It is one thing for Egyptian President Sisi not to be able to prevent surprise Islamic terror attacks against Egypt’s Christians, the Copts. But what does one make of the fact that his own government also discriminates against and persecutes the Copts?
Most recently, a court sentenced 19 Muslim defendants to a one-year suspended sentence for attacking an unregistered church near Giza last December 22. Then, dozens of Muslim rioters had gathered outside the building; they eventually stormed it and “destroyed the church’s contents and assaulted Christians inside.”
Based on this sentencing (from a misdemeanor court no less), the defendants are not required to serve prison time unless they get into trouble again. On the other hand, a Coptic Christian defendant was fined 360,000 Egyptian pounds (equivalent to $20,383) for setting up the unlicensed church.
The court’s logic is that, by using an unregistered building as a church, the entire incident is the Copt’s fault—for aggrieving local Muslims. Meanwhile, the well-known fact is that getting a church permit in Egypt is as difficult as getting a mosque permit is easy—and explains why havoc ensues when Copts merely try to renovate a church, while ten mosques are opened every week. In other words, if the government did not make it so difficult for Copts to congregate and worship, they would not need to resort to using private homes and unregistered buildings.
This is hardly the first such incident to reflect the Egyptian authorities’ flagrant double standards. Muslim uprisings based on Copts meeting in private homes to worship or using unregistered buildings—with local officials ultimately siding with violent Muslim rioters—is a common occurrence in Egypt. Last summer in the village of Kom al-Loufy in Minya, where some 1,600 Copts have for five years been trying to reopen their church, Muslims rampaged through the village, burning Christian homes to the ground, on a rumor that Copts were using one of the homes to meet and pray in.
After waiting 44 years, the Christians of Nag Shenouda were issued the necessary permits to build a church in 2015. According to a report, local Muslims rioted and burned down the temporary worship tent. When a Christian tried to hold a religious service in his home, another Muslim mob attacked it. Denied a place to worship, the Christians of Nag Shenouda celebrated Easter in the street.
Also after waiting years, the Christians of Gala’ village finally received formal approval to begin restoring their dilapidated church (see pictures here). Soon thereafter, Muslims rioted, hurling stones at Christian homes, businesses and persons. Christian-owned wheat farms were destroyed and their potato crops uprooted. The usual Islamic slogans were shouted: “Islamic! Islamic!” and “There is no god but Allah!”
Another church under construction in Swada village, Minya, was attacked by a mob consisting of at least 400 Muslims (believed to have been incited by local officials no less). After the attack, and although the church had obtained the necessary permits required for construction, it was closed by the same officials. Although comprising approximately 35% of Swada village, the 3,000 Coptic Christians there do not have a single church to serve them.
As in the most recent case from Giza, Muslim judges in all of the above incidences—and there are many more—gave Muslim vandals and rioters at most a “slap on the wrist,” while forcing the victims to pay penalties and sometimes even serve jail time.
Much of this is consistent with the World Watch List 2018, which ranked Egypt the 17th worst nation in the world wherein to be Christian. It found that “officials at any level from local to national” are “strongly responsible” for the “oppression” of Egypt’s Christians. “Government officials,” the report adds, “also act as drivers of persecution through their failure to vindicate the rights of Christians and also through their discriminatory acts which violate the fundamental rights of Christians.” While authorities themselves are sometimes the persecutors—as when Muslim soldiers beat several Christian soldiers to death on account of their faith, most recently in July 2017—they more often function as enablers, allowing a culture of impunity to thrive.
All this again begs the question: whereas it may be understandable that Sisi cannot eliminate terrorism—after all, terrorists operate surreptitiously and work “in the shadows”—what about the fact that his very own government (from local police and authorities to top department heads and courtroom judges) is openly biased against the Copts—and right under his nose?
This may be a situation not unlike that Trump is dealing with in his gov’t; where holdovers from previous regimes in the bureaucracy are undermining al Sisi as they are Trump, and going against what he’s trying to do. If it can happen here, it can certainly happen there under sharia.
Sisi came to power June 2014.In other areas his domestic policy is fairly impressive, eliminating slums, more social justice for Egypt’s poor, etc. Expediency forces him to keep the peace with Israel. On the other hand, he is the only candidate for the election this year- one candidate arrested and “disappeared “, one outed by sex scandals, two more deterred by “overwhelming obstacles and violations by the elections committee “. The military operate completely unchecked. He was C in C of the Army, they must be pretty loyal to him .HRW cite numerous instances of abuse, re. liberal opponents, Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi supporters. The point being, he has the power ,if not the motivation, to compel tolerant behaviour ( if not love ) towards the Christians. (Unlike POTUS Trump, he faces few constitutional / Judicial / human rights restraints on his actions ) As in many if not all Muslim states, a convenient scapegoat is necessary to divert the disaffection and violence which might otherwise be directed against the government. It effectively unified people and served as a neat deterrent in the Third Reich.
All that is true; and the 1 thing you left out is that Islam is such a system of belief that it is ONLY contained at all by an “iron fisted” dictatorial leader. The situations that led to his rise to power in Egypt, that led to ISIS’ rise in Iraq and efforts in Syria, that toppled other such leaders in Libya, Tunisia, et al show that to be true. Bad as they are; they are the only hope any but Muslims and even many Muslims have for any sort of stable life in Muslim dominant nations. Al Sisi doesn’t want to be that “iron fisted” as Mubarak was. But the people don’t want the “iron fist” of full out sharia either, hence the rejection and replacement of Mursi. All gov’ts use that “bogeyman” to maintain a semblance of order; either overtly or covertly, it seems. Our own is no exception. Trouble is some of them are real threats, not simply imagined and projected. Our job is to discern which are the real ones and focus there.
