Egyptian reactions to the proposed H. Res. 673 concerning the Copts

Posted December 28, 2017

By Coptic Solidarity –

Since the announcement that a Congressional Resolution on Copts’ situation was introduced, Egypt’s media reported several reactions. Here below we provide a small sample of these.

“El-Bawaba news” reported that M.P. Alaa Abed, head of the Free Egyptians party’s Parliamentary Group at the Parliament and Head of the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, announced his rejection of the proposed new resolution to be introduced to the Congress which claims to support the Copts, and which is presented by Coptic Solidarity organization together with American legislators with the pretense of shedding light on what they call the suffering of the Copts and the call to support them. He considers this matter a blatant interference in the Egyptian’s internal affairs.

(It is known that the Free Egyptians party is one of President el-Sisi’s allies, and that Mr. Alaa Abed is a former police officer who was accused of torture crimes but, as one of the wonders of “Egyptian democracy”, he has succeeded to make it to the Parliament and to head its Human Rights committee. CS)

El-Bawaba added that Abed said that all citizens in Egypt in the era of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi enjoy all their rights, and that all that is being stirred up regarding the existence of deprivations from or violations of human rights in Egypt is baseless, and that whoever spreads such lies belongs to the forces of terrorism, evil and darkness. He pointed out that this matter confirms that Egypt’s decisive response to the Jerusalem dossier made some psychotic and mad, to the extent of [believing] such fantasies exist at present time.

According to Bawaba, Abed affirmed that there is no more what is called Muslims and Copts in Egypt, but all are Egyptians and are equal. MP Alaa Abed accused those who prepared the proposed law of working against Egypt, and counting on forces that work against Egypt in return for huge sums of money which they obtain from countries that fund and arm terrorism and terrorists. He explained that the claims that were cited in the resolution, particularly shedding the light on the violations which Copts were exposed to in Egypt, the status of the Copts as second class citizens, inviting the Egyptian government to ensure equality between Muslims and Copts in Egypt are all lies and baseless allegations with no support from the reality on the ground, and are definitely rejected by all the Egyptian people.

The (state-owned) al-Ahram newspaper, reported that the “Free Egyptians” party announced that it is closely following the new resolution project which was introduced to the American Congress with the pretense of supporting the Copts, and which was introduced by Coptic Solidarity organization together with American legislators claiming to shed light on what they called the suffering of the Copts and calls for supporting them.

Dr. Essam Khalil, Chair of the party, said that the proposed law, under the pretense of shedding light, claimed many issues; the violations to which Copts were exposed in Egypt, the situation of the Copts as second- class citizens, calls on the Egyptian government to ensure equality between Muslims and Copts in all areas, and sheds light on the church construction law in Egypt which led to worsening the situation according to their allegations. Khalil, confirmed that the Free Egyptians is following these procedures in the Congress in order to make clear the real picture of the situation in Egypt.

“El-Bawaba” also published that MP Saied Hasassin, head of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Peace party (a Sisi ally), announced his strong rejection of the mentioned proposed law, considering the matter a blatant interference in Egyptian internal affairs, and said that the Congress had contracted psychosis and madness, like the American President Donald Trump, after Egypt’s success in snatching the United Nations agreement to reject Trump’s decision to consider Jerusalem the capital of the Zionist occupation authorities. He asserted that all American politicians, particularly members of congress, have become mental patients and it is difficult to treat them.