CHRISTIANS)
Dear Coptic brothers, sisters, sons and daughters: The Copts are facing firm extermination steps since the events of Khanka, through al-Zawiah al-Hamra, KOSHEH, Assiut, Al-Muharraq monastery, and Alexandria... Etc. They are now hitting monks! They have been killing Copts and looting of their property and oppressing them. The Egyptian government is keen to mention such barbaric actions as individual events. While Copts live in fear, the Government is supporting the criminals and offenders and enables them to escape without any punishment.
Our Christian people in Egypt are humiliated, tortured, persecuted, and even killed. Security agencies go into coma as long as the victims were Copts. Truly, it is the policy of eliminating Christianity in Egypt. Abu Fana monks in the monastery, have suffered all kinds of torment and humiliation. They were kidnapped and the assailants asked them to spit on the Cross and become Muslims! Can you believe that the governor of Minya, told Abu Fana monks to pay Gizia to the criminal Arab offenders to live in safety? Do you imagine that in the twenty-first century, the aggressors hold modern weapons and the State protect them and protect their weapons as long as they are directed against the Christians? Four Christians were killed in their Jewelry store a few steps from the Church of Virgin Mary in Zaiton, Cairo in broad daylight and the offenders until now enjoy complete safety! The same crime was committed in Alexandria. This happened only because they are Copts, and the Muslim believes is that the Christian blood and money are permitted and halal for Muslims. The attack is still ongoing upon underage girls and forced Islamization is still happening through the encouragement of authorities. The suffering of the monks and victims calls onto you to move and to announce to the world the atrocities of our brothers in Egypt to stop these movements of physical liquidation of the Copts. Christianity is positive not negative, Christianity is work, not slump! The Christian appeal and cooperation are not selfish. Christianity does not accept injustice or humiliation! The Christian crown over our heads mandates us to show that we deserve it. Our voices have to go to the sky carried by the angels and moving them to the Glory of Jesus Christ. Your voices have to be heard Our people in Egypt and His shed blood are crying, and we are in the most anger protest, march in front of all the free world, in an attempt to stop the streams of blood and the campaign of physical liquidation of our brothers. Because we ourselves are members with the rest of the body of Christ, should not be leaving his teachings that require that we have to defend those who cannot defend themselves and to speak for those who do not have the right to speak.
We, together with the ICU (International Christian Union) are preparing for a Washington D.C. Rally on July 15th 2008.