RUTHFULLY YOURS

In a lecture in the USA earlier this year, Coptic Christian activist Magdi Khalil, who runs the Pennsylvania-based Middle East Forum, observed that ‘enhancing the status of Copts in Egypt also serves Western, American and Jewish interests because Copts in Egypt are struggling to prevent the transformation of Egypt to an armed jihadist state that would be anti-Western and anti-Israel’. http://www.bikyamasr.com/wordpress/?p=10245
An ancient Christian presence in the Middle East, the Copts have produced, in modern times, such renowned figures as the distinguished cardiothoracic surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, a household name in Britain.
The terrible persecution that the Copts are experiencing in Egypt from determined Islamists is heart-rending, and a salutory warning to us all. I do not intend to follow certain other bloggers down the path of mindlessly excoriating Muslims.  This is, first and foremost, a pro-Israel blog; it’s not a Muslim-bashing one. However, like many people I’m deeply worried about the rise of militant Islam worldwide and its possible socio-political consequences, which is why I’m convinced that the Egyptian Copts might be considered the proverbial canaries in the mineshaft.

Below is a crosspost, with his kind permission, by the Australian Coptic Christian Assad Elepty.
It was originally posted at http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/persecution-by-islam/islamic-suppression-and-humiliation-of-egypts-coptic-community-continues/
(I’ve added illustrations, not directly related to the specific subject of Assad Elepty’s article, but these illustrations –  like his strong language –  are  indicative of the depth of despair of Coptic Christians towards their people’s plight.)

In a sinister, provocative and vile act that further highlights the bigotry of the lawless land of Egypt under the rule of Mubarak, the Islamists converted a four-storey dwelling into a mosque directly opposite the Church of St Mary and St Michael in Talbiya. This is the same church that the Egyptian security force attacked in a military style offensive on 24 November resulting in the murder of four Copts by the Egyptian security force. A licence to kill and murder Copts.

The Giza Governorate in their pathetic discriminatory fashion did not raise an eye brow when the Islamists converted ‘overnight’ a house facing the church into a mosque. If you are wondering  –  no, the local governor did not send an army to treat the Islamists the same way they treated the Christians of Egypt. This new mosque proves beyond any doubt that the church was attacked because Islamic neighbours do not want a church in that area, despite there being one million Copts with no place of worship.

The new so-called ‘Ekhlass’ mosque was converted secretly Thursday evening when a cloth sign was hastily hung outside a four-storey house. It was then used on Friday morning, when over 3000 Muslims prayed there, despite the presence of a large mosque on the other side of the bridge, not far from the new mosque. Apparently the owner of the house, which is still under construction, donated it.

The governor under the Mubarak Regime did not say a word, and because they are Islamic swine, they did not need a permit the same way the Christians are forced to wait years for a presidential approval to build a mosque.

‘Of course the new mosque did not have to get a building license, local council or state security permission, as is the case with churches’, said Coptic activist Mark Ebeid.

This perverted act was designed to prevent the Coptic church ever been approved, due to the minimum distance required by law between a church and a mosque, Copts view this conversion of the house into a new mosque ‘as a trick on the part of the government to make the completion and use of St. Mary’s Church an impossibility’.

‘We are devastated’, said a local Copt. ‘This church cost the poor people 7 million Egyptian pounds, which we collected by having to go without a lot in our homes, and there comes the governor and state security, angry because we built a dome and destroy it, kill our children, leave others maimed and the rest in prison for a very long time.’

There is no doubt that Mubarak is a toothless tiger and allows this blatant discrimination to occur while he sleeps peacefully.

The radical bigoted Islamists  need to realise there is indeed a God. Whilst they perversely attack the Copts in every possible way under the false premise that they are untouchable, I warn them to be very careful, for the wrath of God has no boundaries. No one is beyond the reach of God and nothing will save you when God Almighty unleashes his vengeance upon you. ‘Vengeance is mine’ said the Lord.

