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.
Five legislators and one retired legislator participated in the conference, expressing their support for Coptic equality and protection for religious minorities in the broader region. Watch their presentations below.
June 11 Congressional briefing – Gendered Persecution: Targets of Forced Conversion hosted by Coptic Solidarity, Jubilee Campaign, Canadian Yazidi Association, and the Assyrian International Council in the Longworth House Office Building.
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.”
June 12: Coptic Solidarity’s Annual Policy Day hosted in the Cannon Caucus Room
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.
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 he made a powerful contribution stating, “My faith has sustained me in times of darkness, and it reminds me every day of my responsibility to lift up the voiceless and protect the vulnerable. When one religious group is targeted, all faiths are threatened. We must be united, as Christians, Jews, Muslims, and people of conscience, in rejecting religious persecution in all its forms.”
“From Egypt to Sudan to Libya, religious minorities are bearing the brunt of instability and extremism. In Sudan, we’ve seen horrific violence targeting Christians and other non-Muslim communities. These aren’t isolated events; they reflect a broader disregard for pluralism and human dignity. Any serious U.S. engagement in the region must prioritize the protection of these vulnerable communities, not treat them as an afterthought.”
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.
