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Dr. Ashraf Ramelah

Dr. Ashraf Ramelah is founder and president of Voice of the Copts a human right organization with offices in USA and Italy - recently spoke at the first congress of SION in New York City on September 11, 2012.

Most Recent Articles by Dr. Ashraf Ramelah:

Egypt’s Arab Spring Anniversary: A behind-the-scenes story

Egypt’s military has always sought political power. The military coup of 1952 was the cornerstone of a long line of military leaders. All subsequent coups took place by election, not by force. Along with each electoral process is manipulation and control behind the scenes bringing one military general to replace another as president. Every year the coups are celebrated throughout the country on annual dates.

- Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Egypt: Losing the people’s trust, Al Sisi is re-elected

When the Egyptian Election Authority announced the re-election of President Al Sisi last month on December 18, Egyptians and the international community were already certain of the outcome of Egypt’s election. It came as no surprise.

- Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Egypt: Another free and fair election to keep Al Sisi in power

On October 2, President Al Sisi announced his intention to run for his third term. When he first came into office in 2014, he faced one four-year term with a two-term limit. According to the Egyptian constitution, he could hold office for a total of eight years. After Egypt’s nearly sixty-year history with just three Egyptian presidents and only one election (referendum), the 2014 term limits were hopeful in reducing longevity for any president holding office.

- Sunday, December 10, 2023

Sadat’s war on Copts: Alive and well long after his death by fellow OIC perpetrators of Islamization goal

Sadat hated Coptic Christians. This he proved when he became Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1954 and was heavily influenced by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Once Sadat became Nasser’s vice president ten years later, he implemented the OIC goal to transform Egypt into an Islamic religious state. He wanted to make good on the promises he made during his 1954 speech in Mecca that within ten years he would force Egyptian Copts to convert to Islam. In Sadat’s speech to the Muslim nations, he aroused his listeners, declaring that “those who remain Copts will be the shoe-cleaners and doormen for Muslims.”

- Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Egyptian TV allows Muslim student to condemn abusers who mocked her with “Are you a Christian?”

Egyptian TV allows Muslim student to condemn abusers who mocked her with Are you a Christian?In Egypt, Islamic religious differences always remain internal and out of the public eye. That is why the recent mainstream news coverage of Habiba Tarik’s religious “bullying” is so astounding. A university student, she is furious after suffering a public humiliation over a personal, religious decision. Her complaint is receiving a lot of attention across the country. She is irate, which is not kindly regarded. Submission is her proper role. So why is she now allowed to tell her story on national TV? Egypt is a country ruled silently by Muslim religious decrees. Islamic religious traditions serve to pressure individuals in ways that often turn one believer against another. Habiba wore modern but modest dress during her final exams at the university, but officials did not approve. Apparently, their personal religious preferences and defense of Islam took priority over their administrative duties – an ordinary ordeal in Egypt. So why the publicity?
- Friday, July 9, 2021

Arab Spring ten years later: Are Egyptians better off?

Ten years after the Arab Spring in Egypt and the welcomed removal of the late Hosni Mubarak, a simple question can be asked. What have Egyptians gained from the bloodshed of the January 2011 uprising? The answer is nothing – the Sharia second amendment of the constitution remains, a military president like the four before him has extended his term, and the election process is still fraught with fraud and unreliability. Six years after the deadly protest of a street vendor that led to the toppling of the Tunisian president triggering the Arab Spring of January 2011 in Egypt, an Alexandrian taxi driver in protest soaked his body with gasoline and lit a match. According to doctors, he burned 95% of his body. Eyewitness accounts heard the man scream, “Sisi, I need to eat.” The victim acted alone, and the media was mute. This striking commentary on Al Sisi’s Egypt of 2017 was officially suppressed.
- Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Italy: Is Coronavirus paving the way for dictatorial powers?

For years I have focused on the cruel and needless suffering of the Christian Copts of Egypt. Religiously inspired laws and the dictates of a regime governing the Islamic state has always been the enemy of the Egyptian Copts. Long ago a barbaric Islamic army invaded and occupied the Pharaoh’s land, for centuries ruling with severity the native Christians. Islam ruled with barbarity and deception.
- Sunday, May 10, 2020

Coptic Orthodox in Al Minya, Egypt celebrate Holy Friday over ashes

Coptic Orthodox in Al Minya, Egypt celebrate Holy Friday over ashesAs the Orthodox in Egypt and around the world began their holy week last week on Sunday, April 21, Christians around the world mourned the Sri Lanka church bombing where more than three hundred Catholic Christians were killed celebrating Easter.
- Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Al Sisi’s presidential ambitions conflict with Egypt’s constitution

Al Sisi’s presidential ambitions conflict with Egypt’s constitutionBy virtue of its own authority every dictatorial power -- whether of military, religious or national -- creates for the country a vital, intellectual space or atmosphere where propaganda can flourish. This is the means to enact authoritarian projects for the purpose of tightening a grip on society and to justify repressive actions. One such project is Al Sisi’s future presidential ambitions.
- Friday, April 5, 2019

Egypt: Is Orthodox Church “unity” with Catholics linked to bishop’s murder?

