Christians fear losing freedoms in Arab Spring movement
CAIRO—From her home in a labyrinth of stonewalled alleyways, Samia Ramsis holds a key chain bearing the face of the Virgin Mary as she sits in her yellow pajamas on the morning of Orthodox Christmas.
Sunlight pours in through a window. Outside, visitors come to look upon the spot where Egypt’s Christians—most known as Copts—believe the Holy Family found refuge after fleeing Bethlehem and assassins sent by King Herod to kill the baby Jesus.
Once crowded with Christians, Cairo’s Coptic quarter where Samia lives with her husband, Mounir, and two children is home to fewer than 50 Christian families.
The events of yesterday have left us with a bitter taste. After the peak we reached 12 months ago with the standing down of the previous president and things started to improve, optimism filled the tear-gas filler air and people took the time to dream. The dream, however, turned to a nightmare with the emergence of the alternative agenda of the political elite enhanced by the presiding body, the SCAF (Supreme Council of Armed Forces). The SCAF started forming shady and suspicious deals with political bodies, namely the Islamists at the expense of the liberals and the revolutionary powers. The terms of the deal is simple the virtually unopposed parliament for the Islamists in return for immunity for he SCAF.
جولة الإعادة للمرحلة الأولى لانتخابات مجلس الشورى وإعادة بعض الدوائر التي أوقفت فيها الانتخابات في الجولة الأولى بموجب أحكام قضائية
تهدي سفارة جمهورية مصر العربية في لندن أطيب تحياتها، وتتوجه بخالص الشكر والتقدير لأبناء الجالية المصرية في المملكة المتحدة على حرصهم على المشاركة في الجولة الأولى للمرحلة الأولى من مجلس الشورى، واستمراراً للتعاون البناء بين السفارة والجالية المصرية، تود السفارة الإشارة إلى التفاصيل والمواعيد التالية بالنسبة لجولة لجولة الإعادة للمرحلة الأولى من انتخابات مجلس الشورى، وكذا إعادة الانتخابات في بعض الدوائر التي صدرت أحكام قضائية بوقف الانتخابات فيها خلال المرحلة الأولى:
Terrorists admit plot to bomb London Stock Exchange and US Embassy
Four al-Qaeda inspired terrorists have pleaded guilty to plotting a Christmas bomb attack on the London Stock Exchange, the American embassy and the home of London Mayor Boris Johnson.
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(Clockwise from top left) Mohammed Shahjahan, Omar Latif (centre), Nazam Hussain, Usman Khan and Mohibur RahmanPhoto: PA
AFP - The Pakistani security services are secretly helping Afghanistan's Taliban, who assume their victory is inevitable once Western troops leave, a secret NATO document says, according to reports Wednesday.
The leaked "State of the Taliban" report -- seen by the BBC and The Times newspaper -- was compiled from information gleaned from insurgent detainees and was given to NATO commanders in Afghanistan last month, the media reports said.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has blasted the use of a controversial movie portraying American Muslims as extremists to help train New York police officers.
The mayor said police chiefs used ‘terrible judgment’ in screening The Third Jihad to nearly 1,500 recruits.
‘As soon as they found out about it, they stopped it,’ added Mr. Bloomberg.
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Image: In the video, the White House is shown with a black flag flying overhead and the words Islam Will Dominate
The movie – which was played during counter-terrorism training seminars – features scenes of Christians being shot in the head, car bombs exploding and a doctored picture of a black Islamic flag is shown flying over the White House.
Christians fear losing freedoms in Arab Spring movement
By Oren Dorell and Sarah Lynch, USA TODAY
CAIRO – From her home in a labyrinth of stonewalled alleyways, Samia Ramsis holds a key chain bearing the face of the Virgin Mary as she sits in her yellow pajamas on the morning of Orthodox Christmas.
Jean Maher, president of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organisation
As Egypt’s Parliament holds its first post-Mubarak session, Jean Maher, president of the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organisation, tells Melissa Bell that the electoral process was not democratic and expresses concern about the rights of women and minorities.
