Egypt's Coptic Women Abducted in the Name of Islam | |
by Made In England | |
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July 19, 2012 - WASHINGTON -- Coptic Christians make up | |
the largest Christian community in the Middle East, which | |
also makes them sitting targets for violence and | |
discrimination. | |
As Egypt moves toward "democratic reforms," the situation | |
is deteriorating for the Coptic church, especially | |
Christian women. | |
Last year's protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square inspired | |
hopes for freedom. But one year later, "freedom" seems | |
even more distant for Egypt's Coptic Christians who've | |
seen their churches burned and community abused. | |
"I kept asking myself, 'What if this man hadn't saved me. | |
Where would I be now?'" a Coptic Christian going by the | |
name "Ann" said at a hearing in Washington, Wednesday. | |
Ann is seeking asylum in the United States and recently | |
testified to a congressional committee from behind a wall | |
to conceal her identity and protect her family in Egypt. | |
She recounted how a man tried to kidnap her last year. | |
"I was screaming. I didn't know what he wanted. I had no | |
idea why he was doing this," she recalled. | |
Ann managed to escape. But many victims aren't that | |
fortunate. | |
According to a new Christian Solidarity International | |
report (http://csi-usa.org/TellMyMotherIMissHer.pdf), the | |
number of disappearances and abductions among Coptic | |
women is on the rise, all with the goal of converting the | |
women to Islam. | |
"I don't care who's in the White House, Democrat or | |
Republican. When women are being abused, when anybody's | |
human rights are being abused, there just should be no | |
partisanship," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said. | |
Smith hosted the hearing in Washington to highlight the | |
report -- titled "Tell My Mother I Miss Her" -- and | |
pressure the U.S. government to do more. | |
"It's a war of attrition against the Christians, using | |
the women as scapegoats," explained Michele Clark, a | |
Chrisian Solidarity International boad member and co- | |
author of the report. | |
Clark added that while most cases include kidnapping, | |
abuse, and forced marriages, some radicals also use the | |
lure of love and romance. | |
"They go and make the girls fall in love with them," she | |
said. "He gets one; she's married off, goes out recruits | |
another. He gets her, goes out, recruits another. The | |
same name is recited in five separate police reports." | |
Some experts believe the abductions are part of a wider | |
campaign to impose an Islamist agenda. | |
"The practices of abducting, torturing, and forcing | |
conversions on Coptic women or any element of society is | |
a terrorist act," Middle East expert Walid Phares said. | |
The number of asylum petitions has also skyrocketed. The | |
U.S. is granting more requests to victims like Ann, who | |
said she's grateful but also can't help but feel a tinge | |
of guilt. | |
"Until today when I think about it, I thank God that I | |
was saved," Ann said. "But then I think about the others | |
that weren't saved. What happened to them?" | |
Urge U.S. leaders to act on behalf of persecuted | |
Christians in the Middle East. Sign the Christian | |
Solidarity International petition here | |
(http://campaigns.csi-usa.org/index.php?id=1Obama). | |
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3wph2Lc9gA[1] | |
Uploader: Made In England[2] | |
References | |
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3wph2Lc9gA (link) | |
2. http://www.youtube.com/user/0MadeInEngland1 (link) | |
Date Published: 2019-09-09 22:05:47 | |
Identifier: youtube-c3wph2Lc9gA | |
Item Size: 20030689 | |
Media Type: movies | |
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