Egypt: Is Orthodox Church unity with Catholics linked to bishop’s murderThe circumstances surrounding last month’s murder trial where two monks were found guilty for last summer’s killing of Bishop Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Abu Makar Monastery, are troubling. They have revealed how Arab-Muslim Bedouins and the Coptic pope of the Egyptian Orthodox Church benefited from the sordid ordeal. The state was the facilitator. The former succeeded in a covert land grab that would have otherwise and in any other way sounded an alarm. The latter solidified a provocative faith initiative when the loudest voice against his stance was expunged.
- Thursday, March 7, 2019

One year, one kilometer apart … same persecution of Copts

One year, one kilometer apart … same persecution of Copts Once again, we are forced to report another deadly Islamic attack on Egyptian Copts. This latest attack on November 2 is almost an exact copy of the one that took place in the same location nearly one year ago.
- Sunday, November 4, 2018

From Egypt: A list of recently reported assaults on Coptic Christians

From Egypt: A list of recently reported assaults on Coptic Christians On August 22, in the village of Al Zenika located in the Province of Luxor (Upper Egypt), Islamists demanded the stoppage of prayer in the church of the Virgin Mary. To satisfy the Islamists, the church doors were bolted shut after police evacuated the parishioners. Furthermore, five Copts were arrested.
- Friday, October 5, 2018

Egypt: President appoints two Christian governors defying Islamic Sharia

Egypt: President appoints two Christian governors defying Islamic Sharia In Egypt, the president appoints the governors of the country’s provinces. This practice began with President Nasser after the kings’ era. Last month, President Al-Sisi appointed two Christian governors to two principally Christian provinces -- the highest concentration of Christians in all of rural Egypt -- located in Upper Egypt and West Egypt. This is monumental in a country where Islamic sectarianism dictates politics.
- Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Facebook post sparks violence in Egypt: Copts suffer

Facebook post sparks violence in Egypt: Copts suffer In Arab-Muslim countries limited-free speech is the norm due to political and religious constraints. Tunisia and Morocco are not as severe as others. Middle East governments often speak highly of liberty and democracy especially when addressing the West. However, in reality, these regimes are totalitarian and dictatorial.
- Friday, August 3, 2018

Bishop of Abu Makkar Monastery in Egypt found dead

Tragic loss of Bishop Epiphanius In the early morning hours of Sunday, July 29, the 63 year old Bishop Epiphanius, head of the Abu Makkar Monastery, was found dead on the ground in a pool of blood. The monks of Abu Makkar discovered the bishop’s body on a path leading to the church with his head smashed. They contacted the pope’s office as well as law enforcement.
- Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Egypt’s election: All votes will go to Al-Sisi

Egypt’s election: All votes will go to Al-Sisi Egypt is holding its presidential election now through March 28. President Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi is running for re-election after four years of his first term. There is one opposing candidate from the Tomorrow Party who has vowed to cast his vote for the president and encourages all Egyptians to do the same. The ballots will be counted by the Election Commission as usual with the political parties in observance. The president is an independent candidate of the military without a political party. However, the military will be absent from the process because constitutionally it cannot be a part of civilian elections.
- Tuesday, March 27, 2018


Al-Sisi’s old guard appointee maintains anti-Copts solutions to jihad

Al-Sisi’s old guard appointee maintains anti-Copts solutions to jihadGeneral Essam Al-Badawi was installed as Al Minya’s governor (in Upper Egypt) in September 2016 when President Al-Sisi was replacing local officials. He graduated from the police academy in the mid-eighties last century after a long career with the National Security Service. Statements made recently by the governor in response to antagonism and threats towards Christians and the forced closing of Saint George Church (on Oct 27) have aroused widespread suspicion of him among Copts inside and outside Egypt.
- Thursday, November 16, 2017

More "peace solutions": Egyptian Copts pay the price

The Islamic Bedouin peace process, used for negotiating an agreement between two tribes, arrived in Egypt via Saudi Arabia with the Arab conquest. Today, the technique is utilized to settle issues between Muslims and the indigenous Copts. The Copts submit to prepared agreements that force them as innocent victims into statements of guilt along with penalties, by-passing the courts.
- Wednesday, November 1, 2017


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