Sadly you are right. Islam is fighting for its survival — by repression of reform and modernisation. Which is why few in the West realise the people are themselves the first victims, and we only assist in oppressing them by the twin majority policies, “all Muslims are bad ” from the far right , and “all Muslims are peaceable and just misunderstood, and have so much to offer us ” from the left. Either from our governments’ fear of terrorism, “white man’s guilt complex “, or need for trade , we court the radicals, because they have power, whilst ignoring the “real ” moderates, who desire change. Eg. the protests in Iran. Don’t you love the irony ? Whilst women were being imprisoned and tortured in Iran, for tearing off their hijabs, our feminists and Foreign Office were holding a Hijab Day to extol the joys and “freedoms” of choosing to wear them !
It’s not “all Muslims” are bad; it’s ISLAM that’s bad. The system itself is a cancer, and it hurts those trapped in it as much as all those around it. It consumes and kills off the healthy and ultimately the whole just as cancer cells in an human body do. Our gov’ts are little better these days; globalism has permeated everything and everywhere, with a very similar sickness; it’s like trying to say leukemia is less bad than sarcomas or lymphomas: HUH??? How is that?
The distinction between Islam , the religious. cultural and political force and Muslim individuals is rarely considered by either side. It must be so much easier to follow a simplistic Animal Farm dogma
True; but I never did like that book, and my Lord, Jesus commands that I make that distinction, as does my training as a nurse.
Animal Farm was an insightful allegory on the inanities of Communism. It was not recommending the system ! George Orwell was a perceptive critique of his times and much of his observations are relevant today. Common sense should impel humans to make that distinction. But it has an uphill struggle against indoctrination, whatever its source or agenda..
I know; I’m a “hard line” American with a solid base in the Declaration and Constitution. I grew up in the Cold War years and learned to not have much use for communism in any of its forms then. And it should be required reading along with Orwell’s 1984, these days, for all high schoolers when they’re old enough to understand their own emotions. But they don’t have a chance to do that because the schools are so corrupting them before they reach that level of maturity.
It goes beyond the schools. You would imagine a teen magazine devoted to fashion, would be fairly innocuous. It has a 6 million strong readership, according to their own claims. http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=10&x_article=3593 . The editors also push a rabid anti-Trump agenda. Wonder if anyone has checked comics, lately ?
I know; and yes, the comics have been checked, and are pushing leftist agendas too. Muslim, sexual perversion, and green agendas are big in them, although some have backed off a bit when their sales fell off; parents wouldn’t buy them for their kids.
Good for them !
Alas, distinctions must be made between nurses and nurses. I was an Army trained nurse, and have worked with all kinds, even outside the Army, but I can recall, for instance when I fractured my leg in civvy street, a few years ago My staff nurse was geniality itself until I had to hand her my Star of David necklace, before theatre. She froze. I really thought she would don surgical gloves before touching it. Strangely, other staff tended me after that. A nice Scots lass, probably Christian. Indoctrination.
That’s human; not nurse. I happen to be a Christian; and have lovely chats often with a Rabbi friend. It wouldn’t have bothered me in the least to take and protect your star of David. My faith takes our “grafting in” or “adoption” to the promises through our very Jewish Savior as a blessing, and we care very much for the natural children of Israel. It’s not even the Scot; I have that in my ancestry as well. I’m sorry she did that; it was really not very Christian of her at all. However, that Army thing…. I’m Navy and the daughter of a Navy nurse too. 🙂
Sorry, Sandra, my example was neither to attack nurses or Christians (some of my best friends were both, including my favourite human, my father- a Catholic of conviction—otherwise a highly intelligent and humanitarian man ) But to illustrate that people from all backgrounds and faiths and disciplines, can be intolerant .Conversely, I can shop for spices in the many Muslim shops in town, flaunting my Star, and be treated like a long lost compatriot. As an agent provocateur, I am an abject failure !
I didn’t take it as that, truly; you were speaking of a particular individual who was a poor example of both a professing Christian and a professional nurse. I agree people from all faiths and backgrounds can be intolerant. I have friends who are in Kuwait now but are Egyptians by birth; an whole family, including the late father of the 2 brothers, as well as the wife and sons of 1 whom I’ve considered very much family for many years and they aren’t Copts.
Would be nice to have a direct link to the World Watch List.
You can download a copy here: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8YXshK-o2QIVjIrICh1VuQmWEAAYASABEgINgvD_BwE
This article demonstrates the deadly danger of the immigration of Muslims. The demographic and political jihad is much more lethal than even the occasional jihadi attack, which is itself horrendous. Christians in AMERICA are enabling the same Islamism by failing to fight a political crusade against PROGRESSIVISM and their Islamist allies.
This article demonstrates the deadly danger of the immigration of Muslims. The demographic and political jihad is much more lethal than even the occasional jihadi attack, which is itself horrendous. Christians in AMERICA are enabling the same Islamism by failing to fight a political crusade against PROGRESSIVISM and their Islamist allies.
It is understandable that President Sisi cannot eliminate terrorism and that his very own government (from local police and authorities to top department heads and courtroom judges) are openly biased against the Copts. There is a SOLUTION and it requires WORLDWIDE COMMUNICATION by people, business leaders, government, forums, think tanks and political clubs. The COMMUNICATION objective is to EXPOSE Iran’s despicable history and abominable verses in the Quran. Such exposure will force Muslims to acknowledge that a revolution is needed to Revise the Quran. For an article that presents why and how, go to:
http://www.nicholasginex.com/2018/02/07/stop-islamic-terrorism-by-exposeing-the-quran/
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