POMED Notes: “Minority at Risk: Coptic Christians in Egypt”

On Friday, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing entitled “Minority at Risk: Coptic Christians in Egypt.” Christopher Smith (R-NJ) chaired the hearing, also attending were Steve Cohen (D-TN), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Renee Ellmers (R-NC). The witnesses were Caroline Doss, Vice President, Coptic Solidarity; Michelle Clark, Adjunct Professor, George Washington University; and Jean Maher, President, French Office, Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization.

Notes on the event are located below the break, or can be accessed in PDF form here.

On Friday, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing entitled “Minority at Risk: Coptic Christians in Egypt.” Christopher Smith (R-NJ) chaired the hearing, also attending were Steve Cohen (D-TN), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Renee Ellmers (R-NC). The witnesses were Caroline Doss, Vice President, Coptic Solidarity; Michelle Clark, Adjunct Professor, George Washington University; and Jean Maher, President, French Office, Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organization.

Chariman Smith opened the hearing expressing the need for more robust support for the rights of Coptic Christians in Egypt.

Caroline Doss described the violent attacks, discrimination, rape, forced religious conversions, and destruction of religious property currently experienced by thousands of Christian Copt’s in Egypt. She noted several documented attacks and the absence of action by the Egyptian government, both before and after the revolution. She also noted an apparent complicity by the government in some of these attacks.

She offered four recommendations: (1) support the passage of H.R.440 and S.1245 to create a Special Envoy for Religious Minorities in Middle East, (2) encourage the prosecution of perpetrators of these crimes, (3) encourage that international standards of human rights are upheld in the new Egyptian constitution and not undermined in later passages, and (4) attach relevant human rights conditions to any foreign aid to Egypt.

Congressman Cohen noted his concern about rising anti-Semitism in Egypt. Congressman Pitts noted that the impunity granted under former President Mubarak to security forces and those who forcibly converted Copt’s has not stopped since his removal. He is concerned that the new government may be more repressive, and in different ways, than the former regime.

Michelle Clark focused her testimony on recent reports by the U.S. State Department and other international organizations about “alleged” incidents of Coptic discrimination and forced religious conversions. She insisted that the term “alleged” must be removed, citing various sources of evidence.

Jean Maher testified about the systematic kidnapping, rape, forced marriage and religious conversion, and the disappearance of at least 30 Coptic girls since 2008.

Congressman Wolf noted that there would be amendments introduced to the House Committee on State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill conditioning aid to Egypt on adequately addressing the rights of Copt’s. He will also raise the issue with the new U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen also supported conditioning aid to Egypt, she said, “we have a lot of funds that go to many countries, and these are tough economic times,” she continued saying that if the U.S. allocates funds then the U.S. must ensure that the recipient countries respect the rights of religious minorities and women.

Congressman Smith noted he will pressure the Obama Administration to re-designate Egypt to a Tier 3 country, down from their current Tier 2 status, on the U.S. Trafficking in Persons report by the State Department. Congressman Pitts would like to see Egypt designated as a country of concern in relation to the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act. All three panelists agreed with Congressman Pitts’ proposal.