Coptic Solidarity hosted its 13th Annual Conference, titled Uprooted & Endangered: Defending the Religious Minorities of the Middle East in Washington, D.C., June 11-12.
On June 11, teams of advocates from partner organizations and Coptic Solidarity held numerous meetings with government officials and legislative offices to highlight the plight of each minority group. Advocates also shared joint challenges and concrete policy recommendations.
Participation in these meetings was much greater than anticipated and it was an excellent opportunity to engage new supporters in our work while working with more seasoned advocates. This training and involvement of more supporters is vital to achieving our mission!
Following the legislative meetings, all the advocacy teams, expert speakers, and guests, met together for a Congressional briefing, hosted by Coptic Solidarity, Jubilee Campaign, Canadian Yazidi Association, and the Assyrian International Council from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM in the Longworth House Office Building 1539.The briefing, Gendered Persecution: Targets of Forced Conversion was opened by USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck, who stated that the US government must continue to combat restrictions on religious freedom abroad, especially in countries that justify sexually and gender-based violence on religious grounds, and stressed that women should be able to interpret publicly and express or live out their religious beliefs in all aspects of their lives, including marriage and divorce, bodily autonomy, speech, education, and dress.
US Rep. Brad Sherman then shared that “Just yesterday, the Ambassador of Egypt was in my office. I had the opportunity to discuss with him how we need to focus on the treatment of Coptic Christians in Egypt. Obviously, the current government is much better than the Muslim brotherhood than Mohamed Morsi, but that is not the standard by which the Egyptian government should be judged. We need to see a more and quicker approval of applications to build and renovate Churches. We also need to focus on stories like Saad Thabet who was mistreated in her own village.”
Coptic Solidarity was able to bring a Coptic survivor to testify about her personal experience of sexual abuse and efforts to forcibly convert her which started at age 14. Her experience closely mirrors the findings of our new report down to the details of her fencing team mates staging a photo opportunity of her with a head-covering (which they put on her head under the guise of being cold outside) and this picture later turned up on a new ID card with a new Muslim name and identity that the abuser gave her. In retrospect, she can see how her abuser had high-level access to information about her from the time he first raped her at age 14, through several moves to University and later to a career, and changing all contact information, he would still show up and continue threating her and her family. Christeen is now in the US seeking religious asylum. This was the first time to share her story publicly, and she did so with poise, under incredible pressure. Having a witness share about the crime of forcible conversion, accompanied by sexual abuse and often disappearance, was incredibly impactful, and gave a face to the suffering that other speakers shared.
Joseph Janssen of Jubilee Campaign and Voice for Justice discussed the recently released report focused on Pakistan, Conversion without Consent, and Sonja Dahlmans, author of Coptic Solidarity’s report Hidden Crimes Public Deception: The Epidemic of Abductions and Forced Disappearance of Coptic Women and Girls, discussed her findings. Jamileh Naso, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Canadian Yazidi Association shared that there are still about 2,500 missing Yezidi women who were abducted during the rule of ISIS. Despite the location of many of these women being known, there is a complete lack of political will to work for their return.
During the event, Coptic Solidarity Executive Committee member, Magdi Khalil, received a call with news, Mariam Madhat Ramzy Labib has been returned! We rejoice with Mariam and her family and know that public pressure from Coptic Solidarity and our work with Members of Congress is critical to assisting disappeared Coptic women.
Following the briefing, many supporters joined us for a brief rally in front of the US Capitol. We walked with signs, detailing the faces, names, and circumstances of disappeared Coptic and Pakistani girls. This event was a powerful reminder to the Egyptian and Pakistani governments that they need to end these crimes, return disappeared women, and hold perpetrators accountable.
June 12: Coptic Solidarity’s Annual Policy Day
Thanks to the sponsorship of US Rep. French Hill, a longtime champion of Coptic equality, Coptic Solidarity was able to host our event in the beautiful Cannon Caucus Room. Congressman French Hill noted that “While Coptic Christians are the largest religious minority in the Middle East, they continue to endure discrimination, violence and systematic injustice in Egypt.” And thaton June 1 he was encouraged to see President Trump honor Global Coptic Day.
Former Congressman Frank. R. Wolf, spoke passionately about how religious leaders in America are failing to speak-out and act for persecuted Christians worldwide. He emphasized the need to remember those who are truly suffering, work in coalition together, and provided a list of recommendations to Coptic Solidarity and our partners for more effective advocacy.
US Rep. Mike Lawler 
Caroline Doss, Esq. 
US Rep. Jim McGovern 
Former Rep. Frank Wolf 
Coptic Witness: Christine 
Congressman Jim McGovern, (Co-chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission) was prevented from joining the Congressional briefing on June 11 due to legislative duties, so we were encouraged to hear his strong statement of support for Copts on June 12. Reflecting on our latest report he said, “As I read the report I was struck by the image of Ilham, 16, who was abducted on her way to school and held for 5 days in 2022.Despite the ordeal that Ilham and her family endured, her abductors didn’t face any legal consequences. Tragically Ilham’s story is not unique. The most recent State Department report on International Religious Freedom recorded at least eight cases of alleged abduction and forced conversion of Coptic women and girls in Egypt. While Egyptian Security Forces helped return some of those women to their families, it is absolutely unacceptable that government allows any abductions to go unpunished because of the victim’s religion.”
Congressman Michael Lawler, (Chair, Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee) This was Rep. Lawler’s first participation in a Coptic Solidarity event, and his personal faith and sincere expression of commitment to protecting Copts and religious minorities of the MENA region was heartening to all present. Rep. Lawler explained, “Religious freedom is not just a constitutional value. It’s a human right and in my role as chair of the House’ Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, I consider it one of the most important responsibilities to elevate and defend that right. Across the Middle East indigenous Christian communities, including Copts, Assyrians and Maronites, are being driven from their homelands by violence, repression and neglect. Coptic Christians face systemic inequality, violence against churches, and abductions of women and girls; abuses that demand global attention and accountability. These are not just religious injustices. They are crimes against humanity aimed at erasing the history and identity future of entire peoples.”
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis stopped by to share brief remarks, noting the situation of the Egyptian government claiming ownership of St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Sinai.
Coptic Solidarity selected Mark M. Basta as the recipient of our Annual Leadership Award for being a proactive young leader with outstanding scholarly contributions and spirited advocacy to achieve equality for the Indigenous Copts of Egypt.
The program and speakers can be viewed on Coptic Solidarity’s website, and a more comprehensive report with video of sessions and speeches will be available soon.
