December 16, 2013 (Washington, DC)
Coptic Solidarity is pleased that S. 653, Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act, has been scheduled for mark-up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, Dec. 18. This important bill provides for the appointment of a special envoy within the State Department whose responsibility would be to work on behalf of minorities in the Middle East and south central Asia.
Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced this bill with original cosponsors Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). Once the bill was introduced, it was sent to the Committee on Foreign Relations where it sat until the committee Chairman, Senator Menendez, scheduled it for mark-up by the committee. The committee will review and possibly discuss amendments to the bill. If the committee passes the bill in their mark-up process on Wednesday, the bill will then await Senator Reid scheduling it for a full floor vote.
S. 653 has nineteen co-sponsors demonstrating the breadth of concern over rising religious freedom restrictions and persecution against religious minorities since the Arab Spring. The crisis for religious minorities has deepened in countries such as Egypt, Syria, and Libya and it is imperative that US policy address the grievous violence and mass exodus of religious minorities from these countries.
The House version of this bill, HR 301, passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support in a vote of 402 to 22 on September 18th. It was sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) with original co-sponsor Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). In their words, “A special envoy could help develop policy options to ensure the protection and preservation of these ancient faith communities while also serving as a high-level advocate within our own government and with foreign governments.”
Coptic Solidarity is a proponent of the creation of a Special Envoy position to provide a high-level spokesperson within the US government and with foreign governments. There has been resistance within the State Department, yet precedent exists for the appointment of Special Envoys such as for Sudan and North Korea. The position is not redundant to the currently vacant position of Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, but would complement that appointee’s effort through a focus on protection of religious minorities and addressing their socio-economic needs that result from persecution.
Coptic Solidarity urges Senator Reid to rapidly schedule a vote once S. 653 has been marked up in committee and requests that all US Senators vote to pass this important bill.
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 info@copticsolidarity.ch“>info@copticsolidarity.ch