Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Copts abroad call for national strike in Egypt


Egyptian Coptic communities abroad have called on September 11 for a general strike in Egypt and asked Copts to wear black to commemorate the day. September 11 is also the Coptic
It is a peaceful strike. It reflects our rejection to the perpetual prosecution that Copts endure for the past 28 years. Please be aware that Copts' reject that killing incidents of copts in Mubarak's era. It is well known that the copts lost 4000 people and endure 1500 attack. In addition to the extreme discrimination in government agencies and the destruction of their Church's, Copts working in the pork meat industry declare bankruptcy because of the government ignorant practices. Accordingly, our organization call upon all copts to join this strike

Copts abroad call for national strike in Egypt
Bikya Masr
31 August 2009

Egypt Coptic Christian at a service in Cairo
CAIRO: Egyptian Coptic communities abroad have called on September 11 for a general strike in Egypt and asked Copts to wear black to commemorate the day. September 11 is also the Coptic New Year and the coalition of Coptic groups have said that the strike is to demand better treatment by the government in their home country.
Leading the charge is Morris Sadek, a lawyer and President of the National Assembly of the American Copts. He is calling for action in order to make the government accountable for what he has repeatedly said is the “repression of Copts by Muslims in Egypt.”
“It is a peaceful strike. It reflects our rejection to the perpetual prosecution that Copts endure for the past 28 years. Please be aware that Copts’ reject that killing incidents of copts in Mubarak’s era,” said Sadek in a statement to Bikya Masr.
The proposed strike calls on Copts to remain at home all day and if they are forced to leave their homes for any reason, they should wear black.
“It is well known that the Copts lost 4000 people and [have] endured 1500 attacks. In addition to the extreme discrimination in government agencies and the destruction of their Church’s, Copts working in the pork meat industry declare bankruptcy because of the government’s ignorant practices,” Sadek added.
Another group, called “Copts for Egypt,” has chimed in with support. They called on the country’s Copts to organize on the Internet ahead of the planned general strike. In their demands, a statement from the group read, they call for the adoption of a unifed law for building houses of worship and the “cancellation of the meetings of reconciliation (talks between families aimed at avoiding sectarian tensions) and to bring the actual perpetrators of sectarian strife [to justice].”
The Coptic Church of Egypt has yet to comment on the details of the strike. Usually avoiding political conflict with the government, an official from the church told Youm al-Saba’a newspaper that the strike poses many dangers, but added that the “Copts of Egypt are not in need of a strike and they have formal and informal channels to claim all their rights,” in apparent opposition to the calls.
Although not officially saying no to the strike, the official alluded to the Church’s worries.
The source, who declined to be identified, said the strike called for on September 11 has adopted by some expatriate Copts and Coptic youth of “amateur” Internet sites and that the Church is not involved at all in these calls. He also called on Copts not to respond to the calls that undermine national unity and contribute to undermining security and stability of Egypt.
Sadek, who lives in the United States has called on more than one occasion on the Israeli government to use military force to protect the Copts of Egypt, Youm al-Saba’a reported.
He believes that Copts are living under an occupation by Muslims, who intend to “liquidate the Egyptian Copts.”
While the statements for strike are creeping into Egypt slowly, it appears a vast majority of Egypt’s Coptic community – which make up around 10 percent of Egypt’s 80 million people – are unconcerned with the matter.
“These are crazy people who want nothing more than create tension for their own benefit. We will not be joining anything like this,” local Pharmacist Ilias told Bikya Masr on Sunday evening.
**reporting by Mohamed Abdel Salam
BM

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