Egypt’s Coptic Church Issues First Conversion Certificate
Key move in former Muslim’s bid to legally convert comes as Islamist outcry peaks.
By Roger Elliot
ISTANBUL, April 14 (Compass Direct News) – In a bold move, Egypt’s Coptic Church has issued its first-ever certificate of conversion to a former Muslim, supporting his petition to have his national identification card denote his Christian faith
CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church has for the first time issued a certificate of conversion to a Muslim-born Christian, his lawyer said, in a country where religious conversion is highly sensitive.
Maher al-Gohari, who is seeking to change his religion on his official documents from Muslim to Christian was asked by a court to provide a conversion certificate from the Egyptian church.
Ramallah – Ma’an – A newly-built Coptic Christian church was severely damaged by fire in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday.
Firefighters and police rushed to put out the blaze but were unable to prevent damage to the interior of the building. A depiction of Jesus was one of the only items to survive the fire.
Armenians Blast Obama for Failure to State Genocide
Newsmax
An Armenian-American group that backed Barack Obama in the election is now urging its members to call the White House to protest the president’s failure to recognize the “Armenian genocide.”
As many as 1.5 million Armenians living within the Ottoman Empire perished beginning in 1915 as the Turks fought World War 1. Armenians and most historians regard the deaths as state-sponsored mass killings, or genocide, while Turkey insists the death were the result of a civil war coupled with disease and famine.
Two Asian men wearing traditional female Muslim dress and carrying handbags have robbed a jewellery shop in a possible copycat of an international spate of thefts. The pair wore black Muslim dress, including headwear which completely covered their faces, as well as sunglasses, when they carried out the attack.
Gowhari Court Hearing today adjourned to 2nd May 2009
United Copts GB
In a phone call to Nabil Gobrial, Gowhari lawyer today, United Copts GB learned that today’s Administrative court hearing in Cairo, was adjourned to 2nd May 2009.
Now fire service introduces hijab headscarves for Muslim workers
Dialy Mail
Covered: The fire service's new uniform for Muslim women
Pop into the firestation and the chances are there'd be a group of reassuringly burly men in there waiting for the call out, with uniforms and firefighting suits tailored for their use alone.
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.'s top human-rights body approved a proposal backed by Muslims nations Thursday urging the passage of laws around the world protecting religion from criticism.
The proposal by Pakistan had drawn strong criticism from free-speech campaigners and liberal democracies.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A suicide bomber demolished a mosque packed with hundreds of worshippers attending Friday prayers near the Afghan border, killing at least 48 people and injuring scores more, in the bloodiest attack in Pakistan this year. The bomber struck at the climax of the service, as the mosque leader was starting the communal prayer, witnesses said.
Mark Lenihan/Associated Press Aafia Siddiqui,a neuroscientist, is accused of trying to kill American soldiers and F.B.I. agents in Afghanistan.
A federal prosecutor in Manhattan said Thursday that two government psychiatrists had concluded that a Pakistani neuroscientist charged with trying to kill American soldiers and F.B.I. agents in Afghanistan had been faking her symptoms of mental illness.
URGENT - Fairness before the law for Metaos Wahba - URGENT
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you on behalf of Metaos Wahba, who is a Christian priest in Cairo, who is presently still imprisoned in Tora prison near Cairo.
Metaos Wahba is from the Santa-Maria church at Gizeh. He was accused of forgery of documents. He married a Christian man with a female Christian convert from Islam.
Netherlands Supreme Court: Insulting Islam is not insulting Muslims
THE HAGUE
The Supreme Court yesterday produced an important ruling in principle in favour of freedom of speech. The highest court of the Netherlands acquitted a man of insulting Muslims although he dubbed Islam a tumour.
The Supreme Court quashed a ruling by an appeal court in Den Bosch. As had a district court earlier, the appeal court did find the man guilty. Yesterday's acquittal can have consequences for all future court cases on insulting followers of a faith or ideology, including the notorious case against MP Geert Wilders.
London -- Nearly 600 people joined the One Law for All anti-racist rally against Sharia and religious-based laws in Britain and elsewhere and in defence of citizenship and universal rights in Trafalgar Square and marched towards Red Lion Square in London.
Gamal Mubarak Meets With Coptic Leaders In U.S. In Advance Of Father's Visit
Memri Blog
The Egyptian daily Al-Masryoon reported that during his recent visit to the U.S., Gamal Mubarak, the son of Egyptian Prime Minister Hosni Mubarak, met with Copt leaders in the U.S., in an attempt to deal with problems connected to the Copts in Egypt, and thus to prevent protests by Copts during his father's visit to the White House next month.
Catholic Church slams new code of conduct forcing teachers to promote Islam and gay rights
Daily Mail
It would not be possible for a person of faith to promote another faith: OonaghStannard with Education Secretary Ed Balls
The Roman Catholic Church has severely criticised a proposed new code of conduct for teachers which it says will force Christian schools to actively promote Islam and gay rights.
The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has warned the General Teaching Council, by the professional regulatory body, that many teachers will quit the profession because they will not be able to accept the revised code of conduct in good conscience.
Islamic Lawyers Urge Death Sentence for Egyptian Convert
In case on whether he can legally change religion, Christian is accused of ‘apostasy.’
By Roger Elliott
ISTANBUL, February 26 (Compass Direct News) – In the latest hearing of a Muslim-born Egyptian’s effort to officially convert to Christianity, opposing lawyers advocated he be convicted of “apostasy,” or leaving Islam, and sentenced to death.
Egyptian Law Granting Twins to Muslim to be Reviewed
Christian mother wins right to high court appeal regarding ruling that favored Muslim father.
By Roger Elliott
ISTANBUL, February 20 (Compass Direct News) – Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud last week granted the mother of 14-year-old twins Andrew and Mario Medhat Ramses the right to appeal a custody decision awarding her sons to their Muslim father.
UK: Any Muslim advocating for the caliphate, sharia, jihad, and the slaying of homosexuals to be branded "extremist" -- new anti-terror code
Guardian
• Draft strategy brands thousands as extremists • Ministers ponder plan to be unveiled next month
The government is considering plans that would lead to thousands more British Muslims being branded as extremists, the Guardian has learned. The proposals are in a counterterrorism strategy which ministers and security officials are drawing up that is due to be unveiled next month.
Ayman Nour's release may be a gesture of goodwill to the Obama administration. His imprisonment had strained relations between Cairo and Washington.
Reporting from Cairo -- An Egyptian political dissident whose imprisonment had strained relations between Cairo and Washington for more than three years was unexpectedly freed today in an apparent goodwill gesture toward the new Obama administration.
