28 April 2006
Angered Copts march to break their long silence
We can't put up with this persecution any more," Bishop Suriel, Melbourne's Coptic bishop, told the marchers. "We are calling on the Australian Government to say to the Egyptian Government, 'enough is enough'."
POSTED BY FREE COPTS
| Written by Barney Zwartz, The Age | |
| Tuesday, 25 April 2006 | |
| "COPTS have been silent for 1400 years," the banner outside St Paul's Cathedral claimed. Yesterday Melbourne's Copts broke that silence emphatically, more than 2000 marching from the cathedral to Parliament to protest against persecution in Egypt. More than a fifth of Melbourne's 10,000 Copts (Egyptian Christians) joined the march, stopping at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian consulate to present petitions. It was part of worldwide protests to put pressure on the Egyptian Government to halt attacks on churches by Islamic fanatics, and to stop the cover-ups. Sydney's Copts will march on Thursday. "We can't put up with this persecution any more," Bishop Suriel, Melbourne's Coptic bishop, told the marchers. "We are calling on the Australian Government to say to the Egyptian Government, 'enough is enough'." On Good Friday, four Coptic churches in Alexandria were attacked with swords, and one man was killed. When one congregation tried to chase the attackers, a policeman stopped them at gunpoint. Bishop Suriel told The Age that the Egyptian Government claimed it was a madman working alone, but it was hard to see how he could attack four churches in different places at once. Liz Attia, a spokeswoman for the Coptic community, said Copts, 10 per cent of Egypt's population, faced constant discrimination and fear of violence. The march, led by white-robed clergy, was an unusual protest, with singing and prayers in different languages rather than slogans. Bob Thomas, the head of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, also spoke, calling on the Australian Government to ask the Egyptian Government to make freedom of religion available to all. Egyptian consul-general Fatma Glal told the marchers she understood their grievances. "What hurts you hurts us all, and the Government is doing all it can," she said |
02:50 Posted in AUSTRALIA | Permalink | Comments (1) | 
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My heart has ached for what our LORD'S precious Egyptian children have had to endure while the rest of the free world remains maddeningly silent. I want you to know that I have been bombarding some of the national news stations with your letter of demands submitted to the U.N., as well as to an author who wrote a phenomenal book about the persecution of Christians by the left-wing media in the United States. His website requested to be informed of any other cases of Christian persecution that we may know about, so I filled him in on the 4/24 demonstration in New York (and how the news media ignored it & covered the Muslims' demonstration in front of the Israeli Embassy instead ... also in New York). Since he has friends in the journalism business, I submitted a copy of your letter to the United Nations, along with the pertinent names & website address for confirmation/follow-up. I know that Jesus warned us nearly 2000 years ago about how the love of many would turn cold, that people would be given over to their materialistic greed and basest carnal desires, & that many would think they would be doing GOD a tremendous service by killing us (which is why the Muslim radicals chant "'Allahu akhbar" whenever they descend on their victims with a bloodthirsty glee). I guess we are seeing the fulfillment of these last days of the age right before our eyes, but it still stuns & sickens me nevertheless. However, I promise you that I will do all I can to stay on top of the news networks until they publicize the plight of the Coptic Christians (just to make me leave them alone, if for no other reason), as well as provide for the cost of Bibles to be taken secretly into Egypt to the addresses obtained by a dedicated Christian organization. And, of course, I will continue to pray with all my heart, soul, & mind for GOD'S Omnipotent Shield of Power & Protection to cover you & guard you against the evil one's servants. I pray you never lose heart & continue to keep fighting & keep demonstrating in front of the United Nations or even the White House in the United States so they can never have the luxury of putting you out of their minds.
Since Jesus assured us that He would be there in the midst of us if two or more stood in agreement, then let us continue to be united in the Spiritual Body of Christ and be confident that the One Who has conquered even death, itself, is surely standing right alongside us, OK?
May GOD richly bless & strengthen all of you with a Miracle Gift of His Love & Presence in the Name of our Lord & Savior, Christ Jesus ... amen!
Standing With You In The Love & Service Of Our LORD:
(KimEllen)
MAKE A DIFFERENCE MINISTRIES
Posted by: MAKE A DIFFERENCE MINISTRIES | 30 April 2006
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