This session was hosted during Coptic Solidarity’s 13th Annual Conference, “Uprooted & Endangered: Defending the Religious Minorities of the Middle East” in the Cannon Caucus Room, Washington, D.C., June 12, 2025.
Moderator: Hulda Fahmi – Communications Associate, Jubilee Campaign Speaker: Rachid Hammami – Author & Host of With Clarity Weekly TV Program
Speaker: Nasredeen Abdulbari – Senior Peace Fellow, PILPG; Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council; former Minister of Justice (Sudan), Washington Institute for a New Sudan
During the session Nasredeen Abdulbari –former Minister of Justice (Sudan) who was instrumental in securing the repeal of the anti-apostasy law in Sudan – shared some background to the history of Sudan. He shared how the introduction of sharia in Sudan lead to the deterioration of human rights. He shared how many Coptic community members were forced to flee the country. He recalled the testimony of a Greek businessman who owned a hotel and a restaurant, who said: “I didn’t want to leave. But because sharia was applied, I was forced to leave.”
Abdulbari continued, “This shows how the adoption of a specific religion or identity in general by the state can actually cause problems to citizens and to religious minorities but also to ethnic and cultural minorities.”
He emphasized that the future of a prosperous Sudan is contingent on a democratic and secular state: “Without having a state that is democratic that accommodates diversity the violations will continue and we will not have laws that respect the freedoms – fundamental freedoms and rights.” Sudan is a diverse country with more than 500 ethnic groups, with Muslims but also Christians and African religions.
Rachid Hammami – Author & Host of With Clarity Weekly TV Program , brought attention to severe religious freedom violations perpetrated by the government in Algeria where, “A Bible in the wrong place [has become] a crime in Algeria.”
He shared how the Algerian government is targeting the basic rights of freedom of worship of Christians in Algeria: targeting their right to gather, to read scripture, to speak of Jesus, to be free. He outlined in detail the laws used to persecute Algerian Christians in Algeria, “Algeria a country of religious diversity has become a place of religious persecution.” He spoke particularly about Ordinance 06-03 which requires authorization for worship. Under this law, all non-Muslims must have an approval by a special national commission, “but the commission never meets,” Brother Rasheed shared, “It has become a tool of silence not dialogue, as a result most churches are not legally recognized.” He shared that to date 58 of these local churches have been forcibly closed and only one still standing. While no Christians are currently in prison there are 32 individuals who have active legal cases against them.
“Algeria is betraying its legacy. Both the Christian heritage of its soil and the free spirit of the Berber people,” he emphasized. Brother Rachid urged the US to put pressure on the Algerian government to recognize in practice the freedom of Christian converts to practice their religion or belief by reopening the sealed churches and repealing Ordinance 06-03.
