Rally in Protest to Attempted Assassination of Coptic Bishop & Christmas Day Massacre of Coptic Christians in Egypt

Contact: Caroline L. Doss, 201-418-9090

MEDIA ADVISORY, Jan. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- In a horrific attack in Qena, Egypt on a Coptic Church after Christmas Eve mass on January 6, 2010, three Muslim gunmen opened fire on churchgoers in an attempt to assassinate Coptic Bishop Kirollos of the Nag Hamadi Diocese. The attack led to the death of seven young Coptic Christians and the injury of fifteen. So, instead of the usual joyous Christmas festivities, mourners filled the streets in a heartbreaking funeral procession for the victims on Christmas day, the youngest being only nineteen. Local police officials were aware of the attack ahead of time and warned they would not be responsible for anything that occurred after 10PM. The attack was in retaliation to the churches refusal to participate in government sponsored forced reconciliation sessions, after a November 2009 attack by Muslims on Coptic properties.

Rally:
DATE: 01/19/2010
TIME: 12-4PM
LOCATION: 12-2PM-United Nations
2-4PM-Egyptian Mission

According to the 2009 US State Department Report on Egypt this tactic is commonly used by the government to deter Coptic Christians from seeking justice.

"The Government continued to sponsor 'reconciliation sessions' following sectarian attacks, which generally obviated the prosecution of perpetrators of crimes against Copts and precluded their recourse to the judicial system for restitution."

The bishop called the attackers "Muslim radicals," and said "It is all religious now. This is a religious war about how they can finish off the Christians in Egypt."

The foreign ministers of Canada, France and Italy condemned the Christmas Eve attack. The Egyptian President has made no statement condemning this attack against the indigenous Copts of Egypt. Attacks against Copts in Egypt have increased in most recent years due to the government's lack of prosecution of crimes against Copts by Muslims. The 2009 US State Department Report cites an, "increasingly prevalent pattern of governmental authorities detaining Copts following sectarian attacks and either holding them without charges or threatening false charges and police records; the detentions serve as a tool to blackmail Coptic authorities to desist from calling for official action to prosecute the perpetrators, and to dissuade the victims and/or their families from seeking recourse in the judicial system for restitution of damages.

We demand the Egyptian government start prosecuting Muslim perpetrators of crimes against Copts, so we may begin to see a flicker of justice for Copts in Egypt.