M
megasan
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WASHINGTON (UPI) – The Coptic Christian community in the United States said it would protest Egyptian suppression of religious minorities at a rally in front of the White House.
Cairo faced an international backlash for its treatment of the Coptic minority community following the slaying of six members of the Christian group during the Jan. 6 midnight mass for the Coptic Christmas Eve.
The Christian Copts of California announced they would hold rallies Thursday at the White House and the Egyptian Embassy to pressure U.S. lawmakers to do more to address the issue of religious persecution.
“We ask President Obama, the U.S. Congress and government officials, and all freedom-loving people and organizations in the U.S. and around the world to support the right of the Copts, for protection from aggression and equality under the law,” the group said.
The group said the Jan. 6 shootings suggest Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is placating the Islamic community in Egypt with his silence in order to maintain his hold on power.
International rights groups point to a rise in the number of clashes between Egyptian Copts and Muslims, blaming a culture of religious intolerance for the suppression.
“The climate of hatred is deeply entrenched in Egypt’s mosques, the Egyptian media and the Egyptian educational system,” the Coptic group said.
Cairo faced an international backlash for its treatment of the Coptic minority community following the slaying of six members of the Christian group during the Jan. 6 midnight mass for the Coptic Christmas Eve.
The Christian Copts of California announced they would hold rallies Thursday at the White House and the Egyptian Embassy to pressure U.S. lawmakers to do more to address the issue of religious persecution.
“We ask President Obama, the U.S. Congress and government officials, and all freedom-loving people and organizations in the U.S. and around the world to support the right of the Copts, for protection from aggression and equality under the law,” the group said.
The group said the Jan. 6 shootings suggest Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is placating the Islamic community in Egypt with his silence in order to maintain his hold on power.
International rights groups point to a rise in the number of clashes between Egyptian Copts and Muslims, blaming a culture of religious intolerance for the suppression.
“The climate of hatred is deeply entrenched in Egypt’s mosques, the Egyptian media and the Egyptian educational system,” the Coptic group said.