United States Commission on International Religious Freedom report 2013

 

EGYPT

      

USCIRF STATUS:

Tier 1 Country of Particular Concern

     

Click here to read the report. 

 

 

 

House of Commons 

Hansard of: Persecution of Christians

4.25 pm

Naomi Long (Belfast East) (Alliance): I am pleased to have secured this debate on the increasing threat to freedom of religion in certain parts of the world, which is an important issue. Due to time pressure, I apologise in advance for the fact that I may not be able to accept many interventions. These are issues, however, on which I have placed significant emphasis during my time in Parliament not only because I believe passionately in the inherent importance of protecting fundamental human rights but because the evidence demonstrates that those societies that protect and respect fundamental rights tend to fare better in their protection of other human rights.

In preparation for this debate, I have worked closely with Open Doors, an organisation focusing on freedom for persecuted Christian Churches. I also thank Christian Solidarity Worldwide, His Grace, Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, and others who have circulated briefing materials ahead of today’s debate.

 

Egypt’s Coptic Christians must be protected from sectarian violence

Coptic Christians protest in Cairo, Egypt, May 2011.

Coptic Christians protest in Cairo, Egypt, May 2011.

Tahsin Bakr/Demotix

It is high time for the authorities to take sectarian violence and threats seriously. Time and time again, President Morsi claimed to be President of all Egyptians. Now, he needs to take action to ensure that sectarian violence is prevented and when it occurs it is properly investigated, and those responsible face justice.

Source:

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.  

A rise in tensions between religious communities in the town of Wasta, about one hundred kilometres south of Cairo, in recent weeks highlights the failure of the Egyptian authorities to protect Egypt’s Coptic Christians, the largest religious minority in the country.

 

  

Eurpean Parliament concerned about the situation of the Egyptian judiciary, women rights and Freedom of religion produces resolution.

 

Urges the VP/HR and the Commission to develop the ‘more for more’ principle, with a particular focus on civil society, women’s rights and minority rights, in a more coherent and practical way, including clear conditions and benchmarks should the Egyptian Government steer away from democratic reforms and respect for human rights.

 

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Egypt (2013/2542(RSP)

 

pursuant to Rule 110(2) and (4) of the Rules of Procedure

replacing the motions by the following groups:

Verts/ALE (B7‑0095/2013)

PPE (B7‑0096/2013)

ECR (B7‑0097/2013)

ALDE (B7‑0099/2013)

S&D (B7‑0100/2013)


 

on the situation in Egypt (2013/2542(RSP))


Elmar Brok, Cristian Dan Preda, Roberta Angelilli, Elena Băsescu, Arnaud Danjean, Mário David, Sari Essayah, Salvatore Iacolino, Eduard Kukan, Nadezhda Neynsky, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Hans‑Gert Pöttering, Jacek Protasiewicz, Tokia Saïfi, Peter Šťastný, Alf Svensson, Dominique Vlasto, Anne Delvaux, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė on behalf of the PPE Group
Véronique De Keyser, Pino Arlacchi, Corina Creţu, Saïd El Khadraoui, Ana Gomes, Liisa Jaakonsaari, María Muñiz De Urquiza, Raimon Obiols, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Kristian Vigenin on behalf of the S&D Group
Marietje Schaake, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Ivo Vajgl, Jelko Kacin, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Alexandra Thein, Graham Watson, Marielle de Sarnez, Edward McMillan-Scott, Antonyia Parvanova, Robert Rochefort, Louis Michel, RamonTremosa i Balcells, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Hannu Takkula, Kristiina Ojuland on behalf of the ALDE Group
Judith Sargentini, Hélène Flautre, Jean-Paul Besset, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Margrete Auken on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Charles Tannock, Peter van Dalen, Valdemar Tomaševski, Sajjad Karim on behalf of the ECR Group  

 

Egypt hits 'new low' on NGO restrictions

Since the ‘25 January Revolution’ of 2011 the Egyptian authorities have continued cracking down

Since the ‘25 January Revolution’ of 2011 the Egyptian authorities have continued cracking down

Omar Robert Hamilton

NGOs in Egypt already face staggering restrictions, but this instruction is a new low

Source:

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa

A move by Egyptian authorities to prohibit national NGOs’ contact with foreign organizations without prior permission from security bodies represents a new low for freedom of association, said Amnesty International.