President Mubarak, with the greatest of respect and sympathy we are aware that you have already felt the pain and anguish of losing a loved one, when your grandson passed away in May 2009. After having experienced such pain, how in God’s holy name can you allow a security force to inflict such pain on other families over the construction of a place of worship? (May God have mercy upon the soul of your grandson and grant him eternal peace.)

To add to the ridicule, pain, anguish and discrimination you sit by and allow the Islamists to convert a house in to a mosque?  Where is the equal treatment? Where is the security force enforcing the rule of law?

The world at large is witnessing the Islamists’ abuse towards non-Muslims. While the Coptic Christians may appear weak and defenceless to the Islamists, beware: Jesus is their shepherd and guardian, and in his own time he will make Egypt aware of his benevolent existence. The Pharaoh treated Moses in the same way that your regime is treating the Christians, and we all know the end result of that belligerence. The world thought the Muslim Brotherhood were the greatest threat to non-Muslims, how wrong we were. Your regime and it its bigoted attitude towards non-Muslims is the venomous threat towards non-Muslims.

President Mubarak, Egypt has only 1,678 churches and over 77,674 mosques according to Rosa Alyoussef.

In addition, Egypt is the country with the most number of mosques in the entire world.

Are the Islamists that desperate to prevent the construction of a church, that they can circumvent laws and erect or convert a mosque at whim with no regard for laws and no action by your government?

The Egyptian Government is proving itself to be a disgraceful entity intent on annihilation of the Copts. The Copts do not fear you or your Islamic government. We fear God Almighty, and no one can circumvent God.

President Mubarak, Copts and Christians worldwide implore your immediate and personal intervention in this disgraceful and abusive conduct by your government officials. The ball is in your court. You are the leader and President, show some leadership and take control of the country that you have been entrusted with in your twilight years.

Church building in Egypt is still partly governed by the Haayoni Decree of 1856, when Egypt was under Ottoman rule. After gaining independence in 1922, Egypt abolished all laws except for the Hamayouni Decree, which required the permission of the king or the president to build a church. In addition, in 1934 the Interior Minister, Al-Ezaby Pacha, issued a decree that stipulated 10 conditions that must be met prior to issuance of a presidential decree permitting the construction of a church. The conditions include the requirement that the distance between a church and a mosque be not less than 100 metres and the approval of the neighbouring Muslim community. Additional considerations or conditions are the number of Christians in the area and whether or not the proposed church is near the Nile, public utility or a railway.

The new Coptic Church of St Mary and St. Michael, in Talbiya, Giza, was the scene on November 24 of security forces fire and using tear gas on women, children and youth who were present at the church, in order to halt construction of the church and demolish the building   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihOc_eSeU1c&feature=player_embedded). The clashes between security and the Copts resulted in the death of three Coptic men from bullet wounds and a four year old child from a tear gas being thrown inside the chapel. More than 79 Copts were wounded, some severely, and 157 people including women and children, were all charged, with premeditated murder of a police officer, assaulting security officers, rioting, theft and destruction of public property” (AINA, 30 Nov. 2010)….

Our heartfelt appreciation to the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) and Mary Abdelmassih for alerting the world to the disgraceful conduct of Islam towards the Copts.

Let the actions of Egypt serve as a warning to every non-Muslim Land in the world.

Beware of the perversion and abuse of Islam.

Maybe the entire world should ban any construction of any new mosques until such time Islamic countries like Egypt can prove they will treat non-Muslims equally and equitably, otherwise for the love of sanity, spare yourselves the pain and suppress Islam in your homelands.

To the USA, do not be fools, say absolutely NO to the ground zero mosque and wake up to yourselves.

Enough is enough, we are sick of the bull**** that Islam is a peaceful religion, who the hell are you kidding.

If any of you actually believe the crap we are been pedalled and actually think Islam is peaceful,
please go live in Egypt and get a reality check.

Mubarak, you run the show, the buck stops with you, exercise your authority and do something about it.