Egypt's Coptic Christians call for general strike on September 11 to protest persecution

The plight of Coptic Christians

Jihad Watch posts that Christians in Egypt will strike for the right to build their churches...

"Traditional Islamic law for dhimmis forbids them to build new churches."

"Christians in Egypt still suffer from a cultural hangover of that law."

(NOTE: in many Islamic countries no churches, crosses or even praying in public are tolerated; in Egypt new churches were not allowed.) 




Egypt's Coptic Christians call for general strike on September 11 to protest persecution

Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), September 6 posts "Coptic Christians in Egypt Call for Strike to Protest Mistreatment" by Mary Abdelmassih ...

"The strike centers around the Copts' demands for the Egyptian government to ratify the unified law for building houses of worship, and to abolish the unofficial "reconciliation sessions," which takes place despite the presence of criminal suspicion, and to bring the perpetrators in sectarian strife to justice."

I hadn't heard about these "reconciliation sessions" before today, and we don't usually see much of this type of thing in the mainstream media. But these Egyptian "reconciliation sessions" are particularly nasty.

Thanks to Jihad Watch for this information on "reconciliation sessions"

"Since early 2007 the Egyptian government has been appeasing Muslim fundamentalists by settling matters of sectarian conflict out of court in line with Islamic Sharia law. That prohibits Christians from bringing evidence against Muslims. The government brokers 'reconciliation' sessions where the Christians are forced to drop all the charges they are making (arson, looting, assault, kidnap, robbery, criminal damage, rioting, torture, rape, murder) in exchange for Muslim guarantees of 'peace'."

"This 'reconciliation' Egyptian-style emboldens belligerent Islamists by rewarding their violence with impunity. It creates a climate of terror for Christians and is fueling escalating persecution. Over recent years Muslim pogroms have become more violent; they have attracted more participants; and they have spread from the desert villages to the suburbs of Cairo. Along with this, the Muslims are becoming more demanding. Innocent Christians are losing basic rights and even going to jail just so Muslims can be appeased...."