 

 

Egypt: Catalogue of Cases in 2012

1. Summary and conclusions

Attacks against the Coptic community, which rose substantially during 2011, continued in 2012. Although at the beginning of the year, leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood congratulated the Coptic community during the Orthodox Christmas celebrations, the Salafi movement very pointedly did not, and were again at the forefront of hostility targeting the Christian community. Threats and violence against the Coptic community, which have been particularly marked in Upper Egypt, include inequality before the law; pressure on churches with regard to construction, ownership or repair of buildings; abductions of female minors; murder; the torching of homes and businesses, as well as the anti-Christian rhetoric by Muslim brotherhood spokesmen, Salafis and senior Islamic clergy.

This has been exacerbated by a continuing climate of impunity where perpetrators continue to commit crimes without prosecution. In addition, an increase in charges of blasphemy, insulting religion has occasioned problems not only for Christians, but also for atheists, moderate Muslims and those not adhering to Sunni Islam.

cont.

 Human Rights Watch Egypt 2013, total condemnation.

  

Egypt

The rocky transition from autocratic and military rule continued following the 2011 ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt held democratic parliamentary and presidential elections, and ended 31 years of rule under emergency laws. However, serious human rights problems remain, including police abuse and impunity; restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and religion; and limits on the rights of women and workers.

Egypt’s first post-revolution parliament, elected between November 2011 and January 2012, failed to make significant human rights reforms before it was dissolved by the Supreme Constitutional Court on June 14 because the election law was deemed unconstitutional. Three days after the dissolution of parliament, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which had taken power after Mubarak’s ouster, passed an addendum to the constitutional declaration giving itself legislative powers, and a substantive role in drafting the constitution and limiting the powers of the new president.

On June 24, however, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsy was declared winner of the presidential elections, and on August 12 he repealed the SCAF addendum and ordered the retirement of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy and Lieutenant General Sami Anan, the two most senior members of the SCAF. On November 22, President Morsy issued a constitutional declaration granting his decrees and laws immunity from judicial oversight, and dismissing the sitting public prosecutor, a move greeted with uproar and strikes by the judiciary. On November 30, the 100-person assembly started voting on the draft constitution, with a referendum due to take place 15 days after the final draft is approved.

ABU QURQAS (INCIDENT/ TRIAL/ VERDICT)

Link to report: http://abuqurqasverdict.blogspot.co.uk/

REPORT CONTENT


I- ABU QURQAS SECTARIAN CALSHES


II-ABU QURQAS TRIAL AND VERDICT


III-VIDEO DOCUMENTATION OF THE INCIDENT


IV-CONCLUSION

Posted 7th July by

latimes.com

Religious freedom under increasing threat worldwide, study says

Government restrictions on religion and hostility involving it were highest in the Middle East and North Africa, most notably in Egypt

Religion

More countries around the world are clamping down on religious freedom and harassment and intimidation of religious groups has surged, according to a new study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center.

The report tracked changes in religious tolerance through the middle of 2010. Though the findings are based on research done long before the recent eruption of widespread protests over insults to Islam, they shed new light on rising tension over faith

 

USCIRF Annual Report 2012 - Countries of Particular Concern: Egypt

FINDINGS: Over the past year, the Egyptian transitional government continued to engage in and tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief. Serious problems of discrimination, intolerance, and other human rights violations against members of religious minorities, as well as disfavored Muslims, remain widespread in Egypt. Violence targeting Coptic Orthodox Christians increased significantly during the reporting period. The transitional government has failed to protect religious minorities from violent attacks at a time when minority communities have been increasingly vulnerable. This high level of violence and the failure to convict those responsible continued to foster a climate of impunity, making further violence more likely. During the reporting period, military and security forces used excessive force and live ammunition targeting Coptic Christian demonstrators and places of worship resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. The government also continued to prosecute, convict, and impose prison terms on Egyptian citizens charged with blasphemy. Implementation of previous court rulings related to granting official identity documents to Baha'is and changing religious affiliation on identity documents for converts to Christianity has seen some progress but continues to lag, particularly for Baha'is. In addition, the government has not responded adequately to combat widespread and virulent anti-Semitism in the government-controlled media.

