There's a place for Copts today - America

"Bishoy Kameel, a Coptic teacher in Sohag, was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Islam and defaming President Morsi on his Facebook page. This sentence was confirmed by an appeal court in Sohag, and the whole process happened in a matter of days.

Nageeb Gibrial, Bishoy’s lawyer, told me that the conditions of a fair trial did not exist because of intimidation by Salafists surrounding the court and inside it. Gibrial got permission from the Minister of Justice to transfer the trial to a court in Cairo but it was not implemented by the chairman of the appeal court in Sohag.

Bishoy was put in prison in July 2012. His lawyer presented evidence that the materials on his defendant’s Facebook page were not his, but the court did not consider this evidence.

The Salafists gathered outside the court building tried to attack Bishoy and shouted slogans such as "death to the infidel." They also threatened to burn Coptic houses and kill Bishoy's family if he was released. It is very difficult to expect justice in this intimidating atmosphere."  Said Shahata

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Does this require comment?  I think not.  pl

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/4/54512/Opinion/The-misery-of-Copts-in-Egypt--.aspx

Comments

[Fred]

The only question is why the US is still giving the Egyptian government billions of dollars.

[TWV]

Ahh......the religion of "peace."

[turcopolier]

TWV

Tim. As you know I never called Islam a "religion of peace." There are many islams. the one that is winning across the ME is not a religion of peace. Surely you do not "tar" FB Ali with the same brush? pl

[trooper]

While I would welcome Copts to America I was a bit disturbed by FB Ali's description of Islam as having no place for shrines, etc. on a recent thread. That seemed inconsistent with tolerance, as does , frankly, what most of today's even educated Pakistanis seem to believe and do (just look at the popilarity of Imran Khan with the urban "middle class" there). Sorry, gotta call 'em lime I see 'em, Colonel.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Islam is neither a religion of peace nor a religion of war; it is a religion for both peace and war.

The Peace is in Islam is interior - that of a human being whose inner tranquility is derived from his absolute trust in the Will of God.

[Tyler]

If America cared about what was happening to the Copts, it would have been giving refugee status to the Boers and Rhodesians after that bit of ugliness occured.

But no, we need more barely literate third world peasants.

[Clifford Kiracofe]

Chittagong (Agenzia Fides) - It is a phenomenon that "disturbs the Catholic community in Bangladesh" and that "has to be monitored by the police": Christian children, of the tribal communities, are kidnapped, sold to "madrassas" (Koranic schools) and converted to Islam or "end up in the hands of unscrupulous traffickers who sell them abroad as slaves." This is the alarm launched to Fides Agency by His Exc. Mgr. Moses M. Costa, Bishop of Chittagong. "I talked to some people in our communities - explains the concerned Bishop - who reported to the police this illegal practice. People are afraid. Families who, after being deceived, rescue their children, are then forced to flee and hide in order to escape retaliation. We try to provide shelter and assistance to these people. We call for a decisive intervention of the police to ensure legality and the freedom of our communities."
The phenomenon is common for children of ethnic Tripura, especially in the mountainous area of "Chittagong Hill Tracts' (CHT)....."
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=32368&lan=eng

[kodlu]

The comparison is moot. Copts are not associated with any racial/religious minority oppressing the majority. Both Rhodesian and Boer governments were exactly that. I take it you are fine with the ugliness the white supremacist governments of the two countries you mentioned visited on the majority black populations.

[turcopolier]

kodlu

I will allow this exchange to continue between you and Tyler and/or others so long as it does not become personal or nasty. pl

[Al Spafford]

Over the past several decades, the immigrant Mid East Copts I met in SE Michigan had been far advanced from being "barely literate" and most involved in professional occupations. Their presence adding to the economy and social status.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I once met a Copt whose brother was the commander of a US destroyer.

