"American Coptic Union Calls for Equal US Respect for Egypt Presidential Candidates"

March 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Fax: 201-798-1451 Email: americancu@hotmail.com For more Info: Contact: R. Iscandar
3/24/2010                                              
For Immediate Release
"American Coptic Union Calls for Equal US Respect for Egypt Presidential Candidates"
   The American Coptic Union (ACU) protests the recent statement by US Department of State Egyptian Desk Director Nicole Chapman regarding the current Egyptian political spectrum. Chapman said, “[her] country would not support Mohamed ElBaradei if he decided to run in Egyptian presidential elections slated for next year.”
   This apparent washing of the hands in the name of dubious impartiality is actually an endorsement of a regime that maintains its power through intimidation, violence and genocide. A claim of “non-interference”, when the issue is justice and human rights, should be exposed as the endorsement of repression, that it really is.  
   Chapman also told US reporters that the US was not concerned with “specific personalities.”  However she singles out ElBaradei, but does not say the same about Mubarak.
At the same time Chapman stated that the US would not support ElBaradei, she failed to say that the US would not support Mubarak in the presidential election. This clearly demonstrates US hypocrisy and favoritism regarding Mubarak and the Coptic genocide in Egypt.
   Coptic Christians, as well as Muslims, see ElBaradei as the only hope to end Mubarak’s “reign of terror” for crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide against the Copts.
   The Egyptian people see the United States of America as the last great hope of the world, the symbol of freedom, liberty, and democracy. However, with the current statement, the US has narrowed its interests to fit the interests of the Mubarak despotic regime and his family, while the needs of the Egyptian people are ignored.
   We would like to offer Ms. Chapman a small thanks for acknowledging anti-Christian sentiment in Egypt. However, she then went on to say, “What happens to the Copts is intimidating.”
   That is very soft language for an outrageous and violent repression of human rights. The Mubarak regime has kidnapped and raped Coptic girls, raided villages, killed innocent Copts, and burned Coptic homes, businesses, and churches. Her mild criticism is not even a slap on the wrist and that actually facilitates Mubarak’s campaign of terror and genocide.
Coptic Christians wish to hear the US Department of State speak on behalf of releasing the Coptic blogger, Hany Nazeir who has been imprisoned for more than three years and is being tortured in attempts to get him to convert to Islam. Mr. Nazeir’s ominous fate has never been mentioned in any official US statements. How is such repression in Egypt any different from the often protested repressions of similar individuals in China, Russia, Myanmar and other dictatorships?
The ACU is looking for Ms. Chapman and the US Department of State to correct her recent statements and to fairly readdress the election issues by affirming that the US will treat all presidential candidates equally. Further, the ACU and the Coptic Community in the US, Egypt, and abroad hope that the US Department of State will demand an immediate end to genocide against the Copts and end its own policy of silence that tacitly approves continued human rights violations in Egypt.
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Source:
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/us-state-department-...

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ACU is non-profit organization, based in New Jersey. Our main concern is the Human Rights, and Freedom of religion for Egyptian Copts in Egypt.