Sound The Trumpet : U.S. Coptic Christians Come to Aid of Believers Persecuted in Egypt

Must Listen

Must Read

What Art Thinks

Pre-Millennialism

Today's Headlines

Sorry... Not Available

Locally Contributed...

Audio

Video

Special Interest

Daily News

19944

“U.S. Coptic Christians Come to Aid of Believers Persecuted in Egypt”
by Newsmax
September 23rd, 2013

Coptic Christians in America are welcoming a flood of refugees who have fled from violence in Egypt and are seeking to pressure the international community to come to the aid of those who are still being persecuted for their faith.

Since the April 2011 demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square -- and continuing through the military overthrow this summer of Muslim Brotherhood-backed President Mohammed Morsi -- violence against the estimated 9 million Christians living in Egypt has intensified, resulting in an unprecedented number of Coptic Christians immigrating to the United States.

Of the approximately 350,000 Copts living in the U.S., almost one-third of those arrived post-revolution, according to Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom.

"It is very hard to assign exact figures to the population, but we do know that last year we had 202 churches in the U.S. and probably added a few more this year," he says. In 1971, there were only two Coptic churches in the United States.

The influx is increasing after violence occurred in August when the Muslim Brotherhood unleashed a deadly series of attacks against Copts. Andrew Doran wrote in The National Review that the "Muslim Brotherhood's systematic and coordinated attacks against Christians in Egypt are reminiscent of Kristallnacht in Germany in 1938," the series of attacks by Nazis targeting Jews in Germany and parts of Austria.

The unprecedented immigration is having an impact on the Coptic community in the United States. Tadros says many of the newer immigrants are socially more conservative and also arrive with the expectation they will receive assistance getting jobs, housing, and other financial aid.

For recent immigrants, the church community provides an invaluable resource, "especially for those who arrive without connections or family in the U.S.," says Ashraf Ramelah, president of the Voice of the Copts.

Founded in 2007, Ramelah's organization assists recent immigrants to resettle, but its main focus and challenge is to draw attention to the needs of Copts, as well as other religious minorities.

"We have sent many letters to the State Department and administration, but they have never replied to any of our requests," Ramelah tells Newsmax. He says the Obama administration is "completely failing in the mission of the United States … to promote democracy" and to combat discrimination faced by Copts.

Ramelah's experience is shared by Michael Neurier, president of the U.S. Copts Association, who has organized multiple demonstrations across the United States to draw attention to the persecution in Egypt.

Neurier came to the U.S. from Egypt after the revolution, specifically to increase awareness about the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood.

"We have held many public demonstrations in New Jersey, California, New York. We have held press conferences, arranged meetings with the press and met with members of Congress to try and educate people to what is really going on in Egypt," Neurier says in an interview with Newsmax.

In August, more than 200 Coptic Christians gathered in Nashville to call for peace in Egypt and for President Barack Obama to stand up against the Muslim Brotherhood, according to The Tennessean.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13