The new Egyptian leadership must, at this time, step up and show its commitment to protecting religious minorities by finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
B’nai Brith Canada condemns the “Arab Spring” Cairo massacre of Coptic Christian protesters
TORONTO, – B’nai Brith Canada condemns the massacre of Coptic Christian protesters in Cairo. The nearly 30 dead and more than 200 injured who were brutally confronted by Egyptian security forces were part of a protest by Coptic Christians demonstrating against the discrimination and antagonism that threatens their community.
Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, stated, “The Coptic Christian minority in Egypt has long faced religious persecution. This most recent violence has been the first of such scale that has occurred since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February. The new Egyptian leadership must, at this time, step up and show its commitment to protecting religious minorities by finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
Dimant continued, “These recent events are especially alarming in the wake of the Arab Spring, which has been lauded by world leaders as a revolution in the name of democracy. We register our concern that this supposed move forward has brought increasing anti-Christian sentiment, and in this case, violence rather than entrenchment of the minority religious rights that any democracy must uphold.
“Canada can play a part to bring international attention to this crisis facing Egypt. This is exactly one of those circumstances that Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird has undertaken on behalf of Canada to speak out about and take principled positions on through the recently announced Office of Religious Freedom. Copts have faced ongoing violence in Egypt as a minority Christian sect. The Egyptian government under Mubarak failed to stem the prosecution. It is most disappointing and concerning to see the interim leadership continue on this path of violence and discrimination.”
