WASHINGTON, June 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ —
Coptic Solidarity recently held its fourth Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. titled “To What Extent Will the U.S. and the International Community Support an Islamist Government in Egypt?”
Renowned speakers shared expertise and recommendations clarifying priorities facing the increasingly marginalized Coptic community and the embattled people of Egypt. Speakers included 81st Attorney General, Judge Michael Mukasey; Canada’s Religious Freedom Ambassador, Dr. Andrew Bennett; R. James Woolsey, Former Director of Central Intelligence; Baroness Cox, Member of UK House of Lords; a total of 9 Members of Congress and Parliamentarians; Thomas Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at DRL; author Judith Miller; leading Egyptian and American experts, and speakers from Russia, UK and Australia. Altogether, 39 speakers shared their views.
The conference included a Policy Education Day on Capitol Hill followed by a second day at a hotel. Coptic Solidarity president, Adel Guindy, opened the conference stating, “America could be on the wrong side of history by its continued support for a fascistic regime that is rejected by the Egyptian people,” and warned against the banality of evil.
Melia contended the US has been proactive in supporting democracy and human rights in Egypt, yet the Egyptian government has not heeded all of their suggestions. He claimed the Administration has to provide incentives for Egypt. Yet the Administration remains unconvinced that withholding the aid that Secretary Kerry just released to Egypt, would have been sufficient inducement for the Morsi Regime to protect human rights and operate democratically.
Coptic Solidarity released recommendations from the conference. These include: opposition groups in Egypt must unite in efforts to defeat the Muslim Brotherhood by all peaceful and political means, rewriting of a constitution compatible with international standards and the fundamentals of modern state, resist the newly proposed NGO law before it curtails civil society any further, press the State Department to designate Egypt as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ this year followed by measures “with teeth” such as conditioning of foreign aid, and support passage of both House and Senate bills for the Creation of a Special Envoy to Promote Religious freedom in the Near East and S. Central Asia. View all recommendations and conference recap>>
Coptic Solidarity is non-profit organization dedicated to leading efforts to achieve equal citizenship for the Copts in Egypt. For more information, contact Hal Meawad 240-644-5153 or [email protected]
SOURCE Coptic Solidarity
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