By Coptic Solidarity –
Coptic Solidarity is continuously engaged in advocacy on behalf of Copts and other religious minorities in the region, although some of our efforts are conducted behind the scenes.
We recently partnered with International Christian Concern (ICC) to co-author a letter on behalf of Mohammed Hegazi (also known as Bishoy Boulous), the first convert to Christianity in Egypt who pursued legal action against the government to formerly change his ID card. We circulated this letter and it was signed by 18 organizations and 8 personalities. Our letter was addressed to Attorney General Chclr. Hisham Barakat and was delivered by DHLto his office in Cairo, as well asto the Egyptian Embassy in Washington, DC by ICC’s Advocacy Director, Mr. Isaac Six. While we cannot guarantee specific outcomes from these actions, it is important to continue advocating for equality of all Egyptians and for the persecuted minorities of this region. In this way we can maintain some accountability and create greater pressure to encourage necessary reforms and protection of human rights. View letter sent to Attorney General
Coptic Solidarity is also counted amongst the NGO supporters of a key bill and resolution introduced to advance protection of religious minorities. We support H.R.624 – Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which was introduced by Representative Chris Smith of NJ. This bill seeks to bring much needed accountability by targeting individuals known to have participated in, or ordered, severe human rights abuses with sanctions such as through finances and travel restrictions. To read the bill, go to www.Thomas.gov and use the name or number in the search bar.
We have also supported a resolution which condemns violence against religious minorities in the Middle East and any actions that limit the free expression and practice of faith by these minorities. This resolution, H. Res. 139, was drafted and introduced by Representative Diane Black of TN. We are grateful for the many other Congressional cosponsors of both these initiatives.
Coptic Solidarity issued an action alert last month, asking individuals to ensure Congress speaks out for the 21 Coptic Martyrs and leads efforts to condemn Islamic Terrorism. They were urged to send a message asking their US Legislators to enter a statement into the Congressional Record. If you have not yet done this, please take action today! A sample letter is provided which you can edit if desired. Please enter your name and address which will be used by the advocacy software to determine who your elected officials are, and transmit your message to the right legislators!
Many federal legislators will not work on these issues unless they hear from their constituents(those people who live in the districts they are elected to represent). So please take a moment to speak out on behalf of Copts and other minorities in the region. Please stay tuned for future updates and contact coptadvocacy@copticsolidarity.org with questions.