 
بيان إتحاد المنظمات القبطية بأوروبا
بشأن سقوط شرعية رئيس الجمهورية
 
نعلن نحن إتحاد المنظمات القبطية بأوروبا عن عودة الفراغ السياسي بعد سقوط شرعية السيد محمد مرسي العياط عقب صدور قراره بعودة مجلس الشعب المنحل لممارسة اختصاصاته رغم حكم المحكمة الدستورية العليا الذي نص بأن (هذا المجلس معدوماً منذ إنتخابه بما يترتب عليه زوال وجوده بقوة القانون دون حاجة إلى إتخاذ إجراء آخر كأثر للحكم.).
فإننا إتحاد المنظمات القبطية بأوروبا نتضامن مع جميع قضاة مصر الشرفاء في المحكمة الإدارية العليا والقضاء الإداري والجمعية العمومية للمحكمة الدستورية العليا وندعوهم إلى الإمتناع عن الدخول إلى الجلسات حتى يسحب السيد مرسي العياط قراره رقم 11 لعام 2012 بإعادة مجلس الشعب المنحل ضارباً بأحكام القضاء وسيادة القانون عرض الحائط، كما أننا ندعو كافة شرفاء مصر داخلها وخارجها إلى الإنضمام لفضح التعدي السافر على حكم أعلى جهة قضائية في مصر وهو ما يمثل عدواناً لم يسبق له مثيل في التعدي الصارخ على أحكام القضاء.

Crimes in Al-Amiriya: Collective Punishment of Copts

and Official Sanction for Sectarian Attacks

Sunday 12 February 2012

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights today issued the findings of its investigation into the sectarian attacks on Copts in the village of Sharbat, located in the Amiriya district of the governorate of Alexandria, in late January. In the aftermath of the attacks, a customary agreement was concluded that entailed the expulsion of eight Christian families from the village, under the aegis of executive and security officials in the governorate, as well as members of parliament.

The EIPR harshly condemned the failure of police and army forces to protect Christian residents’ homes and property, which was looted and torched following rumors that a Christian youth was circulating sexually explicit photos of himself and a Muslim woman from the village. The attacks took place after the young man turned himself in to the police and the prosecution detained him pending an investigation. The EIPR notes that the law does not permit customary reconciliation in cases of arson, and in sponsoring the customary agreement, governorate officials flagrantly violated the law, which necessitates a criminal investigation.

Amnesty International report

 

جرائم العامرية: عقاب جماعي للأقباط ورعاية رسمية للاعتداءات الطائفية

الأحد 12 فبراير 2012

أصدرت المبادرة المصرية للحقوق الشخصية اليوم نتائج تحقيقها في الاعتداءات الطائفية التي تعرض لها الأقباط بقرية شربات التابعة لمركز العامرية لمحافظة الإسكندرية في نهاية شهر يناير الماضي، والتي نتج عنها اتفاق عرفي معيب قضى بالتهجير القسري لثماني أسر مسيحية برعاية المسئولين التنفيذيين والأمنيين بالمحافظة ونواب برلمانيين.

وأدانت المبادرة المصرية بأشد العبارات فشل قوات الشرطة والجيش في حماية منازل وممتلكات أقباط القرية التي تعرضت للحرق والنهب الجماعي على خلفية شائعة بقيام شاب مسيحي بتداول صور تجمعه مع سيدة مسلمة من أهل القرية نفسها، وذلك رغم قيام الشاب بتسليم نفسه للشرطة وقرار النيابة حبسه على ذمة التحقيقات. وشددت المبادرة المصرية على أن جريمة الحرق العمد لا يجيز القانون التصالح فيها، وأن مسئولي المحافظة الذين رعوا الاتفاق العرفي ارتكبوا بذلك مخالفة صريحة للقانون تستوجب التحقيق الجنائي.

   

تقرير مؤسسة حرية الفكر والتعبير

يعتبر تحريض الأعلام فى ماسبيرو و محمد محمود 

"جريمة جنائية تستوجب العقاب وقصور مھني ارتقى الى حد التحریض

حیث تم استغلال ذلك بشكل منظم ومتعمد و بتوظیف سیاسي مركزي

لأن تتم صیاغة الأحداث بشكل أثاري وتحریضي ومضلل

لخدمة أھداف وتوجھات النظام السیاسي القائم"

لماذا التستر....أين العقاب؟؟؟

 

maspero criminal

 أضغط هنا لتفتح التقرير

  

From Arab Spring to Coptic Winter: Sectarian Violence and the Struggle for Democratic Transition in Egypt

Testimony

Michael H. Posner
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

Helsinki Commission Hearing

Washington, DC

 

 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for conducting this important hearing on the situation faced by Coptic Christian community in Egypt, and for inviting me to testify.

 

As you know, this is a time of substantial transition in Egypt as Egyptians strive to move their country towards democracy. This is not an easy process and it will not happen overnight. Egypt is only starting on a path from the temporary stewardship of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), through parliamentary elections that will begin in two weeks, then the process of drafting of a new constitution and finally presidential elections. As they move toward these milestones, millions of Egyptians hope to see the emergence of a democratic civilian government that respects the universal rights of all of its citizens.

