WASHINGTON, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — From Iraq to Sudan, from Syria to Libya, from Egypt to Iran, religious minorities, especially Christians, are suffering extreme persecution at the hands of Islamic governments, Jihadists or fundamentalists intent on relegating them to live as second class citizens, if not to chase them away from their millennial fatherlands. In response to this global travesty, Coptic Solidarity will host its Fifth Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., June 26 – 27 focusing on the theme: After Arab Spring, Middle East Christians Between Local Violence and International Indifference
Violence against religious minorities and indigenous groups since the advent of the ‘Arab Spring’ has turned into a mad spiral. Christians are being cleansed from Syria and the population of Christians in Iraq has been more than halved in recent years. More than 500 Coptic Christians in Egypt have been killed in separate incidents since the January 25, 2011 revolution, and nearly 500 Coptic girls have disappeared. Additionally, more than 100 churches and Christian institutions have been burned down or destroyed in Egypt in the same period, among them the 80 churches and Christian institutions that were destroyed in August. Christians and members of the Baha’i faith are targeted for persecution throughout Iran.
Religious minorities in the Middle East need special consideration and protection from the international community. The extinction of persecuted religious minorities and indigenous groups in the Middle is becoming a likely and tragic possibility. Without coordinated action between civil society, individual governments, and international entities, many of these religious groups will soon become extinct.
Coptic Solidarity has partnered with MECHRIC (The Middle East Christians Committee), which is a federation of independent NGOs, including Coptic, Maronite, Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Melkite and others, in order to create greater awareness among the general public.
Confirmed speakers include Senator Cruz, Lord Alton, Retired General Robert Scales, Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, Ambassador Marcelle Wahba, Representative Frank Wolf, Dr. Robert P. George, Ms. Nina Shea, Mr. Peter Bhatti, Fr. Boulad, “KT” McFarland, Raymond Arroyo and many more legislators, government officials, Think-Tank and NGO personnel, as well as authors and media personalities.
View program and all confirmed speakers at http://www.copticsolidarity.com/conference2014
The annual Policy Day will be held in the Capitol Visitor’s Center on June 26th. The program will continue at the Key Bridge Marriot on June 27th. The conference is open to the public and pre-registration can be completed at http://www.copticsolidarity.com/register-now
Coptic Solidarity is non-profit organization dedicated to leading efforts to achieve equal citizenship for the Copts in Egypt. For more information, contact Lindsay 801-512-1713, Hal Meawad 240-644-5153 or [email protected]“>[email protected]
SOURCE Coptic Solidarity
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/23/coptic-solidarity-con-idUSnPn8nlcZq+82+PRN20140623