Coptic Christians in Egypt are urging the international community to speak out in defence of their religious freedom.  A research organisation has collected evidence that, in recent decades, Copts have suffered over one hundred attacks and sustained over 4000 deaths and injuries as a result.  In all those incidents, not one perpetrator has been appropriately punished.

A coalition of Coptic Christians is calling on governments of the world to intervene on behalf of the Coptic Christians of Egypt and demand that Egypt stop religious persecution and guarantee religious freedom and justice for all citizens.

For nearly four decades, the Coptic Christians in Egypt have been targeted by a wave of brutal attacks on their persons, churches, homes and businesses.
. . .
The researchers noted that many of these attacks took place on Fridays, after the Muslim prayer in mosques. As well, the vast majority of these attacks were not committed by organized terrorist groups, but by ordinary people from the neighborhood.

The most recent attack took place last weekend in Bahma, on the outskirts of Cairo.  Muslims torched over 25 Christian-owned shops and homes after word got out that Christians wanted to convert a house already used for prayer meetings into a church.

Egyptian authorities imposed an agreement on local Muslims and Christians that absolved the perpetrators of all liability and responsibility.

Under the terms of the settlement, Muslims were not bound to pay for damages nor assume any criminal responsibility. As well, the prayer house, which was the center of dispute, would be used only for Sunday school classes and a cross may not be displayed on the building.   

Only days after the Bahma violence, Egypt became a member of the infamous United Nations Human Rights Council.  That may seem ironic at first but, when one considers the HRC’s abysmal record, it’s entirely appropriate.

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