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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Imagine just one of the eighty-seven ancient, Orthodox churches in Egypt now in a heap of rubble fully restored and meeting the needs of the poor at its door. Should the state funds for Egypt’s upcoming presidential election this March be put to better use?
General 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.
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.
During President Al Sisi’s press conference during his visit to France a few days ago (Saturday, Oct 21), a journalist asked about Egyptian human rights. The President replied that Egypt is suffering from disorder and chaos, adding, “I am keen to establish a modern and civil state.”
