On March 12, 2010 at the Washington DC National Press Club, the Voice of the Copts held a press conference to address the subject of ongoing Egyptian Coptic Christian oppression and the oppression of Pakistani Christians.
The Voice of the Copts’ Ashraf Ramelah spoke on the human rights issues regarding the Copts in Egypt. He addressed the attack on Coptic Christians on the Coptic Christmas Eve in January 2010, which resulted in 6 Copts and a Muslim police officer were killed. He also discussed the case of Mohammed Bishoy Hegazy, an Egyptian Christian who converted to Christian from Islam, and who has asked the Egyptian government to allow his Egyptian identity card (which describes a person’s religion) to be changed from Muslim to Christian.
On January 22. 2010, the Voice of the Copts announced that the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) submitted application into UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights “seeking judgment against the Egyptian government for refusing to recognize the fact that Mr. Mohammed Bishoy Hegazy and his family members are Christians converted from Islam.” The Voice of the Copts stated that Mr. Hegazy’s Egyptian attorney was Mr. Ashraf Edward.
Attorney Ashraf Edward was supposed to be at the March 12, 2010 press conference, but Ashraf Ramelah stated that his visa application to come to the United States was stalled by government officials, even though it was filed on a timely basis. Voice of the Copts’ Ashraf Ramelah stated that some U.S. government officials questioned why the Copts even needed to have such a press conference in the United States to speak on behalf of Coptic freedom, equality, and liberty in Egypt.
In attorney Ashraf Edward’s prepared remarks, he states that “the case of Mohamed Hegazy, which was to take its first steps before the United Nations will be the first step to the issues of converts from Islam to Christianity in Egypt in particular and the Arab society in general.” Ashraf Edward’s prepared remarks also stated that the Egyptian Constitution’s definition of Islam as the state religion and Sharia as the source of all legislation is the cause of the “suffering of all minorities within Egyptian society… [violating] all freedom proclaimed by the international conventions and treaties” as well as the International Covenant of Human Rights.
Voice of the Copts’ Ashraf Ramelah also spoke of his and the Voice of the Copts’ support for religious freedom, and that “I would be against anyone that would be creating any hate or pointing his finger just because this person is not a Christian or this person is a Muslim.” Ashraf Ramelah concluded that “each one has the right to believe whatever he wants to believe… I don’t accept to be forced to be follow that belief.”
Ashraf Ramelah also summarized some of Christian convert Mr. Hegazy’s remarks in Arabic stating “sisters and brothers freedom is the most noble thing that we fight for and one of those freedoms that we fight for is the freedom of religion, as defined in article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” Mr. Ramelah stated that Mr. Hegazy said that he was arrested for preaching for Christianity, and has been oppressed and discriminated against for converting from Islam to Christianity. Mr. Ramelah also read that Mr. Hegazy stated that fatwas had been issued against him due to his conversion to Christianity. Ashraf Ramelah also described Mr. Hegazy’s struggle to get his Christian identity recognized, as well as the situation in Egypt where those who convert from Christianity to Islam are widely accepted, whereas the religious freedom to convert from Islam to Christianity was met with oppression and threats.
(See also video of Ashraf Ramelah’s statements, part 1, part 2, part 3).
Voice of the Copts' Ashraf Ramelah Speaks at DC National Press Club on Coptic and Christian Oppression in Egypt
Representatives of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) also addressed the press conference.
Jordan Sekulow provided a description of the ACLJ’s mission as a partner to the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) that submitted Mohammed Bishoy Hegazy’s application to the U.N. human rights group seeking to have Egypt recognize Mr. Hegazy as a Christian. Mr. Sekulow described how the ACLJ and the ECLJ sought to defend the human and legal rights of Christians around the world. (See also video of Mr. Sekulow’s statement.)
ACLJ's Jordan Sekulow
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)’s Shaheryar S. Gill also addressed the press conference, discussing details of Mr. Hegazy’s case. Mr. Gill worked on Mr. Hegazy’s petition submitted to the United Nations in January 2010. Mr. Gill also addressed the oppression of Christians both in Egypt and in Pakistan, as part of a global refusal by some nations to accept religious plurality. (See also video of Mr. Gill’s statement, part 1, part 2).
ACLJ's Shaheryar Gill
Dr. Nazir Bhatti of the Pakistan Christian Congress and Pakistan Christian Post further described the oppression of Pakistani Christians today. Dr. Nazir Bhatti spoke about the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, Shazia Bashir, on January 23, who was employed as a domestic in Lahore, Pakistan by a powerful Muslim lawyer Chaudhry Muhammad Naeem who is the primary suspect in this crime. He spoke about how Pakistan Muslim League and others offered financial compensation to Shazia Bashir’s family, believing this would ensure “justice.” Dr. Bhatti also described the formation of a medical board comprised of Muslim doctors who stated that Shazia Bashir was not raped, but claim that she died of a “skin infection.” He also told of how the Lahore Bar Association passed a resolution that would call for the cancellation of lawyers’ membership who would follow the Shazia Bashir case. Dr. Nazir Bhatti also spoke about the attack on Pakistan Christians attacked by a mob in Gojra, and how the accused parties were readily dismissed. (See also video of Dr. Bhatti’s statement).
Dr. Nazir Bhatti of the Pakistan Christian Congress and Pakistan Christian Post Speaks of Oppression of Minority Christians in Pakistan
Faith McDonnell, of The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), spoke about oppression of women under Sharia. She described her focus of seeking to change the witness of churches towards “the persecuted church and human rights in general.” Faith McDonnell spoke about the release of the DVD of the film “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” which was released on the week of International Women’s Day. She stated that the film reminds the world that “under Sharia, [for Muslim women] it is a struggle for women to stay alive,” and described how the rights for non-Muslim women under Sharia were even worse. She spoke of the double standards and abuse of women under Sharia, as a “religiously sanctioned form of misogyny.”
IRD's Faith McDonnell Speaks on Oppression of Women
Jeffrey Imm of Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) spoke on “Egypt and the Undiscovered Country,” stating that America once also had to find the courage to live up its human rights commitments. He stated that America did so by the majority of whites who once oppressed black Americans realizing that they had the responsibility to change. He urged Egyptian Muslims to “don’t look to just the Coptic victims of oppression for the solution to peace and human rights in Egypt. Don’t expect only the Copts and their diaspora around the world to deal with this problem.” He urged Egyptian Muslims to take responsibility for changing the oppression of Copts in Egypt.
“To both the Copts and to their oppressors, I invite you to consider seeking a path to a new Egypt, to an Undiscovered Country, where freedom of religion, where freedom of conscience, where our universal human rights of equality and liberty, are not just special privileges, but are guaranteed rights for all human beings. I invite you to pursue a path where human rights and peace are not considered as opposite choices, but are recognized as equal priorities. And I invite you to pursue a path where we leave hate in our past, and choose love for our future.” (See also video, part 1, part 2).
Additional Resources:
Voice of the Copts Web Site (English)
