Thank You Pope Benedict

Pope Benedict XVI

Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano
I-00120 Citta del Vaticano
ITALY

Ref: The Egyptian Coptic Christians

Dear Pope Benedict XVI;

As a Coptic American, I would like to thank you for calling the world’s attention to what is happening to the Coptic Christians. Hopefully the world will start to understand the dimensions of the campaign of elimination against not just the Copts in Egypt but the entire population of Christians in the Middle East. 

This campaign was in the works for some time in Egypt, with its origins dating back to the early 1970s. Nevertheless the Egyptian leaders chose to put their heads in the sand and refused to acknowledge the problem by blaming individual attacks on foreign elements, unstable individuals, or unknown persons.

In many cases, local police have forced Christian victims of violence to accept negotiated settlements and to give up their right to have their attackers prosecuted in court. As a result, there were over 200 homicides and attacks against Copts in the past 10 years without one single court conviction. The majority of these homicides and attacks were after the Friday prayers.

Dr. Mufid Shehab, the Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, blamed the lack of police and investigative resources. However, he takes offense when Copts show dissatisfaction with police or the legal system.

I was not surprised when Egypt recalled its ambassador to the Vatican for consultation after you urged the country to do more to protect its Christian minority.     

Their action shows the mentality and the thinking process of the Egyptian administration and the culture of the country. You merely asked them to “to do more to protect” Christians in Egypt. In response the Parliament, Imam of El Azhar, and the executive branched  rejected your call as “interfering” in Egypt’s internal affairs. This is a common response from leaders of countries where ethnic cleansing is taking place. Similar responses have been heard from leaders in Rwanda, Sudan and Serbia.

Sadly, they do not understand the value and the importance of the words “The Truth Will Set You Free.”

I pray that all Western countries recall their ambassadors from Egypt to protest not just what is happening to minorities in the Egypt, but to protest and call the attention to the system the produces and exports radicals that threatens our civilization.

Again, thank you so much for your courage, leadership and for calling the attention to what is a happening to Christians in Egypt and the Middle East.

Michael

January 14, 2011