US Paying for Persecution of Egyptian Christians?
In an opinion piece published on Townhall Online, Bob Morrison and Ken Blackwell claimed that "Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood's governing majority are actively persecuting Coptic Christians."
Morrison and Blackwell described what "typically" happens in matters of sectarian strife and how those targeted by violence are the ones accosted by police.
"Copts protest against Islamist violence directed at them and their churches. When the Copts face police, they get tear gassed. And then they are the ones arrested. The Muslim Brotherhood authorities will pick up Coptic youth- hopefully the ones not yet set on fire- and jail them," Morrison and Blackwell wrote.
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"Then, the police grab some of the Islamists perpetrators and jail them. Later, following a much-ballyhooed 'reconciliation' the authorities release all- perpetrators and victims alike," they continued.
In an interview with Daily News Egypt, Magdy Saber, a Christian, gave further insight to the insincere process that religious minorities in Egypt face.
"This is a natural consequence of the reconciliation between Muslims and Christians in Al-Khasous and what some priests agreed to. It brings us back to the old bargaining scenario [under Mubarak] where the criminals are released," he explained.
Saber added that the reconciliation meetings have been used for a long time in Egypt to deal with any sectarian conflict.
"Reconciliation sessions take place followed by Coptic arrests. Then both the Copts and the criminals are simultaneously released to end the conflict," Saber told Daily News Egypt.
Morrison and Blackwell highlighted the fact that the tear gas used by police forces to disperse riots was sold by American companies with the approval of the U.S. State Department. They also noted Secretary of State John Kerry's recent offer to increase foreign aid to Egypt by $250 million.
"American taxpayers are underwriting a regime that has little concern for fundamental human rights. We are shoveling billions to Egypt in the naïve belief that they are moving toward democracy," Morrison and Blackwell claimed.
"Is Egypt moving towards democracy? Pew polls and other opinion surveys regularly report that as many as 84 percent of Egyptians today say anyone who leaves Islam should be killed. Believing that, how can they have a democracy?" they questioned.
Morrison and Blackwell said President Obama has failed to explain to Americans why the U.S. is borrowing billions from China only to give it to a government in Egypt who disregards its own citizens and is negligent of human rights.
"Turning a blind eye to those of its backers who are burning Coptic churches, shooting them down, and setting them on fire," they authors wrote.
"We may not be able to protect the Copts of Egypt, but we surely should not be helping their persecutors. If the Morsi administration begins to crucify the Copts, will we pay for the nails?" they added.
