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Sunday, May 19, 2013

SAVE THE COPTS - PETITION

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PETITION to WORLD LEADERS

To: The International Community, The U.N. Seceratary General, World Leaders

We, the undersigned, are appalled by the recent violent attacks against the Christian community in Egypt.  We are asking for your help in exerting political pressure on the government of Egypt to provide equitable, humane, fair, and just treatment to the Coptic Egyptian community.

Once more, the Coptic community is experiencing bouts of brutal mob violence against individuals and property. Recently, one Copt has been killed, while churches have been attacked by mobs in the name of Islam.  Appropriately 85%of the Egyptian population are of the Muslim faith and in recent times, tensions have been escalated by Muslim extremists, with total impunity as the state authorities have been unwilling to address this issue and bring to justice those who have incited violence and killing against the Copts.  Very few perpetrators involved in mob attacks have been brought to justice. Indeed, there is widespread evidence that members of Egyptian law enforcement have been seen to direct & assist the mobs.  Moreover, there are numerous instances of police taking no action to prevent & arrest members of mobs, but standing by and watching the attacks.

Furthermore, there have been a number of incidents in which Copts have faced prosecution and imprisonment as a result of their faith.  Furthermore, there are a number of incidents in which young Copts have been kidnapped and either forced to convert to Islam or held for ransom.  No perpetrators have been investigated, apprehended or prosecuted to date. 

The situation for the Copts in Egypt has further deteriorated since the Presidential elections, as they are being continually persecuted for adhering to their Christian faith.

We are asking all of the governments that value and cherish human rights, as enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, to exert significant political & economic pressure against the government of President Morsi.

We are asking that governments take the following actions:

  1. To call upon the United Nations to formally condemn the violence & persecution of the Copts taking place in the state of Egypt.
  2. To demand the United Nations to formally establish an inquiry commission to fully investigate the mob attacks on the Coptic community.
  3. To call upon the United Nations to address the failure of the Egyptian government to adhere with its UN obligations.
  4. To demand the national government to withhold allocated financial aid to Egpyt.
  5. Summon the Egyptian Ambassador to express profound displeasure of the recent series of mob attacks against Copts (individuals & church premises), resulting in injury and loss of life. These attacks are a heinous breach of fundamental human rights enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, of which Egypt is a signatory.  Article 3 states that “Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of persons”.
  6. To ask the government to inform the Egyptian government that until such time as all human rights (full compliance of Articles 1,3, 5, 18 & 20 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights) are fully implemented & enforced, all state funding & aid to Egypt is suspended.
  7. To demand that the Egyptian authorities commence an investigation, monitored by the UN, into the recent St Mark cathedral attack, in order to apprehend the ring leaders of the mob attacks.
  8. To ask for the immediate arrest of those individuals who have propagated and incited hatred and violence, whose activities, speeches have been well documented in all the Egyptian media.
  9. Call upon the Interior Ministry to ensure the prompt arrest and trial of those responsible for the killing of Copts, those responsible for the destruction & vandalism of Copt churches.
  10. Under article 40 of the Egyptian constitution stipulates that all citizens are equal, regardless of color, creed or religion.  The Coptic community has been unable to freely practise their faith and are not permitted to renovate or build churches.
  11. To demand the Egyptian authorities to conduct an investigation into the misconduct of law enforcement personnel & to implement a review of the police and security forces that failed to stop the mob attacks or intervene in any way, to suspend any official or secuirty agent on duty in the area, until the investigation is completed.
  12. To call upon the ministry of Interior to punish those officials found guilty of misconduct or dereliction of duty and to withdraw pension and other benefits.
  13. Call upon the Egyptian government to provide all victims of violence with the appropriate support & reparation.
  14. Call upon the Egyptian ministry of education to adhere to the principles of the UN Human Rights Declaration by modifying all public education material including the removal of all mandated Islamic texts for non-Muslims, and religious hatred and incitement against Christians, Jews, Bahai’s, or any other sects, and replacing this material with topics that teach children the values of democracy, human rights, religious freedom, openness, and diversity.

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