[turcopolier]

babak

Did you? How remarkable that must have been. Well, it probably did not say in his navy rcords that he was a Copt. That could be fixed if we wanted to "fix" it. As defense attache in Yemen I once hosted the port visit of a US Navy ship, a big LST. The ship was at anchor off Hodeidah in the Red Sea. The captain sent his gig in to pick me up along with several senior (for Yemen) local officers he was hosting for dinner in his cabin. We sat in the stern chattering as the boat took us to the ship. The "boat officer" and crew went about their business while we watched. This lieutenant junior grade and his men looked splendid in white shirts and and black trousers. The lieutenant wore a billed white cap with the US Navy officer's device. One of the Yemeni colonels asked why the boat had a "foreigner" in charge? Was this a sign of disrespect to them as representatives of Yemen? The lieutenant sensed that he was being talked of and turned to look at me. His name was Nakamura or some such thing. He told me he was from Los angeles. I saw the ring. He was graduated from Annapolis two years before. I told the Yemenis that he was as American as I. They stared at me. pl

[Babak Makkinejad]

I never met the skipper; I saw a paper clipping of him shaking hands with Clinton which his brother was displaying at his desk.

I mentioned this case only as a rebuttal to Tyler who evidently thinks everyone outside of North America and Europe is an uncouth peasant.

The incident that you mentioned with Yemenis would have been funny had it not also been more common.

If an American firm tries to sell business in India or in Niegeria it is often best to put forth a Euro-American than an Indo-American or a Black American.

[turcopolier]

babak

A common failing in all the places you mention is the inability to identify with those who are not of your blood or faith. We have had this ability as a goal for a long time. pl

[Abu Sinan]

The idea that Islam doesnt have "time for shrines" is nonsense and not cognizant of Islamic history, nor the various different sects in different regions. To prove this one needs to go no further than the destruction of shrines in the Hijaz area of what is now Saudi Arabia by the al Saud tribe when they conquered this area around Mecca and Medina. These shrines were both Sufi (Sunni) and Shi'a. Such shrines exist all over the Muslim world except where the ultra Salafi have destroyed them.

The Kabba itself and the Prophets mosque in Medina are nothing more than giant shrines themselves.

There have been movements throughout the history of Islam that didnt agree with the concept of shrines, but that is a FAR cry from saying that the entire religion has no time for them. That would be like saying that Christianity has no time for shrines because of the actions of Cromwell.

[TWV]

Yes, there are many billions of Muslims (1.5,I believe), but violent extremism seems to be the word for the day.
Witness the mass crazed reactions to that Youtube clip last month.

[Tyler]

I was talking about how we're willing to take in third world peasants from Oaxaca but refuse to take in well educated immigrants who seriously could use refugee status.

We extended deportation refief AGAIN for Hatians, in other news.

[Tyler]

I could really care less about your 'white supremecist' cry baby nonsense. Tell me how Rhodesia and SA look now? They're barely functional lawless hellholes?

But the leftists of the world get to pat themselves on the back because yet another 'injustice' was solved through do gooderism. Give me a fucking break. Right now the Boers and white Rhodesians are being killed simply for being white, but I'm sure that's okay to you?

If blacks could maintain a civilization, then maybe we wouldn't need 'white supremacy'.

[YT]

Col. sir,

RE: "I told the Yemenis that he was as American as I. They stared at me."

Aye. There be folks who have no inkling that ethnicity DOES NOT equate to Nationality or even loyalty to ethnic land of forebears [otherwise I'd be a damn chink from the Mainland].

You should've asked if the Yemeni chaps consider themselves on equal footing with the house of saud.

[YT]

RE: "If an American firm tries to sell business in India or in Niegeria it is often best to put forth a Euro-American than an Indo-American or a Black American."

Aye, sir. The Pinkerton Syndrome.

Try putting an advertisement in Hong Kong or singapore without a Caucasian in it.

[turcopolier]

YT

The answer would have been yes. pl

[Diane Mason]

To keep the peace treaty with Israel.

[turcopolier]

Diane Mason

No. That's too easy. that's why we gave Mubarak money. Now we have that plus a simple minded belief in salvation through elections. pl

[elkern]

Seriously? You imply that "we need white supremacy"?

[Tyler]

We need Western Civilization, which "kodlu" and various other liberal academics appear to believe is one and the same as 'white supremacy'.

I can almost hear the shrillness in your voice from across the internets.