Jihadist Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Use Weapons of Mass Destruction
American Defense League
Muslim Admits He Attempted to Use WMD in Plot to Attack Armed Forces Recruiting Center.
BALTIMORE—Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, 22, of Baltimore, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against federal property in connection with a scheme to attack an armed forces recruiting station in Catonsville, Md. Martinez was arrested on Dec. 8, 2010, after he attempted to detonate what he believed to be explosives at the armed forces recruiting station.
The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein and Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the FBI.
Over 3000 Muslims Attack Christian Homes and Shops in Egypt, 3 Injured
By Mary Abdelmassih
(AINA) -- A mob of over 3000 Muslims attacked Copts in the village of Kobry-el-Sharbat (el-Ameriya), Alexandria this afternoon. Coptic homes and shops were looted before being set ablaze. Two Copts and a Muslim were injured. The violence started after a rumor was spread that a Coptic man had an allegedly intimate photo of a Muslim woman on his mobile phone. The Coptic man, Mourad Samy Guirgis, surrendered to the police this morning for his protection.
According to eyewitnesses, the perpetrators were bearded men in white gowns. "They were Salafists, and some of were from the Muslim Brotherhood," according to one witness. It was reported that terrorized women and children who lost their homes were in the streets without any place to go.
Two Copts Killed in Egypt For Refusing to Pay Extortion Money
By Mary Abdelmassih
(AINA) -- Two Copts were killed this afternoon in the village of Bahgourah, a suburb of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, after a Muslim racketeer opened fire on them for refusing to pay him extortion money. Three days ago Ahmed Saber had asked from the Coptic building contractor Moawad Asaad for a considerable sum of money. This afternoon Saber drove to Moawad's home to collect the money, but Moawad refused to go to his car to speak to him for fear of being kidnapped. Four men came out of the car with machine guns and shot Moawad and his 26-year-old son Asaad Moawad, an engineer. Both were killed instantly.
Bishop Kyrollos of Nag Hammadi said that Ahmed Saber, who is known to the police, has been extorting money from the Coptic community and kidnapping their children for ransom since November last year. "Reports were filed with the police about all incidents. I don't know why the police have not arrested him," said the Bishop.
Egyptian Judiciary Accused of Collusion in Kidnapping and Forced Islamization of Christian Minors
By Mary Abdelmassih
(AINA) -- An Egyptian court has ordered a 16-year old Christian girl to be held in a state-owned care home, instead of returning her to her family, allegedly for expressing her wish to convert to Islam. She is to be held in state care until she reaches the age of 18. The decision has been widely criticized by Copts, who say it encourages Islamists to continue unabated the abduction of Christian minors for conversion to Islam.
تهدي سفارة جمهورية مصر العربية في لندن أطيب تحياتها، وتتوجه بخالص الشكر والتقدير لأبناء الجالية المصرية في المملكة المتحدة على حرصهم على المشاركة في انتخابات مجلس الشعب، واستمراراً للتعاون البناء بين السفارة والجالية المصرية، تود السفارة الإشارة إلى التفاصيل والمواعيد التالية بالنسبة للمرحلة الأولى من انتخابات مجلس الشورى:
1- تم إتاحة بطاقات الاقتراع وإقرار التصويت الخاصة بالناخبين الذين يحق لهم التصويت في المرحلة الأولى لانتخابات مجلس الشورى، والذين سبق لهم التسجيل فى انتخابات مجلس الشعب، على موقع اللجنة القضائية العليا للانتخاباتwww.elections2011.eg (القسم الخاص بتصويت المصريين في الخارج - قسم التصويت بالبريد)، علما بأن المرحلة الأولى تشــــــــمل محافظات: أسيوط – الإسكندرية - البحر الأحمر – الدقهلية – الغربية – الفيوم – القاهرة - المنوفية - الوادي الجديد - شمال سيناء - جنوب سيناء – دمياط- قنا.
CAIRO—From her home in a labyrinth of stonewalled alleyways, Samia Ramsis holds a key chain bearing the face of the Virgin Mary as she sits in her yellow pajamas on the morning of Orthodox Christmas.