 

تقرير المجلس عن احداث ماسبيرو

الأربعاء, 02 نوفمبر 2011 21:50

مقدمة

تعد أحداث ماسبيرو يوم الأحد الموافق التاسع من أكتوبر 2011، والتي فقدت فيها مصر 28 شهيدا منهم 26 من المواطنين المسيحيين و 1 من العسكريين، و1 من المواطنين المسلمين ، بالإضافة لأكثر من 321 مصاب من المدنيين والعسكريين، وفقا لبيانات وزارة الصحة والسكان، تعد نقطة تحول فارقة هددت أحد أهم مقومات المجتمع المصري وأسباب تفرده. وكان للمخزون الحضاري للشعب المصري والذي رفضت جموعه محاولات التحريض والاستعداء ضد المواطنين المسيحيين، دورا حاسما في حماية الوطن ووحدة شعبه من كارثة قومية محققة. فقد شهد هذا اليوم عددا من الانتهاكات الجسيمة لحقوق الإنسان تشكل جرائم ارتكبت في حق المتظاهرين السلميين، شملت جرائم قتل عمد، وقتل عشوائي، والاعتداءات البدنية وما تخلف عنها من إصابات جسيمة أسفر بعضها عن إعاقة تامة أو جزئية وإصابات أخرى متفرقة.

كما وقعت جرائم إتلاف لمركبات ومهمات عسكرية وممتلكات عامة وخاصة.

ويوجز هذا التقرير نتائج لجنة تقصي الحقائق التي شكلها المجلس القومي لحقوق الإنسان من بين أعضائه، بموجب قرار صدر فى جلسته الطارئة بتاريخ 10 أكتوبر 2011، برئاسة الأستاذة "منى ذو الفقار" وعضوية السيدات والسادة د."أسامة الغزالي حرب"، ود. "اسكندر غطاس" ،و"إنعام محمد على" ، و "جورج اسحق" ، و"حافظ أبو سعدة"، ود."درية شرف الدين"، ود. "سمير مرقس"، "عمرو الشوبكى"، ود. "عمرو حمزاوى"، ود."فؤاد رياض، و"محسن عوض"، "و"ناصر أمين"، و"يوسف القعيد"، أعضاء المجلس.

وساعد فى إعداد التقرير عدد من الباحثين المتخصصين من مكتب الشكاوى بالمجلس يضم السيدات والسادة جمال بركات، نبيل شلبى، إسلام شقوير، أحمد عبدالله، كريم شلبى، خالد معروف، أسامة نشأت، أحمد جميل، أسماء شهاب، نشوى بهاء، ومن أمانة المجلس الزملاء أمجد فتحى، مى نجيب، رشا علوى، أسماء الشهاوى، هانى الحسينى، أسماء فوزى، معتز فادى، محمد ماهر، رامى علام، عمرو يسرى، خالد معتصم، رامى ميخائيل .

واستندت اللجنة في مصادرها على الآتي :

ep resolution, maspero massacre

The Eurpean Parliament passes strong resolution condemning the Maspero Massacre  

Double click to read the resolution   

Exerpts from the resolution

Strongly condemns the killing of protestors in Egypt; expresses its sincere condolences to the families of all victims; calls on the authorities to ensure that security forces do not use disproportionate force; emphasises the right of all citizens to demonstrate freely and peacefully, under due protection from law   enforcement authorities; calls on the Egyptian authorities to release the 28 arrested Christians in Maspero as well all others arrested;
 

Calls on the Egyptian authorities to ensure full respect for all fundamental rights, including freedom of association, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, conscience and thought for all citizens in Egypt, including the Coptic Christians, and that Coptic Christian communities do not fall victim to violent attacks and can live in peace and freely express their beliefs throughout the country; calls for the adequate protection of the churches in order to put an end to the continuous aggression and destruction of churches by Islamic extremists; 

Considers that measures should be adopted by the EU in the event of serious violations of the human rights of any citizens in Egypt; underlines the necessity for the EU to stand ready to adopt further measures in order to assist the Egyptian people who are striving for a democratic future through peaceful means;

 

Takes the view that a new Constitution should explicitly provide for the protection of all fundamental rights, including freedom of association, freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, conscience and thought, and the protection of minorities; calls on the Egyptian authorities to make sure that any constitutional provision is inclusive and leaves no possibility for discrimination against anyone in Egyptian society;

Expresses its deep concerns about the health condition of imprisoned blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad and calls for his immediate release;

 



© 2014 united copts .org
 
Copyright © 2023 United Copts. All Rights Reserved.
Website Maintenance by: WeDevlops.com